...Managing diversity in the workplace is a complex issue and one that is fast becoming one of the most important factors driving the sustainability of today’s organizations. According to Root (2015) diversity in the workplace refers to the bringing together of people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as, age groups into a cohesive and productive unit. Diversity also encompasses all manner of differences including mental, physical, cultural difference, including sexual orientation. Patrick & Kumar (2012) states that in promoting diversity in the workplace there should be understanding, acceptance, appreciation and respect of each individual’s differences and uniqueness. The effective management of diversity allows all employees no matter their difference to reach their true potential and to maximize their contributions to the goals of the company. Greenberg (2004) stresses that the level of success an organisation achieves will depend on its ability to effectively embrace diversity. The effective management of workplace diversity carries with it benefits to both the organisation and the employee. A benefit to the organisation includes increasing the company’s flexibility and its ability to meet customer needs. According to Nataatmadia & Dyson (2005) research has shown that diverse groups tend to be more creative and flexible than homogeneous groups. Creative employees are encouraged to explore, and are known for their open-mindedness. Employees from...
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...Papers/Capstones 12-2008 Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry Yi Gong University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Hospitality Administration and Management Commons Repository Citation Gong, Yi, "Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry" (2008). UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 480. This Professional Paper is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Scholarship@UNLV. It has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses/ Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact digitalscholarship@unlv.nevada.edu. 1 MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY by Yi Gong Bachelor of Science China Chongqing University 1998 A professional paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science in Hotel Administration William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2008 2 ABSTRACT Managing Cultural Diversity in Hospitality Industry By Yi Gong Gail Sammons, Committee Chair Professor of Hotel Management University of Nevada, Las Vegas Cultural diversity has become a major issue in the hospitality industry of the United States. This paper focuses on analyzing the change faces and current status of the cultural diversity in the hospitality...
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...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...
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...Managing Diversity in the Workplace At workplace, valuing diversity means creating a work environment that respects and includes variation individual by maximizing the potential of all employees or in which every employee feels included. It means acknowledging that other people, other races, other voices, and other cultures have an equal claim on the world. Valuing diversity is the recognition that there are many ways of viewing the world, solving problems, and working together. Diversity in the workforce is rapidly increasing. Businesses and organizations are living up to the great melting pot image the United States has always been popular for. Employees now reflect a diversity of cultural perspectives, ethnic backgrounds, ages, genders, physical abilities, and levels of education. This wave of multiculturalism is here to stay and cannot be ignored. It is in need of attention in order to uphold the well-being and success of businesses and organizations all over the country. . In the workplace it is very common to have co-workers that are of a different ethnic background than yourself as well. I believe that it is a huge benefit to work with people from a different ethnic background. The workplace needs all types of diversity. It is said to have a positive effect. In the workplace, we need diversity to become more inventive and open to change. The behavior of an employee is shaped by relationships with co-workers. To succeed in this highly competitive environment, we must...
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...companies find increasing and managing diversity to be difficult challenges? 2. What were the key elements in Blahna's successful diversity strategy? 3. Under what circumstances might the consulting pairs approach be most useful? 4. What steps should management take to ensure that the consulting pairs approach is working? Businesses have come a long way since the days of 1950s when white males made up more than 60% of the American workforce. The man was the sole breadwinner in the household while females were expected to take care of children and the home. At age 65, the male retired and they spend their retirement years doing all those little things they never had the time or money to do. Diversity used to be a black/white, male/female, old/young issue. Now it is much more complex than just racial or ethnic diversity. It consists of a combination of genders, race, religion, age and other background factors with different values, styles, personalities, customs and beliefs that can affect the way they conduct business. We also consider socio-economic, geographic, international, intellectual, artistic, athletic, political, religious, and sexual orientation. Cultural diversity should be managed to recognize, respect and capitalize on the different backgrounds in our society in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender. Today’s workplace requires a more realistic and respectable approach to multi-culturalism or cultural diversity. Multi-culturalism is based...
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...legislation and managing diversity approaches. Discuss. Equality is the complicated theory to explain because of the wide variety of meaning attached to concept. Depends on the article of Jewson and Mason’s (1986), they express the equality in liberal and radical approach. In the liberal view, equal opportunity, this exists when all individuals are freely able to compete for social rewards. As Webb (1977) said, the liberal approach which is according to a belief in the rights of the individual to universally possible standards of justice and citizenship. The emphasis is on the individual, for example job selection should be focus on the merit of individual which performs fairly. On the other hand, the radical approach is to achieve not only the equal opportunity, but also the equal outcome. Compare to liberal approach, the focus of the radical approach is not on individuals, but on groups. “The ideal of the radical approach is a situation where every workforce is representative of all the social groups available to it” (Kaler, 2001: 53). For instance, although individual who is the group representative, the principle of selection will not choose the merit alone. To conclude, equality can be theorized in liberal and radical approach. Regard to the complicated conception of equality, to get the equal opportunity in employment which also is a complex and huge progress. It requires a mix of affirmative action legislation, anti-discrimination legislation and managing diversity approach...
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...Managing Diversity Research Paper Proposal Anee Rork Team C University of Phoenix Managing Diversity Research Paper Proposal Workplaces today are become increasingly diverse with employees of different genders, races, cultures, ethnic origins, and lifestyles. There have been so many changes in the cultural make-up of organizations that it has become imperative for leaders and supervisors to understand cultural diversity and how it can affect their organization. By understanding how this diversity can affect their organization, leaders are taking steps to assure a conflict-free environment and promoting positive outcomes for the business, as well as its employees. “Diversity today is being viewed as a key means to strengthen the human capital of an organization and improve overall performance” (Bowes, 2007/2008). Studies have shown that diverse workforces can positively affect and strengthen the organization, but what can organizations do to assure this type of environment? What programs or tools do leaders need to implement when looking to improve their ability to manage this diversity? The main purpose of this research paper will be to explore what methods organizations and leaders can use to successfully manage increased cultural diversity within the workforce. This research will reflect not only why it is important for organizations to embrace the differences in a diverse workplace, but will discuss the consequences that may occur if they...
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...In the ever modernizing global economy we have today, there are many issues which are applicable now that were not in the past. One of the biggest issues today, which managers of a workplace must take seriously, is diversity. A big reason why this is applicable in our times is because everyone is able to work today. While not until 60 years ago, blacks were not able to hold real jobs. Also, women have become much more involved in the workforce than in years past. In this paper I will show explain what diversity in the workplace is, discuss some examples of diversity in the workplace, and how managers must take action to manage diversity in today’s economy. Diversity refers to human qualities that are different from our own and those of groups to which we belong; but that are manifested in other individuals and groups. Dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities / qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification. Diversity as a concept focuses on a broader set of qualities than race and gender. In the context of the workplace, valuing diversity means creating a workplace that respects and includes differences, recognizing the unique contributions that individuals with many types of differences can make, and creating a work environment that maximizes the potential of...
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...Managing Diversity at IBM Nederland (The Netherlands) 05-02-2005 A Vision on Managing Diversity The multinational IT-company IBM is convinced that it can only keep its current competitive edge by reflecting marketplace diversity in the workforce and by offering a safe work environment for all employees. The company considers workforce diversity as 'the bridge between the workplace and the marketplace'. Ambition: an Inclusive Work Environment In 1953, the CEO at that time published IBM's first equal opportunity policy letter. This letter stated simply that IBM will hire people based on their ability, "regardless of race, colour or creed." IBM's subsequent CEO's reinforced that policy throughout the years. Since then, equal opportunity at IBM has been an evolutionary journey that underscores the company's commitment to an inclusive work environment where people's ideas and contributions are welcome - regardless of where they come from, what they look like or what personal beliefs they hold. Diversity in Leadership To stress the importance of workforce diversity, IBM's worldwide headquarters employs a Vice President of Global Workforce Diversity. This official formulates global policies on managing diversity. Regional headquarters employ diversity managers. These people translate the global policies on managing diversity into regional spearheads. Next, the executive management teams of every subsidiary formulate local actions in order to increase and to make full use...
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...Managing Diversity In Workplace Evans Winata Challenge Statement It all started with an email containing an offensive joke, as shown below. Morning Puzzle: Do you recognize these acronyms? UFO IBB NAACP Answer: UFO = Ugly ________ Orientals; IBB = Itty Bitty Breasts; NAACP = _______, Apes, Alligators, Coons and Possums Figure 1. Email with an offensive joke As a result, the email spread like a tidal wave throughout the company and hit the press, causing the media to ask for comments. Employee morale was down. While women and minority employees were emotionally hurt, it also caused fear and worry among white male employees since they might be accused of starting the email and strong action might even be taken against them for simply agreeing with the sentiments. John Henderson, the CEO, then ordered Jeff Rice, Vice President of Corporate Human Resources to deal with the issues, find out what the...
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...Managing diversity at workplace: A case study of HP Summary: Introduction: In recent era of globalization workforce diversity have increased the complexity of job. The term diversity is defined by different authors in different ways. In this study the author has discussed different perspectives of this term and approaches used by Hewlet Packard to manage diversity. The study is divided into six sections: 1. Overview of HP 2. Different dimensions of diversity management 3. Strategies perused by managers to embrace diversity 4. Strategies used by HP to handle diversity 5. Paradigms of diversity management 6. Suggestions and conclusion Overview of HP: HP is founded by Bill Hewlet and Dave Packard on 1st January, 1939 with headquarters in California. HP initiates its diversity management policy from the very beginning and introduced “open corporate culture” accompanied by a new management style known as “management by walking around” this kind of management style has never been introduced in large organizations before. As HP operates in more than 120 countries with employees of 172000, it is easy to understand the presence of multicultural workforce in the company. This diversity has no doubt increased the complexity for managers to manage diversity. Diversity management and its dimensions: In this study the author defines diversity as difference among team members in terms of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality or other dimensions...
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...Strategy for Managing Diversity Doug Cheatum HRM/498 March 14, 2016 Chris Healy Strategy for Managing Diversity Stereotypes that employees hold about certain groups in society is one of the biggest challenges facing companies and managers dealing with diversity today (Mello, 2015). Stereotypes are often learned by individuals at a very young age and are reinforced by family, religious and educational institutions as well as society in general. The Big Question The question becomes “How do managers deal with these stereotypes, and should they encourage open discussion about them?” Most would say it is better to talk about our differences and learn from one another instead of pretending there are not any differences. Others might say that this type of discussion has not place in the work environment and each individual should just concentrate on their job and not others. The best approach is probably a combination of both. Yes, everyone should concentrate on their jobs, but they are also human and can’t help but notice the differences and possibly stereotype others. Doing this could lead to unwanted behaviors between co-workers and it could affect production because of low morale and hostility. Some companies have gone as far as creating a Chief Diversity Officer position that only deals with diversity in the workplace. Diversity management is becoming more and more one of the most important functions in a company today because of how diverse the work force is becoming...
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...Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship MGT 5012– Twenty First Century Management Practices Date of Submission: March 17, 2013 Title of Assignment: Managing Cultural Diversity Syllabus: MGT 5012- 21st Mgmt Practices 26 Over the years, the workforce has grown to have diverse groups of people working together. Diversity is defined as the differences or dissimilarities among people. These differences can be age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, education, experience, and any characteristic used to distinguish between people. (Jones, 2011) To understand the present, a look at the history of diversity in the workplace will be discussed. I will research and discuss the cultural diversity and how managers today have evolved over the years to learn how to handle it. I will discuss certain steps that managers can take to effectively manage the diversity in their workplace. I will look into the business etiquette and protocol of countries like the United States, Mexico, and Japan. I will also look into where these countries fall on Hofstede’s model of national culture. I will also discuss why it’s important for mangers to learn about a culture they are not familiar with when doing business to make sure they don’t offend the other person or company. History of Diversity in the Workplace The workforce slowly changed after World War II as a growing number of minority groups began to speak up and demand fairness among the workers. (Wagner...
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...Abstract Diversity encompasses characteristics that categorizes individuals and allows for self-identification. Diversity presents itself in two different forms, visible and invisible. Those that are visible forms of diversity include ones physical appearance, sex, race, age, ethnicity, speech patterns and language. Those that are nonvisible include characteristics such as religion, national origin, illness and sexual orientation (Clair 2005). When discussing diversity in the work environment, most often times they are discussing the outward, visible characteristics, however invisible social identities are common in the workplace. Gender is one of the most common viewed issues when looking at diversity in the workplace. The glass ceiling and equality issues are analyzed and discussed frequently. Discoveries have been made that support the idea that woman should be on more Boards and should be making more decisions on allocations of monies. This paper seeks to address how diversity impacts an organization and how managers can make diversity work for them. Introduction According to Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, and Konopaske (2012), Diversity is a term that describes the cultural, ethnic and racial differences in a population. A more comprehensive definition by Gibson et al (2012) indicates that diversity is “an array of physical and cultural differences that constitute the spectrum of human attributes. There are six dimensions of diversity which include: age...
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...MANAGING DIVERSITY – NESTLE COPORATION Agustín López Sánchez – MIB; Group: B. The company I have chosen to analyze how is being managed the diversity in terms of different nationalities and gender is Nestle Corp. As almost everybody knows, Nestle is a Swiss multinational company that makes food and beverages including baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffe, confectionery, ice cream, pet foods and snacks. Also it has well-known brands like Nespresso, Nescafe, Kit-Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Vittel and Maggi. At a current time they have around 450 factories around the world and operates in almost 86 countries employing 339.337 workers. It is unquestionable that managing diversity have become a challenge for this type of company. Managing and treating people from almost 86 nationalities and try to adapt their strategy to the different customer needs and demands in those countries is an incredible tough work, and quite admirable. But it turns even more complicated inside the company at the time to transmit the company’s values, morals, know-how, ethics, etc… from the original idea. The idea that came from its foundations, in Switzerland, Europe. It is indubitable that the perspective, approaches, visions and different set of cultures that come from Switzerland are absolutely different from all of these countries the company decided to establish its operations in order to externalize their business. Therefore we can easily identify not only the challenge to repeat the...
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