This paper is aimed at examining the way in which cultural and behavioral norms, established in the community affect the interactions between people. In particular, it is necessary to show why it is vital for business administrators to understand cultural, ethnic, or gender differences, as well as the influence on the workplace behavior of people. Secondly, much attention should be paid to the way in which a person can adjust to new behavioral norms. This issue can be illustrated with the help of the so-called ball experiment that throws light on the experiences of a right-handed person who has to use the left hand. These are the main issues that should be examined. The knowledge of these questions is essential for promoting diversity in the community and in the workplace.
The interactions between people within a society can be productive provided individuals recognize cultural, ethnic, or gender differences and understand their impacts. This argument is relevant if one speaks about organizational setting. For instance, managers should remember that the representatives of different cultures may differ in terms of such criteria as uncertainty avoidance, individuality, power distance, masculinity, and so forth. For example, in some countries, employees are more willing to take steps that were not originally discussed with a manager. This tendency is particularly widespread in Western cultures.
In contrast, in Asian countries, workers are more likely to act strictly according to the rules specified by business administrators. They are not likely to take independent initiatives. Certainly, one should not assume that such differences always manifest themselves because in the globalized world, cultural distinctions gradually become blurred. Nevertheless, this knowledge of these issues is important for avoiding misunderstanding and conflicts in the workplace. Furthermore, this information should be considered by people who work in international organizations. Furthermore, business administrators must know how the representatives of different culture interact with one another while working in teams. So, these examples suggest that managers should pay close attention to these issues in order to make the work of a company more productive.
Similarly, business administrators should understand the needs of groups have been historically disadvantaged or even discriminated. For instance, women have been denied promotion or even employment only on the basis of gender. Yet, the legal changes implemented in different countries have not eliminated various difficulties to which female employees can be exposed. In particular, they can be threatened by sexual harassment. Moreover, women, who have children, are less likely to be promoted. Sometimes, these issues are overlooked by male managers, and their companies may have conflicts with workers. Therefore, business administrators should keep in mind that understanding of gender differences is necessary for eliminating discrimination in the workplace.
Much attention should be paid to ethnic differences. Business administrators should keep in mind that modern companies employ people who differ in terms of ethnic origins. It is critical to remember that different nations may have various cultural norms, values, and even interpretations of history. In turn, a business administrator must ensure that conflicts do not arise due to ethnic differences. Furthermore, one should make sure that a person is not marginalized due to his/her ethnic origins.
Overall, the differences that have been examined are closely tied to the promotion of diversity in the workplace. They must make sure that a person is not discriminated due to his/her gender, ethnic, origin, and culture (Harvey & Allard, 2011). Managers should also understand why a specific group of people can be marginalized. Secondly, they should keep in mind that the same situation can be evaluated from several cultural perspectives, and this information is critical for teamwork and negotiations.
In order to understand diversity, one should also examine a situation when a person has to depart from the behavior norms that are familiar to him/her. Such situations are not necessarily related to gender or culture. One can also speak about right-handedness and left-handedness. As a right-handed person, I do not experience any difficulties. Nevertheless, I have to hold a ball in my right hand continuously, I often encounter some difficulties. For example, it is more difficult to give another person a handshake because this gesture is based on the use of the right hand. Moreover, it seems to me that computer devices such as keyboards are more oriented towards the needs of right-handed people. These examples are also related to diversity. Managers should design workplace in such a way that can suit right-handed and life-handed people.
Overall, these examples indicate that in order to promote diversity in the workplace, managers should understand the reasons why a person can be disadvantaged. For example, they need to keep in mind that a person can be marginalized due to gender. Apart from that, business administrators should take measures to promote diversity. In some cases, they need to recognize different cultural interpretations of the same situations. Secondly, they need to remember about different cultural norms of behavior. These are the main aspects that can be singled out.
Reference List
Harvey, C., & Allard, M. (2011). Understanding and Managing Diversity. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Web.