The introduction: the importance of diversity in the workplace
First of all, I would like to point out that diversity is considered to be a business reality. Various corporations and government agencies tend to improve their competitive advantage as there is a need to comprehend the importance of management strategies to manage diversity in the workplace.
The idea to create inclusive corporations, governmental agencies, etc. is to be based on the contributions every person of the organization makes. For this reason, the growth of corporation’s business strategies as well as their impact on future success of the organization totally depends upon diversity training. Diversity initiatives are considered to be the steps a corporation is to follow to generate increased productivity.
The thesis statement
To manage diversity in the workplace, there is a need to rely on cross-cultural competency, conflict theory, identification of the values, communication abilities and some other important points.
The body: the meaning of diversity training, mutual respect and workplaces development
The members of Anti-Defamation League (2012) say:
The implementation of a diversity management-training program incorporates
these skills and an educational component that allows participants to address
issues of prejudice, discrimination and biased behaviors that could impact
employee and client relations. (p. 1)
Diversity training can be implemented if a corporation understands and can analyze the importance of demographics of a client base, the languages clients speak, the countries a corporation operates in, the quantity of employees a corporation includes, expenses a corporation spends every year on recruitment, the inter-group conflicts, a level of turnover, the attractiveness of policies and benefits a corporation includes. Finally, the employees are to feel that they are valued.
Another important point I want to highlight is that the employees are to exchange ideas, form interpersonal relations, communicate, and conduct debates with each other that can cause mutual respect. In other words, diversity protection is one of the most important issues; so, there is a need to foster an atmosphere where mutual respect is inherent.
The practical ways to develop workplaces undivided by gender and race-ethnicity should be based on non-discrimination compliance programs. Thus, it is rather important to develop organizational culture. It is necessary to establish workplace environments. In other words, employees are to understand the importance and meaning of diverse perspectives.
Managing diversity requires assimilation and pluralism exclusion, as the elements are important for racial and ethnic oppression. It is extremely important to understand the structure of a corporation in order to maintain its work. So, it is rather important to understand that all employees are recognized to be integral parts of the organization.
Of course, a conflict is an integral part of any corporation, organization, etc. Thus, management strategies should include the ways to reduce intergroup conflict. The authors of popular education website Umd.edu (1999) state:
Gregory Northcraft, Jeffrey Polzer, Margaret Neale, and Rod Kramer (in press)
pointed out that problems arise because team members often assume that
differences are conflicting. In reality, many desires of different group members
are not as opposing as they might initially appear. (p. 1)
For this reason, conflicting differences can be turned into win-win strategies. It is possible due to the strategies of negotiation. In other words, the power of languages is the main instrument.
The conclusion: the importance of interactionism
Interactionism is an integral part of diversity in the workplace. The reflexive origin of a person’s action is the key point of the interpersonal relations. Visagie, Linde and Havenga (2011) are of the opinion that:
Interactionist theory focuses on interactions and individuals’ personalities. It is
a subject-orientated approach that emphasises the subjective intentions and
orientations of individuals in relation to their wishes, motivations, wants and
situations, in addition to their interpretation and understanding of symbols.
(p. 112)
Reference List
Anti-Defamation League. (2012). Diversity. Web.
Umd.edu. (1999). Diversity in the Workplace. Web.
Visagie, J., Linde, H., Havenga, V. (2011). A Theoretical Approach to the Experience of Diversity Management: Mead Revisited. Web.