...today, diversity initiatives have emerged as a core component of many companies’ mission statements and driving human resource practices (Andrulis & Sanchdev, 2009). As companies expand globally, there is one corporation that has expanded in diversity globally. Starbuck’s is one of the largest coffee companies in America and a cross the world that is diverse culturally. So, how does Starbucks utilize its cultural intelligence to increase the awareness of diversity in the workplace? Is workplace diversity important to employees at Starbucks? Starbucks’ believe that to operate successfully in a global marketplace, embracing diversity in every aspect of their business is absolutely essential (www.starbucks.com). Diversity is something that brings everyone together, race, gender, religion, cultural background, experience etc… Diverse workplaces do the same as well, learning from one another and being able to work in an environment with different ethnicities. Diversity brings opportunities within the organization and the learning capability increase from the many cultures. By Starbucks being a global corporation, the company has to maintain their diversity not just for the workplace but also for the community. In this paper I will describe and explain the foundation of Starbucks Company, and how diversity is implemented in the workplace. I will also discuss how diversity is implemented in my work organization and my opinion of the importance of diversity in a workplace. With...
Words: 1803 - Pages: 8
...Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in the workplace means celebrating the differences between us and everyone else we work with in our place of employment. Diversity is represented in a number of characteristics such as ethnicity, sexual preference, age, religious affiliation, learning styles, education and life experiences. It's important to understand how these differences affect motivation, performance, our interactions with others, and professional achievements. (Scott, n.d.) Diversity not only affects how people perceive themselves, but also in large part how they perceive others. Those perceptions affect all the interactions they will have with one another. Human resource personnel need to affectively deal with multiple types of issues such as communication, adaptability and change in order for a diverse group of employees to function as an organization. Over the next several years, diversity within organizations will continue to increase. Successful organizations currently recognize the need to immediately respond to this need and are willing to put their money where their mouth is. These organizations are ahead of the game and are ready and willing to invest what is required of them to manage diversity in the workplace now. Communicating Diversity Diversity training and education is an imperative part of supporting the customer service efforts of an organization. Organizations who implement diversity training will have a better understanding of what barriers...
Words: 951 - Pages: 4
...the importance of workplace diversity in an organization and how it relates to team dynamics in the workplace. The importance of groups and teams within the workplace is essential to understand the meaning of both terms. Groups Groups is a collection of individuals who have regular contact and frequent interaction, mutual influence, common feelings of camaraderie, and who work together to achieve a common set of goals (Business Dictionary.com, 2010). Forming a group based on surrounding personalities and behavior is not difficult, although the effectiveness of groups may vary. A group's interpersonal dynamics can range from compatibility to intolerance, which could make consensus building difficult for leadership. In-group there is separate characteristics of every individual working with the group. This means every individual has his or her own job to perform. Teams Teams are a group of people with a full set of complementary skills required to complete a task, job, or project (Business Dictionary.com, 2010). Team members operate with a high degree of interdependence, share authority and responsibility for self-management, are accountable for collective performance, and work toward a common goal and shared reward (Business Dictionary.com, 2010). A team offers skills that are advantages to one another to achieve continual growth. Individual team members must contribute their own skills and diversity. Diversity in the Workplace Diversity means in addition...
Words: 601 - Pages: 3
...of Workplace Diversity Elizabeth Foma University of Guam School of Business and Public Administration P. O. Box 5169 UOG Station Mangilao, Guam 96923 efoma@uguam.uog.edu; drmayuk@yahoo.com Abstract Diversity is an important part that all employees have to deal with at one point during their careers. There are many positive aspects to diversity in the workplace, such as exchange of ideas because of the diverse cultures of employees, the development of friendship without discrimination, workers learn to cope up with the diverse environment, stereotyping is eliminated, retention of employees are more likely due to healthy competition. On the other side, there is are negative parts which includes communication gaps due to language barrier and resistance to change. Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another, in which these dimensions can be visible or invisible. The existence of workplace diversity, within an organization, indicates that the workplace is heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity, in which employees possess distinct elements and qualities, differing from one another (Robbins, 2003). Key words: Race, gender, inequality, ethnicity, organizations, discrimination, lifestyle. 1. Introduction Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another, in which the dimensions can be visible or invisible. The existence of workplace diversity, within...
Words: 4247 - Pages: 17
...Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Jodi Jewett SOC 315 May 16, 2011 Tramayne Butler Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Diversity and Inclusion are a part of everyday life in America. Diversity is within every culture and group including ethnical groups, gender, and workplaces. Diversity is the similarities and differences where Inclusion is the act of being included in that diversity group. It is important to know and understand the diversity and inclusion to gain the knowledge and understanding of people around us. What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. “Cultural diversity is commonly interpreted in relation to ethnicity. However, the term should be understood within a broader context where it recognizes the unique attributes of all persons” (La Trobe University, Oct). The dimensions of culture diversity are the difference and similarities within the culture groups. There are many different dimensions within a culture group, such as, dress attire, language, race, and gender. Within a culture there are many different languages, especially in American culture. While some women must not show in sin in one culture, they may be allowed to show as much as they want in another culture. There also different diversities with genders and cultures. In one culture women are treated as equal as men, and in another the women must wait on the man and are not as high ranked as the...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...INTRODUCTION Discrimination within the workplace is a serious issue that many people face due to personal attributes in the face of ignorance. Unfair discrimination within a human resource management context can be defined as withholding benefits or opportunities and providing burden to a person due to their race, gender, sexuality, religion ext… Australia has implemented several anti-discrimination Acts over time, concerning discrimination such as age, disability, sex and race. However, these Acts cannot monitor every discriminatory deed within a workplace, though they can make sure that there can be consequences for it if brought up by an employee. Within the case study shown, the unfair discrimination employed by the Apple store can be...
Words: 1911 - Pages: 8
...Effective Diversity Management Essay Workplace Diversity: A Contribution to Organisational Success Abstract Workplace diversity is vital for any organisation. The benefits diversity can bring are able to drastically change the performance of an organisation. The following essay explains the essence of workplace diversity, describes the difficulties that may arise in diversity management, and presents the key benefits that it can bring to an organisation. With these issues explained, it is evident that organisations can benefit from workplace diversity and how it can make them successful. Workplace Diversity: A Contribution to Organisational Success Workplace diversity incorporates more than it seems at a glance. Diversity presumes mainly cultural, racial, and gender differences, because these are the most visible distinctions between people. There are, however, many other characteristics in which employees differ. Rice (2010) defines diversity as “differing cultures, languages, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, religious sects, abilities, classes, ages, and national origins of individuals in an institution, workplace, or community.” (p. 96). As far as the workplace is concerned, diversity is crucial for it. Employees of different cultures, races, ages, classes and backgrounds can make their own unique contributions to the development and performance of an organisation. This is why numerous “business and governmental organisations have implemented workforce...
Words: 2358 - Pages: 10
...a strong shift for corporations and employees to make certain accommodations to promote and inspire diversity in the work place. This notion stems from a strong cultural and socially predominant push that states a need for diversity within the workplace to combat the probability of racism within any organization. In this case study, the value and methods of organizational assessments are covered in detail and widely debated over. This is crucial because academia and organizations speak out about organizational assessments and construction, yet many do not understand or even know the tools that are used to conduct these important analyses. These very tools are what have been being used to assess the management of diversity while also addressing racism. Eight tools/assessments are covered and explained. These tools are also credited as tools that where crucial in the formulation of six key principles that are more commonly used throughout the industry as the “inclusion criterion” for the selection of organizational assessment tools. Statement of the Problem Workplace and diversity management have been a long time and ongoing agenda on both governmental and private corporate practices and has also been considered a “business imperative”. There has been also increasing validation, through empirical data that there are several benefits of having diversity in the workplace such as increased productivity, larger market share, innovative thinking and improved employee relations...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...ijcrb.webs.com APRIL 2013 INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS VOL 4, NO 12 EXAMINING FACTORS AFFECTING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Arslan Ayub1, Muhammad Salman Aslam2, Adeel Razzaq3, Hanan Iftekhar4, Sabiha Hafeez5 1234 MS Scholar, Iqra University Islamabad, Pakistan National College of Business Administration & Economics Bahawalpur, Pakistan 5 Abstract The purpose of the study is to examine various organizational factors that influence diversity in the workplace. The factors incorporate organizational policies, management practices, and perceived inequity. The current paper is a conceptual paper solely based on literature review. The findings are reliable with consideration view of these organizational variables to be the factual obstacles in employing and heading workplace diversity issue on. The current study throws light on the significance of managing workplace diversity. Keywords: Organizational Policies, Workforce Diversity, Management, Management Practices, Staffing INTRODUCTION The "business case for diversity" curtails from the development of the replica of diversity within the workplace since 1960's. The inventive model for diversity was positioned around affirmative action drawing strength from the law and a need to act in accordance with equal employment opportunity objectives. This observance based model conferred to the thought that tokenism was the reason; an individual was hired into a company when...
Words: 2280 - Pages: 10
...significance of acknowledging the presence of diversity in their workplace. The concept of diversity according to the authors of Management 4th Asia pacific Edition diversity is “the term used to describe differences among people at work which mainly includes age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, disability, personality, culture, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, education, experience, family status and many more.” (Schemerhorn Jr, et al., 2011). Therefore it is the variety and differences of the people working for a certain business or within the company but most of the people presume that is when we talk about diversity it is mostly the difference between ethnicity, race or gender. (UCFS: University of California, n.d.). It is very essential that businesses understand and encourage diversity in the workplace as it may arise to various advantages such as enhanced communication between employees, increase of flexibility within the business, eradication of discrimination and learning how to appreciate culture and wider range of opinions, perspective and talents that will result employees satisfaction and increase of businesses competitive edge against competitors. Advantage of working in a Diverse Workforce * Eliminate discrimination It is important for the business to encourage workplace diversity not only for the account of the business but also to the employees to prevent and eradicate discrimination in the workplace. According to Australian Human Right Commission...
Words: 2183 - Pages: 9
... Name Institution Introduction The concept of workplace diversity refers to the differences that exist within an organization based on the employees working together in a team (Sonnenschein, 2009). It is imperative to note that the modern working environment calls for the need to manage the diverse workforce. As such, the management shoulders the responsibility of ensuring that they effectively manage diverse employees within their organization. It would sound simple to think that managing such team does not require tact and knowledge. However, it is pertinent to note that the aspect of diversity encompasses many fields like ethnic background, race, and age of individuals, gender, educational level, and the personality type of people. Additionally, diversity involves how the individuals perceive themselves and others of the different background than theirs. Hence, the perceptions will interfere with how they interact with others and the manner in which the organization will operate (Blunt, 2009). Therefore, for various assortments of employees to be in a position to function effectively within an organization, the human resource personnel must effectively deal with a broad range of issues. For instance, they must address change within the organization, communication aspect, and adaptability to the working environment. Furthermore, the issue of diversity will significantly increase in the future hence the need for every organization to find...
Words: 2288 - Pages: 10
...Introduction Workplace diversity in simple terms is the inclusion of a variety of employees with different backgrounds. These differences can be expanded upon to not only include race and gender but to also include religion, culture, age, marital status, educational qualification, and many more. As companies become more globalized we will continue to see an increase in the number of diverse employees as well as the types of diversities within an organization. With this diversity comes some difficulties but the benefits exceed the negative by increasing an organizations competitiveness. This competitive increase is due to the ability of diverse groups to enhance creativity and innovation while making better decisions but only if diversity is properly managed. If organization want to become leaders in their market then effective practices and diversity initiatives must be a cornerstone beginning with Human Resource Departments and expanding though every aspect of the organization. Why encourage Diversity? One important if not overlooked reason is to meet legal requirements. The government has mandatory non-discrimination laws which can result in large monetary penalties or the loss of government contracts. Therefore, it makes sense to employ a diverse workforce if for no other reason than to prevent loss of revenue through legal ramifications. Second is organizational marketing strategy. Having a diverse workforce will assist in selling products to people...
Words: 1831 - Pages: 8
...Workplace Diversity: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. That sounds simple, but diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more. Diversity not only involves how people perceive themselves, but how they perceive others. Those perceptions affect their interactions. For a wide assortment of employees to function effectively as an organization, human resource professionals need to deal effectively with issues such as communication, adaptability and change. Diversity will increase significantly in the coming years. Successful organizations recognize the need for immediate action and are ready and willing to spend resources on managing diversity in the workplace now. Benefits of Workplace Diversity An organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. When organizations actively assess their handling of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits are reported such as: Increased adaptability Organizations employing a diverse workforce can supply a greater variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets...
Words: 4512 - Pages: 19
...MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROJECT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN WORKPLACE TO ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN MERU MUNICIPALITY KENNEDY MUTWIRI MUKARIA MUC-SBS-555-0056/2009 A RESEARCH PROPOSAL A research proposal submitted to the department of business in partial fulfilment of requirements of degree of Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) of Meru University College of Science and Technology DECLARATION This is my original work and has not been presented for the degree or any other award to any other University Signature ___________________________ Name __________________________ Date Approval This proposal has been submitted for examination with my approval as the University supervisor Signature ___________________________ (Name of supervisor of department; Meru University) __________________________ Date TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the study............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem.............................................................................................. 4 1.3 Objectives of the study................................................................................................. 1.4 Research questions...................................................
Words: 8628 - Pages: 35
...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...
Words: 710 - Pages: 3
