Cultural Diversity In The Workplace
Juan Concepcion Managing Diversity in the Workplace Cultural diversity in the workplace is becoming more and more prevalent. Corporations in all industries are encouraging minorities, women, elderly workers, people with disabilities as well as foreign workers to join white males in the workplace. The following analysis will focus on these groups and how companies are encouraging them to join an ever-expanding workplace. Even if affirmative action is dismantled, diversity of the workforce is clearly here to stay. ... One business leader who is at the forefront of implementing diversity is the Xerox Corporation. ... ¡¨ (Managing Diversity: Lessons from Private Sector, AOL Electric Library). The company has been successful in grasping Diversity by instilling it in it¡¦s organizational culture and making it management priority. ... Managing diversity goes ¡¥far beyond¡¦ meeting the legal requirements of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Whereas Affirmative action is based on mandatory compliance regulations designed to bring the level of representation for minority groups into parity, diversity initiatives within organizations are voluntary in nature. ... Organizations that incorporate diversity initiatives as a part of their organizational objectives will be the most prepared they will be to meet the challenges of the next millenium. Whereas Affirmative Action focuses on including those on the basis of race, gender, and/or ethnicity, Diversity initiatives, when well implemented, focuses on all elements of diversity. Management must embrace the inclusion of employees not only with regard to obvious differences of race, sex, and age but also without regard to such secondary factors of diversity as marital or family status, sexual orientation and disabilities. Diversity means optimizing the productivity of ALL people in an organization. As small companies approach the year 2000, there are some compelling reasons for expanding their diversity, according to business leaders and experts. ... It would be a mistake for small businesses not to embrace diversity, in this sense. ... Resistance to diversity, particularly by white males, poses a major problem. Resentment may be a result of narrow definitions of diversity that has failed to also include white males as well as a perception by some that diversity means preferential treatment for women and other groups. ... According to the August 14th, 1995 issue of Business Week, companies are using the following methods to hold on to Focusing on bringing in the best talent, not on„«female and minority employees: Developing career plans for employees as part of„«meeting numerical goals Establishing mentoring programs among employees of same„«performance reviews Promoting minorities to decision-making positions, not„«and different races And„« Holding managers accountable for meeting diversity goals „«just staff jobs Diversifying their Board of Directors Despite such efforts by corporate America, the Glass Ceiling Commission reports that women and minorities hold just 5% of senior level jobs. ... Diversity training has unquestionably taken off like a rocket. ... Today, diversity is a serious corporate initiative that is seen as helping those at a disadvantage. Through their commitment and involvement of diversity issues, Xerox was awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge quality award in 1989 for its three decade campaign to hire and promote women as well as minorities (Managing diversity: Lessons from the private sector, AOL Electric Library). The company has been a leader in the development of diversity initiatives which include programs designed to improve employee motivation, and teamwork through helping people to understand differences in gender and race as well as disabilities.