...Diversity: Religion and Workplace Introduction Religion is one of the biggest differences segmenting the world into different parts. There is no other reason from the dawn of time which caused more strife’s and argument among mankind than Religion. Religion can be defined as the faith or moral belief a person possess regarding the nature of being or existing the world. In the modern world there are roughly five or six major religious and yet countless other minor religions have sprung up and are continuing to spring up every day. Each believer of a religion defends and believes in it devoutly, to such an extent that he or she is willing to go towards bloodshed to defend its honor. The major religions of the world include, Islamic, Christianity, Hinduism, Atheism, Judaism, etc. These religions include the set of guidelines for the individuals on which to base their lives. The major religions all dictate that there is a Higher Entity, or God which governs the world and the Universe and all that is contains is it plaything and all the living creatures are its subjects (Trent, 2007). Such devout belief and intolerance against one’s faith becomes a very volatile subject and can become the cause of a major strike in an organization. Any good and reputed organization employees a variety of people all belonging to different backgrounds. Some of these religions might be major while some might be the minor ones. In such a scenario, the minority religion often suffers under...
Words: 4456 - Pages: 18
...Table of Contents Abstract 4 Introduction 4 Gender Diversity 7 Diversity in Sexuality 8 Racial Diversity 10 Diversity in Age 11 Cultural Diversity 12 Religious Diversity 13 Importance of Diversity Training 18 Recommendations for Managers 22 Conclusion 26 References 28 Abstract This research paper addresses the importance of diversity training in the workplace. Having realized how pertinent workplace discrimination is globally, this paper will give a broad look into the various ways that diversity is displayed in the workplace. The diversity issues involving gender, sexuality, race, age, culture and religion will be explored, and the benefits that diversity training brings in each area will be outlined. Examples of the approaches that many Fortune 500 companies are taking will be touched on throughout the paper, as well as, the strategies behind corporate inclusion. Finally, manager’s recommendations will be given on ways to incorporate diversity training into an organization, and the potential outcomes that it brings to an organization. Introduction People differ in many aspects of their lives. We differ in race, color, sex, religious beliefs and origin to name a few. These diverse characteristics are what make us so unique from one another. Some people see diversity as an opportunity to learn and grow from other people, but others see it as a hindrance, which should be eliminated. Discrimination is defined as treatment or consideration...
Words: 3679 - Pages: 15
...Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis “Religion is one element of a culture, a transcendent element of it." Francis Arinze The Influence of Religion One of the most pervasive influences in how people in various cultures and sub-cultures develop identity and purpose is through their faith and religion. One’s religious traditions - like family, tribe, or nation - anchors them to the world. Religious traditions provide structure, discipline, and social participation in a community (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, 2013). Religion, also sanctions a wide range of human conduct by providing notions of right and wrong, setting precedents for accepting behavior, and transforming the burden of decision making from individuals to the supernatural power (Samovar et al., 2013). As such, religion responds to the basic human need to understand the purpose of life. This paper will examine five major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism along with each of their core values and assumptions. It will examine the impact religion plays in cultures as well as the overall impact religion has on globalization in the 21st century. Through a personal reflection on religious diversity in the workplace along with an overview of the Society of Human Resources best practices to handle such diversity, it will provide recommendations on how to develop a cohesive culture that values diversity and aligns the tenets...
Words: 2712 - Pages: 11
...Ethical Issues in Management Charles Hall Axia Student Diversity in the workplace refers to the stark contrast of individuals within the same work environment. Many moral and ethical issues are faced by managers every day concerning diversity. Social Issues and ethically responsible management practices relate to workplace diversity in simple but important ways. Ethically it is irresponsible for managers to manage diversity in the workplace by acting insensitively towards employees. There are many ways that managers can avoid ethical issues concerning diversity in the workplace, but first they must understand the moral and ethical issues that they are faced with. Fifty years ago it was not uncommon to see any workplace filled with nothing but white adult males (Jr., 1990). Today that has changed. Walking into most workplaces will expose a person to an environment of diversity. This environment poses challenges to management that were not even a concern to doing business a generation ago. Programs like Affirmative Action have mandated that organizations heed government set quotas of employing minorities in their workplace (Jr., 1990). This has resulted in a complex new environment for managers where the bottom line is no longer the bottom line. Ethics are now the bottom line in a work environment where diversity plays a major role. Managers need to be in tune with their subordinates’ ethnicity, race, and background. Due to the political correctness (PC) movement of the 1980s...
Words: 1184 - Pages: 5
...Diversity in the Workplace Religion in the workplace is often a matter many employers and employees are hesitant to discuss. This may be because religion is usually segregated by race or ethnicity, another sensitive subject in the workplace. Good employers know the value of workplace diversity and know the pros and cons and can identify and compromise with their employees about how to effectively work with the diversity to provide a comfortable working environment. Catholic Christians tend to be Hispanic or Caucasian, while Baptist Christians are more often African-American. Muslims or followers of the Islamic faith are usually either of Arabic descent or African American. Some of the most persecuted faiths or non-faiths in the workplace are Muslims, Sikhs, and Jews. The majority of employees in America are Christians or claim to be of the Christian faith. So any diverse religions in the workplace can be a little different for them. Muslims before 9/11 were already religiously persecuted simply because of the rituals and practices performed on a day-to-day basis. Devout Muslims pray five times a day towards the east, the direction of Mecca whether in work, school, or restaurants. In some branches of the religion women are required to cover their hair or even cover their entire faces. They may not be able to wear pants or shorts. Post 9/11, Muslims were almost pariahs, particularly during the first few years following the plane hijackings. It was near impossible for practicing...
Words: 326 - Pages: 2
...Workforce Diversity: How Can A Leader Manage A Diverse Workplace?Successful Workplace Diversity For ManagersMonique RodgersColorado Technical UniversityJanuary 9, 2011The dimensions of diversity include; race, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability and gender. Diversity in the workplace has an influential perspective on the atmosphere of the workplace. A diverse workplace is one that does not focus primarily on the job alone but also on the employees that work at the company. The diverse workplace is centered around bringing people together as one and working together on a common goal. At times this is not easy to do in a workplace as it creates a lot of conflict between the workers due the differences that are being displayed. For some people, is not easy to work with someone of a different gender, and for other’s it is not easy to work with another person who expresses a different religion. Then for others they cannot handle working with someone who has a different sexual orientation such lesbian, bi-sexual, or gay couples. Diversity helps to bridge the gap between the differences and helps employees to work on a level that is conducive and effective for the workplace. A manager helps to bridge the diversity gap by joining the company together to celebrate the differences that are associated amongst the employees. A manager’s role is not to necessarily accept or believe in what the employees portray but to only accept them and respect what they believe in. Diversity helps...
Words: 917 - Pages: 4
...Diversity in the Workplace Wendy Fowler Diversity in the Workplace Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. Workplace diversity is about acknowledging differences and adapting work practices to create an inclusive environment in which diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds are valued. It is about understanding the individual differences in the people we work with that arise from a broad range of backgrounds and lifestyles, and recognizing the value of using those different perspectives, ideas and ways of working to enhance the quality and outcomes of work. Our diversity is shaped by a variety of characteristics including age, ethnicity, gender, disability, language, religious beliefs, life stages, education, career responsibilities, sexual orientation, personality and marital status (Leonard 2013). Workplace diversity builds on the traditional principles of equal employment opportunity (EEO). While EEO focuses on ensuring that all people have access to employment opportunities and conditions, diversity means accepting, welcoming and valuing the differences essential in every individual and recognizing the contribution that a diverse workforce can make to organizational effectiveness and performance. To understand how diversity affects the work place let us look at different types of diversity which includes differences in skill and abilities, values and attitudes, occupation differences, and age. Different Types...
Words: 3397 - Pages: 14
...According to Chapter one of the textbook (Schaefer, 2011), the dimension of cultural diversity groups is: racial groups, ethnicity groups, religion groups, gender groups. The other dimensions of culture diversity that also categorize other groups are set apart on the basis of age, disability status, physical appearance, and sexual orientation. These groups share five characteristics, “unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage” (Schaefer, 2011) Race group, is the group known by obvious physical differences. In society today’s, people classified, and classify others by skin color, they either Black or White. Ethnicity group are” set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns” (Schaefer, 2011) the culture traits such as language, strong belief, food, traditions, and habits make this a dominant group on the foundation of cultural. Religion and gender groups; Religion groups are associations set apart from the dominant religion and gender group, male and female are set apart on the basis of sex. “An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, common language, a common culture, religion and interest in a homeland connected with a specific geographical area, traditions, food...
Words: 866 - Pages: 4
...DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL BUSINESS ETIQUETTE Global Business Etiquette How do business practices differ in different parts of the world? Important Cultural Values Individualism – Collectivism Egalitarianism – Hierarchy (Power Distance) Masculinity-Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance From Hofstede’s research Distance and Talking What is your comfortable zone for personal space? How does that differ across cultures? How loud do you normally talk? Is that acceptable everywhere? Low and High Context Cultures Element Low Context High Context Message Internal source External Content Rational Emotional Style Explicit Implicit Channel Informal Formal Pattern General, across situations Context specific Argument Aristotelian Ideological Appeals Facts & objective proof General principles Logic Linear Spiral Touching & Greetings Kissing & hugging vs. Handshakes vs. Bowing Use of titles Professional titles are often important (e.g. Doctor, Professor) Use formal, respectful titles in many cultures (e.g. Signor, Don) rather than names 1 View of Time Do meetings start at the indicated time? Are there times during the day or during the year when business does not get done? Monochronic vs. polychronic view of time How soon until you can “get down to business”? Closing the Deal Group vs. individual decision making Does yes mean “we have a deal”? Is drinking/socializing required? The role of silence ...
Words: 1360 - Pages: 6
...Religious Diversification Today Religious diversification in the workplace is an issue employers will always face. Management of this diversity is necessary so that employees can reach their full potential, maximize productivity, and create a positive work environment by which everybody is accommodated. By understanding the positives and negatives of having religion and spirituality in the workplace, it is clear that there are advantages and disadvantages. Positive aspects of integrating religion or spirituality into the workplace may include improved worker performance and better relationships between management and employees. There are disadvantages as well, such as discrimination, and resistance to religious culture, which can reduce productivity and may lead to legal issues. Law and Regulation The most common way a company integrates religious views into their work place would depend if the company were public or privately held. For example, if the CEO of a private organization was Christian there might be rules for allowing extra prayer time at the work. Under federal law, regarding religious expression in private work areas, “Employees should be permitted to engage in private religious expression in personal work areas not regularly open to the public”(Earp, 2008). Publicly held organizations must allow for prayer during the day and if the other employees are atheist or another religion they must be respectful. As long as work is being completed during work hours all...
Words: 2521 - Pages: 11
...WEEK ONE DISCUSSION What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. My initial response to the question “What are the dimensions of cultural diversity?” were religion, race, ethnicity and gender. However, upon reading a chapter in the book Understanding and managing diversity : readings, cases and exercises by Harvey and Allard, the chapter A World View of Cultural Diversity by Thomas Sowell (2009), changed my perspective. After reading this chapter, I understood the question much differently and changed my view of what are cultures. According to Sowell, cultures are non static, they are fluid meaning they evolve over centuries. An important dimension of cultures is geography, which is “an important long-run influence on the shaping of cultures as well as in narrow economic terms (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p. 75). Furthermore, Sowell states that “cultures exist to serve the vital, practical requirements of human life—to structure a society so as to perpetuate the species, to pass on the hard-earned knowledge and experience of generations past and centuries past to the young and inexperienced in order to spare the next generation the costly and dangerous process of learning everything all over again from scratch through trial and error—including fatal errors” (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p77). Therefore, the two main dimensions of cultural diversity identified are historical and geographical as these dimensions...
Words: 970 - Pages: 4
...| | |WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH DIVERSITY | | | | | | | |Teacher: Ian Parker | | | |Presented by: | |Barbara Cullen 1002450 | |and | |My Linh Du 1002156 | CONTENTS Introduction 3 Diversity Of Languages 4 Diversity Of Religion And Spiritual Beliefs 4 Diversity Of Race 5 Diversity Of Physical Of Differences 5 Diversity Of Disability 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 INTRODUCTION With the vast knowledge in technology the world has and uses today, there is no doubt that transport, import and export industries will boom. People are becoming so reliant on people of other countries in the world. Depending on, for example, the agricultural...
Words: 1259 - Pages: 6
...Diversity Issues Within the public services there is many diversity issues but they try to maintain a diverse workforce which will represent the different communities. By law you aren’t allowed to hire someone for a job based on their gender, race, and religion and if they have disability they should still get a fair chance of getting the job. This is important within the public services because they have to represent communities. This means they have to be fair and hire people from different genders and races. Most people will not be bothered about the gender and race but be more interested in being helped. When hiring people you have to be fair to everyone so the workplace needs to be accessible for everyone. So if someone is physically disabled then lifts might be installed to help them. This also applies for religions. This is because some religions they are required to pray at certain times or not able to work with specific such as beef. This is where staff unions and associations and federations can help. They can help fund things that will help people in the workplace such as lifts and prayer rooms. They also help workplaces respect peoples beliefs and religions. But this can be a big problem in the public services as they may not be able to rescue people because it is against their religion and the public services must respect their decision. Equal Opportunities and Anti-discrimination Policies The policy is all about making sure everyone is treated equally and...
Words: 866 - Pages: 4
...Managing Diversity in the Workplace One of the most important issues to emerge over the last 30 years has been the increasing diversity of the workforce. Diversity is dissimilarities-differences-among people due to age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, education, experience, physical appearance, capabilities/disabilities, and any other characteristic that is used to distinguish between people. (Hill. McGraw, 2006, p324). A main contributing factor in work place diversity is Immigration. Diversity in the workplace brought about through immigration can be a difficult subject for some companies’ managements to tackle. Continued use of diversity training and open communication with employees about companies’ reasons for hiring immigrants may help alleviate the problem. Managers are the key in learning and teaching those under them the importance of valuing different cultures in fellow employees and customers. The longevity of a business depends on being able to embrace different cultures and welcome the talent and ideas that could come from this diverse group of people. The primary issue that diversity must deal with is difficult for some to imagine and believe (i.e., showing diversity’s measurable impact on organizational strategy and the financial bottom line). The ability to utilize a diverse mixture of human and other resources to create a unique blend of strategy-focused solutions, by its very nature, creates an innovative...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...Cultural Diversity Week Nine Final Ken Jarrell ETH/125 October, 7, 2012 Phillip Auld Cultural Diversity Week Nine Final Culture has many definitions in society it can be defined as group’s beliefs, behaviors, and other characteristics. Each culture and the way that they define themselves is what make up the values that are shared by society. Diversity simply defined is a variety of differences. A uniqueness of each cultures individual beliefs and behaviors. The United States is a nation of a most diverse culture and race of people in the world. Gaining a better understanding of the diversity in the United States can be accomplished by taking a closer look at how some of the groups of people are identified. According to, (Schaefer, 2012), there four types of minority or subordinate groups in the United States racial, ethnic, religious, and gender. Racial groups are the grouping of people that are set apart socially by their physical differences color being the most obvious. Other differences are at the mercy of what society will deem as different or obvious. Racial groups are designated more by their physical differences rather than their cultural differences. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns (Schaefer, 2012). Ethnic groups depend on where you are from geographically. Religious groups are associated with a religion other than the dominate religion. The Protestants outnumber the other religions...
Words: 1648 - Pages: 7
