Management activities includes educating the group and providing support for the acceptance of and respect for various racial, cultural, societal, geographic, economic and political backgrounds. A diversity issue exists when an issue policy or business practice formal, informal, internal, or external has a different impact on a particular group i. What does it mean to be diverse and who is defining this diversity. Diversity is defined here in a broad sense as human groupings based on race, ethnicity, gender, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, learning styles, nationality and. Diversity, difference and diversity management helda university. Diversity management has a good impact on businesses, but it is in no use if the organisations dont conduct diversity in the right way. Managing diversity at the workplace management study guide. Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in multicultural organizations patrick a. Delivery action plan and impact indicators june 2012 june 2015 if you require further information on this document or require the document in another format, please contact jerome williams, hr policy and diversity consultant.
Diversity management diversity management is ensuring that factors are in place to provide for and encourage the continued development of a diverse workforce by melding these actual and perceived differences among workers to achieve maximum productivity. With growing diversity come benefits as well as complexity and increased risks for conflict. The business directorydescribes the definition of diversity management as, the practice of addressing and supporting multiple lifestyles and personal characteristics within a defined group. Diversity management time for a new approach in an. Terry book award from academy of management and the outstanding academic title award from choice magazine successful management of our increasingly diverse workforce is one of the most important challenges facing organizations today. Management diversity vocabulary learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Therefore, diversity management is not the sole domain of the hr function in the organization as has been the case with affirmative or positive. The process of creating and maintaining an environment which enables all employeesregardless of physical abilities and cultural backgroundto reach their full potential while pursuing organisational objectives. Effective diversity leadership office of diversity management and. Consequences of ignoring diversity ignoring diversity issues costs time, money, and efficiency. In some organizations, diversity is strictly focused upon race, gender, religion, and disability status. It includes positive and negative influences of diversity management and the theoretical. Usually, when we come across the term, it is in the context of having a mix of gender, race, ethnic, sexual orientation etc in a setting wherein there is.
While there is no consensus among diversity management practitioners about purpose, methods, outcomes and values, a working definition of the field is. Stephen butler, cochair of the businesshigher education forum, believes diversity is an invaluable competitive asset robinson 2002. Introduction to organizational diversity meaning and. Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in. Benefits, challenges, and the required managerial tools 2 advantages. I feel very honoured that you showed me such confidence. They cannot be named, but without their input this book would not exist.
Create a diversity management process that adds value to the organizations and employees within. It happens more frequently to a particular group i. Affirmative action emphasizes legal necessity and social responsibility. Aluko, olabisi onabanjo university, nigeria abstract. Managing the relationships of a diverse workforce and ensuring that its members communicate and get along with one another is also essential. Further, diversity management can create a competitive advantage in areas such as recruitment, retention, marketing, problem solving, and resource acquisition e. The underlying assumptions shaping the meanings of diversity management 3. The council has created a standing team to monitor the curriculum and develop a certificate of completion.
Managing diversity at the workplace the previous articles in this module discussed the ways and means of attracting diversity and how to recruit diverse teams. These business benefits do not accrue merely by the presence of diversity in the workforce, they require effective diversity management. Having the individual, institutional, and cultural competence to address and support diversity efforts to the benefit of everyone takes diversity competence. Diversity management is the key to growth in todays fiercely competitive global marketplace.
No longer can americas corporations hide behind their lack of cultural intelligence. It refers to nothing more than variance or difference. Experts and the literature generally agree that a combination of the identified practices should be considered when an organization. By jeanne martinson diversity is a word that is tossed around in many areas of work and social life, and has come to mean different things to different people. What com plicates the management of the differ ence is not the difference itself, but the nature and the meaning of the differ ence as perceived by the individual and others.
At the far end of the broad definition are notions of identity in which the. To a stockbroker, it means a balanced portfolio of stocks, bonds and other investments. This report provides insight into the status quo of diversity management implementation among members of 111 diversi. It is often difficult to see what part diversity plays in a specific area of management. One of the main aspects investigated is the concepts relevance for practice and the previous dissemination of diversity management in germanbased companies. If you have a diverse team, they create as per definition, a richer. Diversity management uses applied behavioral science methodology, research and. This has a strong focus on policies and programs that. In this section we will discuss various models that explain diversity. Understanding organizational diversity management programs.
Diversity management, a part of human resource management, involves the recognition, effective deployment and harmonisation of individual employee idiosyncrasies. Diversity competency center for the study of diversity. Diversity management in germanbased business organisations. Organizations have employed varying approaches to diversity management. Let me put forth an operational definition of multiculturalism as a starting point to better. Many diversity plans give the word a comprehensive meaning, such as. The good news is that companies that give diversity councils, or diversity managers, responsibility for getting more women and minorities into good jobs typically see significant increases in the diversity of managers. Whatever your work, the meeting of different cultures is a daily reality in a growing number of companies.
Diversity in the boardroom article 1 what is board diversity. In terms of business cases, it is very important that diversity management gets. To analyse diversity by taking into account these power mechanisms implies the continuous search for the peripheral position, as well as for the silenced aspects of each and every event, to search for a kind of multicultural intersubjectivity. Managing diversity definition of managing diversity by. In what terms can we think about managing this diversity, at individual, group and. By definition, an organization holding diversity as an instrumental value. Thank you all for not only your time, but also for your courage to share, at times very painful, experiences, with me. Diversity is in, much to the dismay of defenders of the past, the likes of arthur m. Successful diversity management helps managers to maximise employees knowledge and expertise to better achieve organisational objectives allen et al. The rebirth of the influence of intercultural in management is in fact quiet recent.
Diversity management in the workplace article pdf available in acta universitatis agriculturae et silviculturae mendelianae brunensis 643. Department of energy and climate change equality, diversity and inclusion strategy. Skills, expertise and experience having the optimal mix of skills, expertise and experience is paramount to ensure that the board. The practice of addressing and supporting multiple lifestyles and personal characteristics within a defined group. Diversity management refers to the voluntary organizational actions that are designed to create greater inclusion of. Diversity management is an emerging field of theory, research, teaching and practice. Diversity trainingorganizational efforts to inform and educate management and staff about diversity. In short, while managing diversity is also concerned with underrepresentation of women and people of color in the workforce, it is much more inclusive and acknowledges that diversity must work for everyone. Characteristics of diversities different characteristics can be brought together by diversity management. Managing diversity is a key component of effective people management in the workplace black enterprise 2001.
Diversity management is defined as, the strategic alignment of workforce heterogeneity to include and value each employee equally on the basis of their diverse characteristics, and to leverage organisational diversity to enhance organisational justice and achieve better business outcomes. Successful strategies link diversity progress directly to business results. Diversity management covers many areas of human resources. This illustration is complemented by case studies that provide insights into actual german diversity management practice. Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. To a horticulturalist, it means balancing perennials, annuals, shade and sun. Affirmative action focuses on specific groups because of historical discrimination, such as people of color and women. Good management alone will not necessarily help you work effectively with a diverse workforce. Introduction to organizational diversity we often hear the term diversity bandied about in our everyday usage. Diversity takes various forms in a boardroom and can be broadly categorised into the following elements. Definitions of workforce diversity, diversity and diversity management. Definitions of diversity jmc programs have created a smorgasbord of definitions for diversity. Primarily, this paper aims to make the concept of diversity management wellknown and useful in the managerial practices.
This article discusses how to manage diverse teams and to ensure that diversity is actualized in practice as opposed to merely paying lip service to the concept. To illustrate, the following two examples show how diversity is an integral part of management. Managing diversity focuses on maximizing the ability of all employees to contribute to organizational goals. In a nutshell, its about empowering people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, and national origin. The diversity management structure will complement, and be aligned with, the organizations mission and vision of serving a diverse clientele by providing enhanced diversity management capability for faculty, staff, and students. In fact many companies have indeed understood the cultural diversity of their customer, which called diversity in the ranks of their own employees. Diversity management involves creating a supportive culture where all. What is diversity management diversity management is the strategy of using best practices with proven results to find and create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Management activities includes educating the group and providing support for the acceptance of and respect for various racial, cultural, societal.