Workforce diversity can be define as a person that work in a firm that come from different nationality. Not only different nationality but from different background, different age, racial and also a person that came from different gender (http://www.slideshare.net/kumudu737sjp/workforce-diversity). In other word, a company or an organization are becoming more heterogeneous mix of people in term of gender, age, ethnicity and sexual orientation (Naik, 2012). When we talk about workforce diversity, there will be threats and opportunity to a firm. Surely the workforce diversity can give a lot of opportunities or benefits to a firms. The opportunity that this diversity can give to a firm are increase the firm creativity, increase their productivity, attracting new customer and can develop a language skills between the employees of the company.
What are means by increase the firm creativity are through subordinates that comes from different background that work in an organization that came out with different way of solving the problem faces by the firm toward achieving a good solution. The more ideas firms gain from different people, the easier the firm get the solution for their problems with a good or alternatives way of solving them.
The increase of productivity of the firm can be gain because of the mixture of the workforce. When the people of all culture pull together towards achieving the goals, the firm can be success because of globalization and internationalization.
Diversity in a workforce can diverse the customer base. It is happen from the contribution of specialist skills and cultural awareness from the staff. The staff that come from different country has different cultural backgroud so that a firm that do business globally can gain success because the staff can understand the customers needs and want in each country. Language skills are important in order for a company or a firm to communicate with different company in different country. Eventhough English can be said as the worlwide communication language but to build the good relationship with other people of the world, we must know their language. This can become an advantage for a firm that have diversity of workforce as the employee can help the firm to understand their words and also the meaning behind those word
(Lee, 2004).
Workforce diversity also can give threats to a firm in terms of discrimination and stereotyping. Discrimination can happen when it come to nationality. When a firm hire a workforce from other country in a small quantity the workforce will become a minority groups in that firms.
...ounds bring different talents and suggestions to problems. If the workplace is not diverse, problem-solving could be more challenging. Broader service range is also a benefit from diversity in the workplace. Having employees with diverse skills and experiences, such as speaking different languages and understanding other cultures, allows companies to provide services to customers all over the world.
Workforce diversity refers to the existence of individuals with different cultural, economic and social backgrounds within an organization (Claretha, 2014). In the modern world, there is increased level of diversity in the workforce due to increased level of awareness and socioeconomic interactions among people. Therefore, organizations have become multicultural places which require effective communication to ensure organizational success. That is, in the modern global community, the workplaces in various organizations have become more culturally diverse (Claretha, 2014). This has had serious impact on the personal and professional relationships among employees depending on the communication model that is established in an organization. In addition, due to the increased level of competitiveness in the business environment, organizations have been forced to establish suitable framework to effectively manage human diversity. This paper will analyze the concept of workforce diversity and organizational communication and determine its benefits and possible disadvantages in relation to business success.
With the increase in globalization, interactions and communication among workplace employees requires diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs to coexist. Humans now work in an isolated workplace; we are a part of an economy with worldwide competition generating from all corners of the world. Diversity is needed within profit and nonprofit companies in order to be more effective; these companies must welcome change and adjustments. Diverse employees and environments will help companies to become more creative and successful. Workplace diversity has become an important issue for management nowadays in an attempt expands the workplace structure.
It helps to promote the organization which leads the company in the direction of becoming an international force to be reckoned with. When diversity is embraced in an organization, it grows the global portfolio and provides employers and employees with multiple options. It helps a person learn to be flexible and to overcome obstacles that get in their way. We all know that the world is diverse with many different cultures, genders, religions, and ethnicities. However, implementation of diversity is imperative within an organization because it allows access to a larger pool of complex ideas. As demographics shift globally, diversity is a necessity that organizations need to embrace in order to show their commitment to being open to change. Diversity in the workplace is important for the organization and the employee because it allows the organization to flourish through outreach and recruiting efforts.
A diverse workforce more closely reflects the global marketplace that the organization competes in. With the growing number of Asian, Hispanic and other minority populations, it makes sense for companies to promote and strive for diversity in the workplace. By doing this, businesses create the very conditions needed to produce more creative outcomes to the problems and challenges they will be faced with.
Cultural diversity can bring tangible benefits to an organization who is ready to foster, maintained, and value the difference in cultures. The marketplace is becoming more competitive, many business executives are expanding and developing new ideas, products and services beyond their usual culture or environment. A diverse workforce will help to understand the need and interest of another culture within and outside of the region. Thereby helping the company to expand globally, acquire more business opportunities, provide opportunities to create an excellent, diverse customer base and remain compe...
Gender, racial, and ethnic diversity means different things to different people. Some believe that diversity is about quotas, and affirmative action. Others believe that diversity is something that will happen on its own with out intervention. Some experts who study diversity, however, believe that diversity is not something that should be left up to chance. It is important, therefore, for organizations to take action to encourage and foster diversity in the workplace (Clarke, 1995, p. 13).
One way in which workplace diversity translates into improved performance is the increased likelihood of a worker to obtain the necessary information for handling issues and solving workplace problems. When people are disintegrated on the basis of their cultures, race or ethnicity, it becomes a bit difficult to remove the barriers and obtain the information or instruction needed to complete a task. Also, integration of diversified teams creates a pool of innovative workers with unique ideas and solutions, which might lack if each team worked alone in a non-diverse set up, which excludes workers with the right skills, expertise, experience and in-depth knowledge of client requirements, needs and tastes (Fang, 2009). Heterogeneity in a workforce
Merriam-Webster defines diversity as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; especially the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization” (Merriam-Webster, 2016). With diversity including many different elements, the concept of workplace diversity also covers a broad spectrum of topics, and continues to evolve as many companies look to expand globally. This subject has become increasingly important among managers over the last couple of decades, and has helped to reinforce other concepts such as affirmative action and equal opportunity employment. While most people believe that everyone should have the same opportunities available to them, and that we
The impact of diversity in the workplace is contingent upon several factors. Across companies diversified workforces are becoming increasingly common. To successfully manage a diverse workforce, organizations are ensuring that employees understand how their values and stereotypes influence their behavior toward others of different gender, ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds; are gaining an appreciation of cultural differences among themselves; and behaviors that isolate or intimidate minorities are being improved (Noe et al., 2010, pg. 302).
Managing workplace diversity well requires the creation of an wide-ranging environment that values and utilizes the contribution of people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspective. All organizations policies, practices and processes that impact on the lives of employees need to recognize the potential benefits that can be derived from having access to range of perspectives and to take account of these differences in managing the workplace. Work systems, organizational structures, performance appraisal measurements, recruitment and selection practices and career development opportunities all have impact on the organizational behavior upon the management of diversity.
International businesses are also finding new ways of increasing diversity abroad. Instead of using expatriate employees as management, they are starting to hire locals. Companies that operate abroad are realizing that using expatriate employees is not a permanent solution. They are often expensive, and are not capable of translating their skills into the new environment. In a company that operates globally, it is important that the company knows how to relate to the local markets, and a great way to do this is by hiring local talent. Hiring locally is cheaper, there is not a language barrier, and they are accustomed to the business environment in the area(5). They can also help the business by providing a new perspective into international markets, and offer ways that the company can improve their diversity abroa...
Diversity in the workplace is important for employees because it manifests itself in building a great reputation for the company, leading to increased profitability and opportunities for workers. Making sure all members, students, parents and guarding’s are welcomed at all times in a well-mannered environment Workplace diversity is important within the organization as well as outside ensuring all different are put aside and everyone can come together and work well as a great team.
Businesses that promote diversity in today's global marketplace are better able to attract and retain the best talent. Employing a diverse workforce allows a company to utilize the potential within the job market to its fullest and contributes to overall economic growth and prosperity. Differences among co-workers should not divide a workplace. Rather, differences among co-workers should be used to foster creativity and innovation, thereby driving profitability and business success.
Consultants and the managers as well as business leaders believe that effectively managing and handling the diversity is the competitive advantage. This advantage stems from the process in which diversity management affects the organizational