Introduction
Inclusion is fundamental in any organization, especially in multinational and highly diversified ones. It will help create an environment that is as sustainable, safe, and efficient as possible, enabling workers to feel comfortable. This briefing note aims to understand inclusion, distinguish it from diversity, explore its advantages and disadvantages, comprehend the impact of culture on it, and examine the impact of implementing such an approach.
Inclusion vs. Diversity
Firstly, it is rational to understand what inclusion is and how it differs from diversity. Inclusion is a contextual and individual concept that can occur at both organizational and individual levels (Machado, 2017). The concept is not static; inclusiveness depends on the situation and may be present or absent depending on the circumstances. A worker may simultaneously feel both included and excluded. It is vital to monitor employees’ inclusion, work on it, and help them feel it while in a new context.
Furthermore, for some people, being included means putting in effort; meanwhile, this might not require much effort from others. Thus, it is fundamental to understand everyone’s inclusion efforts at the individual, organizational, and team levels (Machado, 2017). Conversely, diversity focuses on the differences between people, such as demographics and opinions. These two concepts are not interchangeable; inclusion is more a measure of mentality and culture that allows diversity to flourish (Spark Team, 2018). Thus, diversity determines individual differences, and inclusion lets us benefit from them.
Cultural Factors of Inclusion
Culture impacts inclusion by fighting white supremacy and enabling discriminated groups, such as women, people from the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and other minorities, to have a significant role in an organization. This helps diverse people cooperate and find a common language, which leads to better work results. Culture’s contribution to inclusion could be predicted if it were static; however, it is more dynamic, so it may be challenging at times to determine exactly what to expect, which requires flexibility in these situations.
Benefits of Inclusion
Inclusion enables any organization and team to thrive, fostering a more sustainable environment and promoting equality and diversity. It enables workers to not only accept everyone’s diversity but also benefit from it and cooperate in a way that will lead to success. Moreover, inclusion will lead to a higher level of employee engagement. Companies that implement inclusion in their workplaces gain approximately 30 percent more revenue than their competitors (Paradiso, 2020). Thus, the implementation of the approach is a considerable advantage for organizations.
Line Manager’s Role in Implementing Inclusion
For a Line Manager, implementing inclusivity in the workplace may be challenging. It requires serious steps, such as drastically changing the structure and identifying the root causes of problems, rather than focusing on symptoms (Nguyen-Phuong-Mai, 2019). Implementing inclusivity means continuously maintaining it and addressing employees’ feelings, which can be complicated at times. However, such an approach will benefit the manager, workers, and the company, making the environment more sustainable, increasing revenues, and making the work more pleasant and efficient.
Conclusion
In conclusion, inclusion is a highly rational and beneficial strategy for companies. The potential advantages of implementing a more inclusive approach outweigh the drawbacks. It will require effort, time, and ongoing maintenance, but it will ultimately result in improvements for the company. Furthermore, it provides employees with a feeling of safety. It enables them to feel like a vital part of an organization.
Reference List
Machado, C. (2017). Organizational behaviour and human resource management: A guide to a specialized MBA course. Switzerland: Springer.
Nguyen-Phuong-Mai, M. (2019). Cross-cultural management: With insights from brain science. New York, USA: Routledge.
Paradiso, A. (2020). The importance of inclusion in the workplace. Web.
Spark Team. (2018). Diversity and inclusion: What’s the difference, and how can we ensure both? Web.