Cultural Diversity in the Work Place
...hat has traditionally been a “soft” issue is now becoming a business necessity in terms of better serving customers, understanding markets, and obtaining full benefit from staff talents (Schmerhorn, pp.77). The issues and conflicts that affect the effectiveness of cultural diversity need to be overcome. Attitudes affect the success of cultural diversity. A “current thrust at overcoming discriminatory practices” makes efforts at shifting those underlying attitudes. Business organizations need to value cultural diversity and have “differences” recognized, “acknowledged, appreciated, and used to collective advantage” (Newstrom, pp48-49). To make cultural diversity work, “all participants need to explore their cultural differences, learn from others around them, and use that information to build a stronger organization” (Newstrom, pp50). All individuals in the organization must make the effort to recognize the differences found in their work place and understand by patiently listening and adapting to individual’s qualities. As mentioned, attitudes greatly affect cultural diversity. Prejudice is an attitude that is common in the work force and makes cultural diversity difficult. Although prejudice is common, it is a form of discrimination. And discrimination is prohibited in the work force. “EEO laws prohibit discrimination on factors other than job performance.” Unfortunately, “the law focuses on an employer’s actions, not feelings” (Newstrom, pp49). Being prejudice is an attitude, whereas being discriminatory is an action. For this reason, cultural diversity is not always completely successful. But several organizations have had the success of minimizing, if not totally eliminating, the negative attitudes similar to prejudice. Vendors, partners, customers, ethnicity, diversity is growing in companies and the workforces around them. Companies that choose to diversify their workforces will probably be increasingly effective in their internal and external interactions and communications. Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is one example of a corporation that has prospered and capitalized with their abilities to encompass diversity in the workforce as well as in the community. Everybody is a winner. Fortune magazines annual list of “America’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities”, placed Sempra Energy fourth this year, making it the third consecutive year that the company has been in the top five ranking position. “The results were tallied from surveys sent to all of the companies in the FORTUNE 1,000, plus the 200 largest privately held firms in the country; 148 responded” (Chen and Hickman, 2000). The survey was based on minorities in the workforce and the company’s ability to successfully integrate diversity into their program. Fifteen different categories were analyzed, ranging from, the amount of minority positions held at all levels of the company, to the turnover and retention ratio opposed to that of whites. Forty seven percent of minorities made-up Sempra’s employee base, while 28 percent hold top positions. They “also purchase much of their goods and services from minority suppliers”, whereupon, those funds are circulated within the community, enhancing the quality of life and economy throughout (Chen and Hickman, 2000). “Sempra Energy also established an Office of Corporate Diversity Affairs that manages employee diversity at the company and has a dedicated team that manages supplier diversity.” They are responsible for ensuring equality in every aspect of the corporation’s operational elements. This includes, employees, vendors, partners, customers and community out reach programs. Companies, like Sempra, who interact with the public, have discovered the importance of having the makeup of their workforces replicate the makeup of their customer base. The range of talent, experience, knowledge, insight, and perspective available measures their capacity to evolve as a diverse entity. It is clear that companies, like Sempra, that diversify their workforces will have a distinct com...