Homework
Reflective Paper: Diversity, What Does It Mean to You?

Today the world was radically changed from all sides. Things are not like in the past; all cultural fundamentals were upset by this change. Technological advances have also facilitates this situation; it helps and easily promotes peoples to move from a city to another one, from a country to another, from a continent to another.
Obviously, it has brought closer people from diverse origins. Thus, the world has become a small village. People are forced to live together by ignoring or considering their differences such as race, religion, national origin, age, gender and disability based on equal representation, valuing differences, embracing others, respect, inclusion. We call this fact diversity.
Taking in account diversity by organizations involved some considerations. That’s why implementing and managing diversity to be successful need adequate approaches.

The term “Diversity” is not sound simple; it refers to a range of elements as mix, numerous, variety… Here, it means a huge, large composition of people from different origins and backgrounds. In the broadest sense, it also include race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, religion, social status, primary language, tenure, organizational function, education and more. Then, to effectively manage all this, we need to take in account many considerations and strategies to avoid frustrations and other consequences because it can harm or benefit organizations. The main challenge in the workplace is to maximize advantages and minimize disadvantages.
Like it or not, diversity will greatly increase in the coming years, that’s why HR Department must absolutely need to deal with diversity by set up efficient strategies and methods with issues as communication, change and adaptability. For instance, workers from diverse cultural backgrounds bring special and distinctive experiences and share diverse skills and different knowledge with their coworkers of their teams. It can benefit organizations by reinforcing teams face to change conditions and boosting productivity.
From my own experience at workplace, diversity is admitted by HR but there is no strategy or methods for its implementation. There is no restriction about hiring people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. Moreover, no action has been taking to consolidate and capitalize workers knowledge. About others experiences I read, many companies and organizations are face to diversity challenge; they are polling workforce diversity and strongly work to maximize advantages and minimize disadvantages of diversity.
As advantages, we can note that it can really act on market share, increase adaptability, bring a variety of points of view, allows organizations to provide service on global basis, contribute to a more effective execution and others benefits. Concerning disadvantages, diversity can create tension between workers because of different approaches face to a situation; communication style can also affect environment; complaints face to negative attitudes such as harassment; misinterpretation of coworker’s behavior. All these aspects can hindered management time.

Managing diversity is a significant challenge for any serious organization. The role of manager is really essential in a workplace diversity; managers must appreciate and assist individuals within the team, consider and counterweight conflicts, opinions and needs. To avoid conflict, frustration biases and misunderstanding, any worker should be respected based on their performance not on their origins, gender, backgrounds, culture. All workers should have the same chance and should be treated equal. A good environment in a workplace can increase productivity and creativity.