Workforce Diversity an Example by

Workforce Diversity Diversity in the workplace involves a complex set of forces which influences the way the organizations operate in the current changing world. A diversified range of trends and issues is usually classified into four aspects which include; people, structure, technology and the environment in which the organization is operating on. People should work together in an organization to achieve their goals and objectives where by a certain structure is followed. Technology is also used to get the job well done; therefore there is interaction between people, structure, technology and the environment in which the organization is working on. Need essay sample on "Workforce Diversity" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed People compose the social system of the organization whereby the system consists of individuals and groups. Groups are usually forceful thus bringing by a great change in the organization. Organizations usually exists to serve people not people to serve the organizations therefore people in an organization bring about a diverse range of talents, educational backgrounds and perspectives in what they do. This diverse trends and patterns brought about by people bring challenges in the organization where the managers should be ready and prepared to adapt and work with them. Structure is the formal setup of relationships in the organization which should be practised by managers and employees. Different jobs are usually carried out in an organization to achieve the objectives of the organization and all the parties involved should be related in a structural way so that they can effectively coordinate the activities of the organization. This structural way of relationship creates a simpler form of decision-making, negotiation and cooperation. (Tsui, Egan and. OReilly, 1992) Workforce diversity is largely attributed to the concept of globalization. Globalization can be termed as the interaction of people from dissimilar cultures, social orders, and different backgrounds in carrying out assorted business practices with the intention of achieving their objectives e.g. profitability Globalization therefore has increasingly disregarded national boundaries and many firms have gone international which has also enabled workforce diversity. The authenticity and existence of the concept of globalization can be observed when patterns of diversity in workforce are considered; for example Coca Cola and BAT Companies have always employed staff from different countries apart from those who originate from the host countries where the firms are set up. The existence of integrated financial system has also enabled workforce diversity since employees of various companies can be paid with less difficulty for example the existence of common exchange rate systems. (Chatman, Polzer, Barsade and Neale, 1998) Globalization is also now intensely clear because of the way human resources migrate from one nation to another devoid of much complexity, for instance different states have relaxed their tough itinerant regulations to permit sufficient time for trading practices to be carried out thus the spread of workforce around the globe. Globalization and workforce diversity is heavily influenced by new innovations, enhanced infrastructure. Workers are now taking advantage of such technology thus the need to shift to look for greener pastures which will assist them in developing their careers since many workers like the working in challenging environments. Therefore globalization has resulted to affluence to all firms practicing the concept and the main component to it has been the presence of workforce diversity that posses different kind of skills which if combined together yield great results in terms of production purposes. More specifically development in technology together with communica tion effectiveness and enhanced global relations has contributed immensely to the endorsement of workforce diversity Diversification in structure has come by where the organizations are forced to restructure so as to reduce costs and at the same time remain competitive. Complexity in structure has also occurred where there are mergers, acquisitions and venturing in to new fields. Also companies are moving from traditional structure to team-based structure. Technology affects the way people work and its diversification allows people to do more and better work but it also restricts people in different ways thus it has its own pros and cons. The rapid change in technology for example the widespread use of internet gives firms a great pressure to maintain a great balance between technical and social systems. Organizations operate in different environments which are both internal and external .An organization doesnt exist alone, it is a part of different mergers which include other organizations, government and the society at large. Numerous diversifications in the environment gives new demands to the organization for example people expect an organization to be socially responsible and also create products which satisfy them. The quick globalization of production departments, supply of materials and marketplaces creates a great pressure which brings vibrant groups of people which affects the organizations in turn. (Weaver, 2001) There are different factors which may make an organization diversify its workforce thus effecting its operations. A company may diversify the workforce as a strategy to market it products. With the high rate of globalization the ability of a product to sell well comes from people in all forms of life and for a company to make sure that it products sell well and reach a diversified number of people, it employs people from all walks of life for special purposes. Another factor which may make a company diversify its workforce is that it may be a legal requirement by the state to do so, so that it can maintain its contracts with the government and also to avoid discrimination in employing their workers. Social responsibility can also make an organization diversify it work force so that the less advantaged in the society can benefit from that by giving them freedom to earn their living in different ways which suit themselves. Workforce diversity has its own negative impacts which include reduction of cohesion within the group, for example men working alone give a less turnover as compared to when they are working together with women, and also whites working alone bring lesser returns as compared to them working with blacks. These problems can be solved by making the employees of an organization realize the importance of diversification. It is important for organizations to embrace the workforce diversity because it creates a good environment where everyone feels appreciated and this may motivate the employees to work well and produce good results. (Argyris and Schoen, 1996) Reference Argyris, C. and Schoen, D. (1996): Organizational Learning II: - Theory Method, and Practice. Reading, Addison-Wesley Chatman, J., Polzer, T., Barsade, G. and Neale, M. (1998): Being Different yet Feeling Similar: - The Influence of Demographic Composition and Organizational Culture on Work Processes and Outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 43 Tsui, A., Egan, D. and. OReilly, A. (1992): Being Different: - Relational Demography and Organizational Attachment. Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 37 Weaver, V. J. (2001): What These CEOs and Their Companies Know About Diversity. Business Week, Sept 10, 2001, Special Section Workforce Diversity an Example by Workforce Diversity Verizon Wireless recently announced its intentions to establish its international operations particularly in the Asian region and diversify. In this light, the company hired US based marketing experts in response to this goal. The HR department only checked on the marketing skills of the candidates, but not their experiences and capabilities to relate on the various and complicated Asian cultures. Need essay sample on "Workforce Diversity" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The major problem that the company realized later on, however, was that they lacked the workforce diversity to provide them with choices and relevant information regarding their plans to diversify and function in Asia. As most of their employees they hired were based locally, they had no idea on how to relate to Asian cultures and gain the trust of their potential clients there. The most obvious consequence resulting from the lack of knowledge of the employees of Verizon Wireless was the emergence of quarreling and bickering among their workers as they discussed their expansion plans. Quarreling and bickering scenarios were the most typical forms of misunderstandings that can be seen in among the employees of Verizon as they tackled and discussed about their plans to expand in Asia. Quarreling can be seen among workers in various job positions while bickering can be seen among workers of the same job positions. Truly, the lack of workforce diversity wreaked havoc and became disadvant ageous to Verizon. Another dilemma that Verizon faced concerning this topic was the lack of information that their workers possessed for the appreciation of Asian races and ethnicity. The lack of information regarding Asian races and ethnicities then established a selfish perspective regarding the people of the Asian minority. Sad to say, instead of making initiatives of understanding the Asian races, ethnicities and lovable aspects of the minority communities, the marketing people of Verizon chose to behave inappropriately as an obvious sign of ignorance for these people. For instance, the HR department in Verizon believed that the existence of other cultures in their working environment would illicit bad impacts which could hinder their proper functioning; this was their guideline for the hiring process which eventually proved to be a failure. As a result of this incompetence by the workforce of Verizon Wireless, various Asian expansion deals fell through. This resulted in significant financial losses for the company and dented their reputation as a powerful telecommunications company. The company also fired people who were incompetent on their fields and planned to change their HR policies. Workforce Diversity as the Answer In the case of Verizons planned expansion to Asia, workforce diversity definitely would have helped them secure those Asian deals. Despite the various dilemmas concerning workforce diversity, research studies prove that this is an essential factor of an excellent firm as well as gives positive points. What Verizon should have done was to hire an extremely diverse workforce with regards to Asian race and ethnicity which could have been very helpful as it would have given them a greater roster of highly qualified individuals that would have helped them in their Asian expansion plans. This could have also improved the chances of the company to recruit workers that are capable enough for particular organizational deficits and necessities. In this case, workforce diversity could have supported Verizon in providing a variety of helpful concepts that are critical in making informed choices. Therefore workforce diversity would have widened the companys views and improved its choices for esta blishing Asian expansion deals. Arredondo (1996) identified that the quality of choices is hugely enhanced because of workforce diversity. For organizations like Verizon who wish to function internationally, workforce diversity is an essential element. In the issue of marketability of Verizon, the objectives can be achieved if varied workers will do the marketing initiatives to other Asian societies. Moreover, using varied workers to manage some of the marketing endeavors in the company can aid in the establishment of correct global initiatives. More often than not, diversity in the workforce can aid Verizon in managing the problems of international functions (Rasmussen, 1995). The responsibility of workforce diversity should be emphasized not only due to its advantageous impacts but also due to the fact that it is a valid approach. The variance of cultures is another essential element that could have resulted to workforce diversity advantages for Verizon. In accordance to past studies, this typical phenomenon can be linked to the issue that other people have the possibilities to treat their colleagues in fair manners as opposed to individuals whom they cannot relate with culturally. This phenomenon is a result of numerous elements, including advances to interaction that cause understanding. In the situation of Verizon, the individual marketing capabilities of the marketing people they hired were given too much emphasis, but not on their experiences in working with other cultures. REFERENCES Arredondo, P, 1996. Successful Diversity Management Initiatives: A Blueprint for Planning and Implementation. Sage Publications, Inc Chemers, M, 1995. Diversity in Organizations: New Perspectives for a Changing Workplace. Sage Publications, Inc Morrison, A, 1996. The New Leaders: Leadership Diversity in America. Jossey-Bass; Reprint edition