...The environment within an organization is created by organizational culture, behavior, diversity and communication. Organizational behavior studies the human aspects of behaviors in the workplace by understanding individual and group behavior. Organizational culture guides the behavior of the employees through a set of shared values and beliefs. The cultures of an organization can be broken down into three categories, passive/defensive, constructive, and aggressive/defensive. Maintaining a constructive culture will embrace achievement, and humanistic-encouraging. Diversity is simply the differences in each individual based on race, gender, and ethnicity. The culture can play a part on how well diversity is received. Communication is just as important in an organization as the culture and behavior structure. The absence of communication will create a barrier between employees, hindering creativity, and disrupts the workplace culture. Organizational Behavior Organizational behavior (OB) is “the study of human behavior in organizations” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2008, p. 5). Organizational behavior is devoted to understanding individual and group behavior, interpersonal processes, and organizational dynamics. The goal of organizational behavior is to improve the performance of an organization and its employees. Understanding organizational behavior can have potential for career success in the changing workplace. As a company, Georgia-Pacific has to study organizational behavior...
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...Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Adriana Sardinas SOC/315 January 17, 2011 Professor Joyce Mackey Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion In this content, the author will be using her critical thinking skills to answer questions based on the readings from Understanding and Managing Diversity and Racial and Ethnic Groups. The questions to be answered and discussed are: What are the dimensions of cultural diversity; with what ethnic, cultural, or other groups does the author identify herself; what is the difference between diversity and inclusion; what is the importance of workplace diversity training; and what is the author’s experience with workplace culture. Critical Thinking Questions Cultural diversity, inclusion, groups, diversity in the workplace, and identifying oneself with one or the other is controversial and can become aggressive if society remains close-minded. The author is putting into discussion questions that will help break down the understanding of what it truly is and the importance of it in society. Question One What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identification and a brief explanation of dimensions provided. Answer. The dimensions of cultural diversity range from racial groups, a group socially set apart by obvious physical difference; ethnic groups, groups set apart by culture patterns or nationality; religious groups, gender groups and other subordinate groups. Ageism is also considered a dimension. Minorities generally...
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...Diversity is an aspect of life that is almost inescapable, especially in the workplace. As we go about our daily lives, we are surrounded by people and cultures that differ from what was once considered the typical American lifestyle. There are endless options of food, music and social activities allowing us a small chance to experience and explore what life is like in other countries. Businesses are also recognizing the need and importance of diversity. Many have begun investing in diversity and inclusion as part of their overall management structures. To continually challenge their practice, organizations are striving to make the connection between those principles and their corporate performance (Chaney & Martin, 2014). This paper will explore some of the key issues regarding diversity in the US and India. Cultural variations, communication and management styles will be examined for a more in depth look at the ever changing corporate environment. Cultural Variations Carol Milano (2012) with ASME.org analyzes that in the United States, especially in large cities, a “time is money” attitude is common. Often working professionals appear to be in a rush, which gives the impression that Americans tend to get down to business rather quickly. Many countries have a different perspective and work ethic, where people are not in such a hurry. They may prefer to get to know a colleague before they start working together, which reiterates the fact that teamwork is an area rich...
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...Cultural Diversity in the Business Setting and It’s Effects on Employees Tyler D. Stone Chamberlain College of Nursing Abstract This paper explores articles and textbook passages relating to how businesses need to understand cultural diversity in order to maintain a successful business. These passages and articles go in detail at indulging the reader with examples and reasons why businesses need to be sensitive to cultural diversity not only for their benefit but for employee satisfaction as well. Diversity’s importance can even be found using the lawsuit Coca-Cola underwent in 1999 when they were accused of discrimination against workers. From Coca-Cola to different generations cultural diversity is examined using reputable sources and current data. Cultural Diversity in the Business Setting and It’s Effects on Employees The major characteristic that makes us all human is that we are all diverse. Not one human is exactly like another. Business professionals learn about the diversity of humans and its importance in their first few business classes they take when furthering their education. These businessmen also learn that making a certain culture, race or gender feel left out can prove to be drastic to a company’s financial well-being. Being sensitive to cultural diversity and understanding differences between genders and generations is a fundamental principle every business needs to adhere to in order to be successful. When companies neglect to acknowledge...
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...Managing Diversity in the Workplace – Understanding Cultural Differences: Part 1 A smart business person understands the importance of a productive and efficient workforce. Business experts insist that your employees are your biggest investment. If you are a manager of a culturally diverse workforce you will have to make an effort to understand what motivates your employees and makes them happy. This requires an understanding of cultural differences; your employees will have many different values and traditions. A culturally diverse workplace could include people from many different Asian and Latino cultures. I use these two examples only because they represent large numbers of immigrant workers. The following advice can be applied in most situations. 1. Do not assume: Do not assume that Spanish speaking people are the same. Latin America has a diverse collection of cultures and traditions. And they have different ways of looking at things. Managing diversity in the workplace means taking the time to find out your employees nationalities and do some research about their homeland. Then share your knowledge with them and ask questions about them personally. In many cultures that personal connection means a lot more than meeting production deadlines. 2. Give some instruction: It is also a good idea for your employees to be given some instruction in American values and traditions. Don’t forget that your employees also have to function in our society when they are not at work...
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...Running head: Teamwork and Cultural Differences 1 Teamwork and Culture Differences Diversity with Sensitivity Argosy University July 29, 2013 Com 105 Teamwork and Cultural Differences 2 Introduction Teamwork involves people working together in groups in order to achieve a goal. Teamwork and effective communication is extremely important when it comes to a business and the success to a company. When working in teams, people are able to share ideas and work together to accomplish more than they could by themselves. However, culture differences and personality differences can often cause a challenge. When working together, a person may not have an understanding of another person’s culture, which can have a negative impact on a business. Since companies are more global today, diversity and multicultural communication has become a crucial part of business success. Teamwork and Team Building Teamwork and team building is vitally important in any multicultural and global society. In today’s day, the workforce is becoming more diverse, meaning that people from different cultures are required to come together to work as a team. Teamwork in the workplace often contributes to success in a company. Teamwork enables people to come together to accomplish tasks faster than finishing projects individually. Also, when cooperating with each other, employees are able to share ideas and responsibilities with one another, which usually reduces...
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...Dionne Butler Analyzing Diversity in the Workplace Business 610 Organizational Behavior Gary Shelton July 18, 2011 Abstract Diversity plays a very important role in success of an organization. The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual (free dictionary). In order for a company to survive and prosper in an increasingly society, organizations must capitalize on employee diversity as a source of completive advantage. The debate over how to deal with diversity has become highly charged and politicized. Therefore, companies have to design a diversity training program to raise awareness, understanding for cross-cultural issues as well as for areas of sexual orientation, age, gender, ethnicity, race, religion and mental or physical disability. Analyzing Diversity The word diversity is not new to the American vernacular; it has been around for many years. However, the meaning of the word diversity continues to evolve...
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...Diversity in the Workplace Wendy Fowler Diversity in the Workplace Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. Workplace diversity is about acknowledging differences and adapting work practices to create an inclusive environment in which diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds are valued. It is about understanding the individual differences in the people we work with that arise from a broad range of backgrounds and lifestyles, and recognizing the value of using those different perspectives, ideas and ways of working to enhance the quality and outcomes of work. Our diversity is shaped by a variety of characteristics including age, ethnicity, gender, disability, language, religious beliefs, life stages, education, career responsibilities, sexual orientation, personality and marital status (Leonard 2013). Workplace diversity builds on the traditional principles of equal employment opportunity (EEO). While EEO focuses on ensuring that all people have access to employment opportunities and conditions, diversity means accepting, welcoming and valuing the differences essential in every individual and recognizing the contribution that a diverse workforce can make to organizational effectiveness and performance. To understand how diversity affects the work place let us look at different types of diversity which includes differences in skill and abilities, values and attitudes, occupation differences, and age. Different Types...
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...Running Head: Diversity in Organizations Diversity in Organizations Angela Alexander Organizational Behavior/BUS610 Professor Dwight Reimer May 2, 2011 Abstract Often times there are barriers within an organization. These barriers can block the advancement of organizational diversity. In order for a business to become more diverse in their market, an implementation of diversity should be done. The management team must realize the importance of the dimensions related to diversity. In an effort to make sure that a break-down does not occur, the team will need to analyze issues such as personality and organizational factors and ability. Furthermore, they will need to look into internal and external dimensions such as income, habits, status, background and experience. Several methods can be used within organizations to prevent these barriers from taken place. This paper will explore the varies methods and procedures for the analyzation of said barriers of management as it relates to diversity within an organization. In California and the Nation at large, we have a vast mixture of cultures. These cultures influence the development of our Nation’s prosperity. Most would agree that cultural diversity helps utilize our Country’s skills and growth. Although we are coming out of the mist of economic hardship, we are now in the beginnings of economic growth. Still there remains a disparity between those that have and those that don’t have. This is directly in part to the...
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...NCVER Cross-cultural training and workplace performance Robert Bean Robert Bean Consulting The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author/project team and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government, state and territory governments or NCVER Publisher’s note Additional information relating to this research is available in Cross-cultural training and workplace performance: Support document. It can be accessed from NCVER’s website . To find other material of interest, search VOCED (the UNESCO/NCVER international database ) using the following keywords: cross cultural training; cultural awareness; workplace learning; capacity building; training provider; employee attitude; employer attitude. © Australian Government, 2008 This work has been produced by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) under the National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation (NVETRE) Program, which is coordinated and managed by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments. Funding is provided through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Requests should be made to NCVER. The NVETRE program is based upon priorities approved by ministers with responsibility for vocational education and training (VET)...
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...Perspectives of Diversity Paper Psych 535 This will be a paper discussing different diversity perspectives. Each perspective will be an analyzed about diversity. Each perspective will also explain the implications of the diversity perspective on human behavior in the workplace environment. Two perspectives that will be addressed will be fundamental diversity and cultural diversity. Fundamental Diversity is described as being a type of diversity that consists of people who often have goals about the importance, purpose, and function of work, as well as the relationship between the individual employee and the greater organization, and fundamental beliefs that are different. (Heuberger, 2004). Cultural diversity is based upon the concept that cultural identities should never be ignored nor discarded, though instead they should be valued and maintained (Heuberger, 2004). Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity is based on the idea that cultural identities should not be discarded or ignored, but rather maintained and valued (American Multicultural Publications, 2007). The workplace can be considered an environment where several different backgrounds join together for one common goal. Cultural diversity can consist of a difference in national origin, gender, race, and other human aspects. Cultural diversity is not based solely on culture and other...
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...of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. My initial response to the question “What are the dimensions of cultural diversity?” were religion, race, ethnicity and gender. However, upon reading a chapter in the book Understanding and managing diversity : readings, cases and exercises by Harvey and Allard, the chapter A World View of Cultural Diversity by Thomas Sowell (2009), changed my perspective. After reading this chapter, I understood the question much differently and changed my view of what are cultures. According to Sowell, cultures are non static, they are fluid meaning they evolve over centuries. An important dimension of cultures is geography, which is “an important long-run influence on the shaping of cultures as well as in narrow economic terms (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p. 75). Furthermore, Sowell states that “cultures exist to serve the vital, practical requirements of human life—to structure a society so as to perpetuate the species, to pass on the hard-earned knowledge and experience of generations past and centuries past to the young and inexperienced in order to spare the next generation the costly and dangerous process of learning everything all over again from scratch through trial and error—including fatal errors” (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p77). Therefore, the two main dimensions of cultural diversity identified are historical and geographical as these dimensions are deeply rooted in a culture. Dimensions...
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...Improve Communications Diversity training is important in today’s workplace. The ability to effectively communicate with employees with different cultural backgrounds is essential to having a successful business. Business organizations integrate diversity training to ensure maximum productivity. In order for diversity training to be effective, different techniques are used. Companies understand the importance of effective communication. Without such communication, it can be a drain on the company and its resources. Researchers have developed several different techniques to assist with achieving the goal of effective communication. The following techniques are recommended: Seek Training: This technique is important especially if an organization is experiencing diversity issues. Diversity issues can be viewed as an opportunity, not a threat (Fine, p 485). Organizations should develop a training program to aid with their efforts. A lot can be learned during diversity training. Researchers suggest training should focus on team building effectiveness. This allows the team the opportunity to bond. The second phase of training should focus on conflict resolution. This will allow management and employees different options when a dispute arises. Learn about your cultural self: This technique is often overlooked in the workplace. One must understand that your culture is not the only culture. Your culture happens to be one of many cultures within the workplace. Co-workers of different...
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...individual differences an asset in the work place? Overview: The world's increasing globalization requires more human interaction among people from many different cultures and diversities. With the importance of organizational culture nowadays, many leaders are faced with the overwhelming task of having to effectively and efficiently manage the diverse natures of individuals in their particular workplaces. Managing diversity is planning and implementing organizational systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized while the potential disadvantages are at a minimum. Having people with different cultural backgrounds can sometimes be as equally important to an organizations success and it is crucial that the right types of leaders with the proper trainings are in place to be able to utilize each individual’s skills and abilities to create a good working environment. In this study, aspects of individual differences including: Heredity factors, abilities and skills, different aspects of individual’s attitudes, and individual personalities and behaviors will be observed to test my theory of why individuals of different diversities are an asset in the workplace. The study objective is intended to determine just how individual differences are an asset in the workplace. The article that influenced my question the most was the article titled “Investigating Cultural Differences in Virtual Software Teams”. This particular...
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...Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Shantha Whitehurst SOC/315 Due Date 01/25/2014 Instructor What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. The world in which people call home is a composite of diversity. People interact with one another through culture beliefs. Since humans spread throughout the world, unions have separated from each other. Stories of humans emerging to the United States became different throughout many ethnic communities. According to Schaefer (2011), the of diversity features in the United States include, ethnicity, age, race, martial status, religious beliefs, gender, and even appearances(Chapter 1, Ethnic Groups). Racial groups socially set themselves apart because of physical differences, and each society defines what it finds obvious. In the United States skin color is one of the obvious differences. Communities today have a more elaborate system of classification, in the United States hostility between races became higher than expected. Ethnic groups set apart from others because of national origin or distinctive culture patterns. Hispanics, Puerto Rican, African American, and Cubans describe some ethnic groups in America. The culture traits which made diversity exclusive originated from lands of segregation(Harvey, "Section I," 2009). With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common The ethnic...
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