What are the different ways in which diversity can be managed in organization?
Meaning of Diversity:
“Diversity means understanding how people’s differences and similarities can be mobilized for the benefit of the individual, the organization and society as a whole.” Managing our diversity by ensuring fairness and equality is becoming not just a “good thing”, but an imperative in a changing and complex world.
Approaches to managing diversity:
There are two different approaches that may help make managing diversity more effectively.
1- Individual Approaches
2- Organizational Approaches
1- Individual Approaches:
Individual approaches consist of two interdependent paths. These are important for managing the diversity in organization.
I. Learning ii. Empathy I. Learning: Basically it depends upon experience or knowledge of manager. Many managers are often unprepared to deal with diversity, because of their inexperience. Manager must work hard to learn and experience as much as they can about developing appropriate behavior. Manager must openly communicate one by one, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity in order to determine how best to understand and interact with them. In this way manager can learn more about diversity in organization. II. Empathy: Empathy is an ability to put oneself in another place and see things from that person’s point of view. Empathy is particularly important in managing diversity because manager feels that only they can truly understand the challenges or problems. Empathy is an only way by which a manager can understand the problem of their employees or group members.
2- Organizational Approaches: Organizational approaches include a verity of techniques. Some important techniques are testing, training, mentoring and work or family program. I. Testing:
A problem can be encountered by the process of testing.