Introduction
This paper aims to showcase inclusivity-related problems in the International Bank of Commerce. Despite the often-declared policy of maintaining a diverse workplace, the fact remains that the majority of higher-ranking and better-paying positions are held by white people. Even if employees of color do not ascribe significance to the unequal distribution of power in the bank, the lack of diversity is evident. Furthermore, the current dominant identity in IBC is white managers, which implies that any person of another ethnicity has a non-dominant identity whether they realize it or not (Communication in the real world, 2016). Changing the managerial attitude, incorporating conversations about inclusion, and increasing exposure to diverse identities will help employees of color compensate for the lack of inclusion in IBC.
Inclusivity-Related Problems in the International Bank of Commerce
The major issue that non-white employees face is the prioritization of white people in promotional considerations. It is a common phenomenon seen in many modern companies (McKinsey & Company, 2020). While on paper, it may seem that the employee roster is diverse and encompasses representatives of multiple races, people of one ethnicity have more chances of receiving a promotion in IBC. As a result, the employees cannot criticize diversity since it is present, but barriers to inclusion prevent them from progressing in their careers.
Three main strategies can change the status quo and enable the company to achieve better inclusion. The most pragmatic recommendation is to convince the managers that inclusive practices are beneficial for business. The reasoning behind this idea is that the prioritization of one identity group prevents representatives of other groups from fulfilling their talents in the workplace (Houghton & Martin, 2020). Once the top management realizes that overreliance on one ethnicity is not cost-effective, they will immediately change their attitude towards non-dominant identities.
The second strategy is raising the overall awareness of inclusion-related issues. The most popular recommendation is to engage managers and employees in conversations (Brannon et al., 2018). Such interactions are important because they allow all sides to express their dissatisfactions and reach a compromise (Ron Levey, 2021). However, instead of immediately focusing on workplace inequities, it might be useful to accentuate the importance of meritocracy (McKinsey & Company, 2021). It is a subtle way of stimulating inclusion since it advocates power distribution based on talent and achievements as opposed to racial identity.
The third strategy is to increase exposure to non-dominant identities. One way of accomplishing it is by encouraging staff members to acquaint themselves with resources that raise awareness of social inclusion, such as TED Talks (Adams & Conlon, 2021). An alternative approach is to have managers receive diversity training, which statistically increases inclusion in workplaces (Ron Levey, 2021). Another way is to structure teams so that different races are present and every team member could influence the outcome (Grafstein, 2019). Whatever option is chosen, the overlying principle is to habituate exposure to diverse identities and viewpoints.
Conclusion
Altogether, IBC inclusion issues can be tackled in at least three ways. First, managers may see that it costs them more to promote white employees only than staff members of different ethnicities. Second, raising awareness of workplace inequities may change the management agenda. Third, exposing managers and employees of different races to each other is effective in establishing inclusion as the new norm. Combined, these actions can allow the ICB to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace for all staff members, regardless of their race.
References
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