Reference no: EM133499534

Discussion Post: Business and Society

Unit 7: Managing Diversity in the Workplace. This week we will be exploring the concept of diversity management in the workplace. You will learn why diversity management is not only ethical and morally responsible, but is also beneficial to the company's profitability and business performance.

As you navigate through the unit (using the arrows), make sure you click on the different links, read through the content, and watch the videos. Consider any parts that are unclear to you, including new terms, and make note of them in your learning journal.

What is diversity?

The term diversity often generates controversy, confusion, and tension. What does it mean? Is it the same as affirmative action?

When people refer to diversity, they may be thinking first of ethnicity and race, and then, of gender; however, diversity is much broader than that. The following definition, from Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity As a Vital Resource, does a good job of capturing the subjective nature of the term: Diversity is "otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet present in other individuals and groups."

In other words, diversity can apply to anyone you perceive to be different from yourself. Dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience.

Introduction

Diversity and Business Success

There are many arguments for fostering diversity in business, including the availability of talent, the enhancement of interpersonal innovation, risk avoidance, and appealing to a global customer base. The business case for diversity is driven by the view that diversity brings substantial potential benefits, such as better decision making, improved problem solving, and greater creativity and innovation, which lead to enhanced product development and more successful marketing to different types of customers.

Innovation. It is widely noted that diverse teams lead to more innovative and effective ideas and implementations. The logic behind this is relatively simple. Innovative thinking requires individuals to go outside of the normal paradigms of operation, using diverse perspectives to reach new and creative thinking. A group of similar individuals with similar skills is much less likely to stumble across or generate new ideas that lead to innovation. Similarity can cause group think, which diminishes creativity.

Localization. Some theorize that, in a global marketplace, a company that employs a diverse workforce is better able to understand the demographics of the various consumer markets it serves, and is therefore better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company that has a more limited range of employee demographics. With the emerging markets around the world demonstrating substantial GDP growth, organizations need local talent to enter the marketplace and to communicate effectively. Individuals from a certain region will have a deep awareness of the needs in that region, as well as a similar culture, enabling them to add considerable value.

Adaptability. Finally, organizations must be technologically and culturally adaptable in the modern economy. This is crucial to reacting to competitive dynamics quickly and staying ahead of industry trends. Diversity fosters creative thinking and improved decision making through a deeper and more comprehensive worldview. A company willing to diversify draws from a larger talent pool and hires individuals with diverse skill sets. The value of this, particularly at the managerial level, is enormous.

Two important general points can be made about the relationship between diversity and business success.

1. The effects of workforce diversity are conditioned by other organizational and contextual factors.
2. Diversity can't be used as a competitive organizational strength unless it's managed effectively.

READ and TAKE NOTES on the following:

1. Using Diversity and Inclusion as a Source for Humanitarian Innovation to learn about managing diversity in the workplace.

Visit the website of the large U.S. corporation, Sodexo, and learn how they effectively invest in diversity management and use it to their advantage:

1. Promoting an Inclusive Culture
2. Supplier Diversity Strengthens Us All

Measuring the Impact of Diversity

Review The Balanced Scorecard. The Scorecard is an effective tool to measure and quantify the impact of diversity at different levels and functions of business. By using this method, it may become possible to predict the economic value added by assessing the level of workforce diversity, inclusive organizational cultures and good diversity management.

I. Discussion Forum

Write a paragraph of 300 words or more on the following prompts.

In your own words, discuss how the Balanced Scorecard can be used to help businesses to communicate their goals, strategize daily procedures, prioritize efforts and measure progress. Give an example of effective implementation of this management strategy.

II. Written Assignment

Prepare a full two-page (double-spaced) essay, plus title page and reference page (a minimum of four total pages). Use and cite at least one source that may come from either your reading assignments or from alternate sources from the internet, the LIRN, or other sources which you have access to that provide valuable contributions to this assignment.

III. Learning Journal

For example, consider the following when completing your learning journal entries:

A. Describe what you did. This does not mean that you copy and paste from what you have posted or the assignments you have prepared. You need to describe what you did and how you did it.

B. Describe your reactions to what you did.

C. Describe any feedback you received or any specific interactions you had. Discuss how they were helpful.

D. Describe your feelings and attitudes this week.

E. Describe what you learned - was there anything that you were confused by?

Another set of questions to consider in your learning journal statement include:

A. What surprised me or caused me to wonder?

B. What happened that felt particularly challenging? Why was it challenging to me?

C. What skills and knowledge do I recognize that I am gaining?

D. What am I realizing about myself as a learner?

E. In what ways am I able to apply the ideas and concepts gained to my own experience?