Paying attention to the changed economic and social environment in the United States, it becomes evident that there is a need to reconsider the existing health benefits companies provide to their employees. In particular, the given case requires focusing on homosexual and heterosexual couples in all locations and evaluating diversity training throughout the organization. To prepare the roll-out of the identified initiative, it is important to make it clear that domestic partners will be included in an employee health care plan provided by the organization. The paramount challenge is associated with the fact that employees may differently react to such innovations (Cole and Salimath156). Some of them would support it, while others are more likely to be confused with the provision of health benefits to non-family members. Another issue is associated with the eligibility criteria. The organization’s management should determine whether cohabitation, an unmarried status, or financial independence would matter while deciding on health benefits to domestic partners. The above point is essential as only some states have legalized same-sex marriages such as California, Arizona, or New York, while others do not recognize them.
The mentioned challenges would impact diversity training. Change is required in terms of attitude towards domestic partners and potential discrimination. In particular, training should promote non-discriminative and inclusive views since the very corporative culture needs to be adjusted to new realities. The more diverse the cultural field of business, the more pronounced the cultural differences, and the higher the communication barriers, the more critical the requirements for the cross-cultural competence of staff and especially managers. An employee at any level of a large company does not merely interact with representatives of other cultures but also encounters various subcultures differentiated by age, gender, profession, religion, etc.
If the given organization needs to be effective in implementing its initiative, then all employees should be trained properly according to the plan. To adapt employees to each other, there is a range of training strategies in terms of tolerance and diversity management such as mentoring programs or non-discriminatory performance appraisal (Janssens and Zanoni 325). Written instructions and special training that introduce employees into the course of the case allow staff to interact effectively regardless of the cultural background. It should also be noted that diversity training should include not only safety modules but also a code of business principles and morale. The latter should outline the principles of behavior in different situations, so that employees have guidance regarding uncertain events. Moreover, it is appropriate to engage employees to report about difficult situations and discuss them in a group.
An important element in diversity training is that it should be adapted to the individual style of employee training, if this is technically possible and economically feasible. Besides, a manager can use a variety of specific targets, thus contributing to a diverse organizational culture. Another option is knowledge management that emphasizes the necessity to pay attention to the quality of communication links used in the process of knowledge transfer between employees. The construction of communication networks should be conducted, taking into account the cultural and moral heterogeneity of the staff. The element of an organizational culture shows that in an environment where the integrity of the staff is viewed as a goal and where the uniqueness of every employee is valued, an organization has more chances to become more effective. Taken together, the above elements would help to eliminate and prevent employees’ concerns.
Works Cited
Cole, Brooklyn M., and Manjula S. Salimath. “Diversity Identity Management: An Organizational Perspective.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol.116, no. 1, 2013, pp. 151-161.
Janssens, Maddy, and Patrizia Zanoni. “Alternative Diversity Management: Organizational Practices Fostering Ethnic Equality at Work.” Scandinavian Journal of Management, vol. 30, no. 3, 2014, pp. 317-331.