Managing Workforce Diversity

 

Managing Workforce Diversity

 

 

Workforce diversity is demonstrated in workplace settings as valuing the myriad ways that leaders, business partners, employees, consultants, trainees, volunteers, customers, and visitor groups are commonly viewed as being similar and dissimilar to one another in work environments (Scott, 2012)

Managing workforce diversity implies creating an organizational climate in which a heterogeneous workforce performs to its best potential; without the organization favoring, dis-favoring any particular segment of workforce with a view to facilitating the best attainment of organizational goals.

Managing Diversity is the process of creating an environment that allows all employees to contribute to organizational goals and experience personal growth. (Riccucci,2018)

 

Followings are the features of workforce diversity management:

(a)    Creation of an organizational climate, in which people from different cultural, social backgrounds and being diverse in many other respects (e.g. age, gender, education etc.) can co-exist and work, with full co-operation of one another.

(b) Aims at making people work to the best of their potential.

(c)  Rules out any discrimination among people, in any respect, whatsoever.

(d) Expected to work towards the best attainment of organizational goals.

Diversity in the workforce should be studied to track and measure the progress it is making toward achieving its organizational mission, vision, and objectives (Scott, 2012).

 

Significance of Workforce Diversity Management

 

Figure 1 : Author created

 

Diversity in the workforce is also playing a key role in advancing the economic future as an increasing number of qualified employed. Some of the economic advantages of diversity in the workforce are diversity improves the corporate culture, recruitment of new employees, retention of employees, diversity decreases complaints and litigations, diversity positively affects profitability, productivity, diversity maximizes brand identity, diversity improves client relations, diversity allows organizations to move into emerging markets.

 

Allen and Montgomery’s Model for Creating Diversity

This models can be used to enhance workforce diversity initiatives, policies, and goals as they relate to respecting and valuing human diversity in work settings and managing current and emerging workforce diversity developments.

Allen and Montgomery’s (2001) Model for Creating Diversity is useful for managing and leveraging current and emerging workforce diversity issues. Based on the earlier work of Kurt Lewin (1951), the MCD serves as a welcome addition to the focused area of diversity management because of its ability to guide organizational development and change strategies that promote and advance diversity inclusion. Lewin’s (1951) organizational development and change model is based on three main components as Unfreezing a current organizational position (current organizational objectives, efforts, guidelines, and procedures), moving forward to create an innovative organizational position (disassembling, amending, or crafting innovative objectives, initiatives, strategies, and procedures) and refreezing an innovative organizational position to meet current and future objectives (original innovative objectives, efforts, strategies, and procedures). (Byrd and Scott, 2018)

 

The Model builds on Lewin’s (1951) model by directing diversity management change in work environments and emphasizing the outcome of the change strategy. The components of Allen and Montgomery’s (2001) MCD are described as follows:

(a) Unfreezing top management’s current commitment, vision, and mission toward diversity management in workplace settings. This also includes unfreezing leaders’ stated efforts as well as diversity-related objectives.

(b) Moving or developing new diversity management initiatives, policies, practices, and goals in workplace settings. For instance, develop a variety of workplace diversity-focused training and education programs (e.g., sexual orientation harassment, racial profiling, ethnic profiling, bullying, and disability awareness), mentoring and coaching programs, recruitment and outreach programs, and co-op and internship programs, along with new diversity management goals, a time line, and a detailed strategic plan to achieve these objectives.

(c) Refreezing newly developed workplace diversity management initiatives, policies, practices, and goals. For example, sponsor—on an ongoing basis—diversity-centered training and education programs in the workplace (e.g., sexual orientation harassment, racial profiling, ethnic profiling, bullying, and disability awareness), mentoring and coaching programs, recruitment and outreach programs, and co-op and internship programs. Also, management should regularly communicate with the workplace community by newsletter, e-mail, and annual reports regarding what the new diversity management goals are, their level of attainment, and their lack of success.

To successfully manage a diverse work force, companies need to ensure that employees understand how their values and stereo types influence their behavior toward others of different gender, ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds. Employees gain an appreciation of cultural differences among themselves. Behaviors that isolate or intimidate minority group member improve.

 

References

Riccucci, N.M. (2018) MANAGING DIVERSITY IN PUBLIC SECTOR WORKFORCES. New York : Routledge.

Byrd, M.Y. and Scott, C.L. (2018) Diversity in the Workforce Current Issues and Emerging Trends. 2^nd Edn. New York : Routledge.

Scott, C.L. (2012) Winter semester. Cultural diversity in the workplace course: Human resource development. Rochester : Oakland University.

Lewin, K. (1951) Field theory in social science.New York : Harper Row.

Hughes, C. (2016) Diversity intelligence: Integrating diversity intelligence alongside intellectual, emotional and cultural intelligence for leadership and career development. New York : Palgrave McMillan.