Companies With A Diverse Workforce example essay topic

Today's business managers raise the banner signs of sporting slogans of diversity and organizational culture while using these words frequently, as if pitching their own modern management skills by utilizing these important concepts to anyone who will lend an ear or read a memo. The question though remains, are businesses really creating a diverse culture within the ranks of their of staff? Diversity In the online editorial, "Weirdo's Welcome", Ilya Adler looks into the reality of cultural diversity and their associations within organizational culture. Summing up the importance of a diverse group of culturally inclined personalities, Adler states, "There is considerable evidence that companies with a diverse workforce are more innovative than those with a homogenous one. A diverse workforce could mean anything from variety in races and social / cultural backgrounds to variety in ideologies and work styles.

It makes sense that such an employee-makeup would be beneficial: If you have people who offer different points of view, you are more likely to find 'new ways' of doing things". But Adler then asks herself the question, "So why are so many firms not diverse?" The answer apparently resides in that cultural differences from non-American employees counter the typical assumptions of effective leaders and employees within the United States. Interesting cultural differences pointed out by Adler, such as "U.S. companies reward people who can quickly offer ideas, even if not fully developed, and since many Asians feel uncomfortable doing this, they are often considered lacking managerial skills", and " [In] the U.S. having initiative is supposed to be demonstrated before you are placed in a leadership position, in Mexico the role you " re given will determine whether or not you show 'initiative. ' " While there are differences that may not, at first light, look like they would mingle well together, Alder highlights the opportunity for success by mingling both Asian and American corporate culture", [Any] company would benefit greatly from having both people who can think on their feet as well as people who aspire to be perfectionists. The two combined create a truly superior synergy".

Not commonly mentioned in management school, but very well known in the hiring process, are the psychological tests handed out when an applicant passes the initial interview. While used to pinpoint any potential psychopaths, emotionally disturbed applicants or plain old liars, these tests are now used to evaluate the performance of an organization on having a diverse group of individuals and recommended personality traits that would benefit the organization. Alder warns though that this test, and the habit of mangers toward "conscious or unconscious discrimination", mockingly appears " [To] be objective, looking for [a] personality trait produces a cultural form of discrimination". Conclusion The process of diversity within an organizational culture still has many roads to face to becoming an effective business network that works past previous reservations on differences and treats diversity for much more then a buzz word to avoid legal trouble.

Every organizational culture thrives off of a similar "style and preference" but does well to include the unique strengths of a vast majority of diverse individuals. Adler places the responsibility of diversity and the acceptance of workplace differences to " [Serious] training for managers, so that they develop the skills to deal with different kinds of people. And the challenge for the organization is to create an organizational culture that incorporates 'diversity' as one of its core values. While the process can be painful, the rewards down the road are worth it. It could mean the difference between being an innovative, forward-looking company, able to contend in today's fast-changing environment, and just another always-one-step behind organization".

Weirdos welcomed. Retrieved May 26, 2003, from web.