...Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion SOC/315 Cultural Diversity May 6, 2013 Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Cultural diversity refers to the idea that any cultural identity should not be ignored or discarded, but instead they should be valued and maintained. It includes the different varieties of human cultures or societies in the entire world as a whole, or in a particular region. Dimensions of cultural diversity can include religious beliefs, gender, marital status, race, age, parental status, income, physical abilities and attributes, sexual orientation, geographic location, language, and other components. Today, the management of cultural diversity is much more complicated than single dimension like age, gender, race, etc. (Harvey & Allard, 2009). Ethnic, religious, racial and gender dimensions are considered as being the most important (Schaefer, 2011). Cultural diversity dimensions are actually divided into two sections: primary and secondary. The primary dimensions includes an individual’s race, age, physical attributes, gender, etc, and the secondary dimensions include factors like language, marital status, income, occupation, parental status, religious beliefs, etc. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? I honestly believe that I identify with a lot of ethnic or cultural groups, but the groups that I identify with the most are Native American, Caucasian, and African-American...
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...Understanding Culture Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in the workplace refers to the variety of differences in people in the work environment. It is very important to understand cultural, ethnic, and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting these days. Majority of firms and companies have come to realize that staffs from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as different gender bring a great deal of valuable perspectives in any business environment. The importance of understanding cultural, ethnic and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting is essential to make the work environment comfortable. In every culture, there are basic standards of thinking, and acting and these cultural differences strongly influence workplace values and communication. What one considers acceptable and natural in the workplace for one person may be unacceptable for another person. Diversity in the workplace can be beneficial as well as challenging. Respecting individuals and their differences can increase productivity. It could also reduce lawsuits, increase opportunities and the business’s image (Esty, 1995). On the other hand, some negative behaviors in the workplace may include prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination, which should never be a practice by management for hiring, retention, and termination practices. Negative behaviors can be barriers to organizational diversity because it can harm working relationships...
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...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...
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...Importance of Understanding Culture Diversity in the Workplace Jennifer Schulz Devry University Cultural Diversity in the Professions SOCS350 William Tutol January 10, 2014 Importance of Understanding Culture Diversity in the Workplace In business today it is important to have a diverse group of employees in the workplace. Our textbook defines diversity as real or perceived differences among people in race, ethnicity, sex, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, work and family status, weight and appearance, and other identity-based attributes that affect their interactions and relationships (Bell, 2012, p. 5). It is very important to understand the cultural, ethnical, and gender differences by professionals and management in the workforce in this day and age. If an organization develops a reputation for valuing all types of employees, it will become known as an employer of choice, in which workers from all backgrounds feel they have the opportunity to work, grow, and be treated fairly (Bell, 2012, p. 4). By being diverse in its employees, a business has a better opportunity for new ideas and growth potential and less likely to be stymied. Despite extraordinary corporate and media attention paid to diversity in the past thirty years, discrimination, inequality, and exclusion persist in organizations (Bell, 2012, p. 4). As discussed this week in class, when the department head turned down the Jamaican friend for the position, even though he seemed...
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...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...
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...Diversity: Religion and Workplace Introduction Religion is one of the biggest differences segmenting the world into different parts. There is no other reason from the dawn of time which caused more strife’s and argument among mankind than Religion. Religion can be defined as the faith or moral belief a person possess regarding the nature of being or existing the world. In the modern world there are roughly five or six major religious and yet countless other minor religions have sprung up and are continuing to spring up every day. Each believer of a religion defends and believes in it devoutly, to such an extent that he or she is willing to go towards bloodshed to defend its honor. The major religions of the world include, Islamic, Christianity, Hinduism, Atheism, Judaism, etc. These religions include the set of guidelines for the individuals on which to base their lives. The major religions all dictate that there is a Higher Entity, or God which governs the world and the Universe and all that is contains is it plaything and all the living creatures are its subjects (Trent, 2007). Such devout belief and intolerance against one’s faith becomes a very volatile subject and can become the cause of a major strike in an organization. Any good and reputed organization employees a variety of people all belonging to different backgrounds. Some of these religions might be major while some might be the minor ones. In such a scenario, the minority religion often suffers under...
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...Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in the Workplace Arelys Chaviano Chamberlain School Of Nursing Cultural Diversity in the Professions SOCS 350 Dr Mary Thompson March 7, 2013 Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in the Workplace It is very important for management in the workplace to understand the cultural, ethnic and gender differences of the employees. Diversity in the workplace includes individuals from different religion beliefs, sexes, ages, and environments. Accepting diversity in the workforce is essential for the organization because every individual might bring something beneficial for the business. According to Bell (2007) “As members of these groups represent an increasing proportion of the workforce, the need to consider them and to able to attract and retain workers from nontraditional pools becomes more important”(p.12). There are research projects that have shown that diversity is relevant for everybody in the workplace. Every culture has specific characteristics that distinguish one for another. Managers need to be aware of the cultural differences that exist between members of each culture. These differences are manifested through language, customs, foods, and clothing. For example, in the Hispanic community, “La cena de nochebuena” (Christmas Eve’s family dinner) is the most important event during Christmas celebration. During this special occasion, family and close friends celebrate together with typical foods and delicious deserts usually...
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...Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Cultural Diversity within the 21st Century Workplace and Its Effect on Globalization Conceptual Framework This qualitative phenomenological study was based on the aspects of the conceptual framework which incorporates two areas of knowledge, inclusive of (a) cultural diversity, which details the relationship between ethnic background, racism, sexism, and class oppression (Finch-Lee & Mabey, 2010) and (b) the glass ceiling theory, which applies to the affect on various cultural backgrounds and the advancement of future globalization (Kefela, 2010). This framework will provide an empirical structure that will serve as an analysis for the understanding of perceived cultural dimension as seen by a diverse knowledge-based workplace within the 21st century. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ethnic or racial diversity as it relates to the 21st century organizational workplace and the outcome on future globalization. Opportunities to advance within the 21st century workplace for qualified employees of various cultural background has presented to being more difficult and often those who progress are less experienced and are the majority counterparts within the organization (Kefela 2010). Traditionally, managerial practices and problems have been articulated and documented from the White man’s perspective (Billing, 2011). Perceived cultural dimension consists on how employee view the...
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...Attitudes towards Gender and Leadership Effectiveness By: Claire Duthil Attitudes towards Gender and Leadership Effectiveness Abstract This paper seeks to review and discuss the roles of gender in leadership and how they are effective. As shown from previous overviews, the evidence for sex differences in leadership behavior is still mixed, yet it is clear that these sex differences have not vanished. Although we are in the 21st century, women face hardship every day in the workplace as leaders. It is argued that sex differences in leadership styles is one of the main reasons in which male and female leaders work with different styles. Organizational factors like sex-composition of the immediate working context and hierarchical level are important moderators of leadership styles. For example, women are more likely than men to lead in a style that is effective under contemporary conditions (Eagly, Carli, 2003). To contrast these claims, Veccho claims that "women have some disadvantages in typical leadership style but suffer some disadvantages from prejudicial evaluations of their competence as leaders, especially in masculine organizational contexts" (Veccho, 2002). All in all women are rising into leadership roles at all levels. Problem Statement The society has always been in a need of effective management and efficient leaders on top. The roles of leaders determine the course and successfulness of the processes in all walks of life. In times...
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...According to Chapter one of the textbook (Schaefer, 2011), the dimension of cultural diversity groups is: racial groups, ethnicity groups, religion groups, gender groups. The other dimensions of culture diversity that also categorize other groups are set apart on the basis of age, disability status, physical appearance, and sexual orientation. These groups share five characteristics, “unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage” (Schaefer, 2011) Race group, is the group known by obvious physical differences. In society today’s, people classified, and classify others by skin color, they either Black or White. Ethnicity group are” set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns” (Schaefer, 2011) the culture traits such as language, strong belief, food, traditions, and habits make this a dominant group on the foundation of cultural. Religion and gender groups; Religion groups are associations set apart from the dominant religion and gender group, male and female are set apart on the basis of sex. “An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, common language, a common culture, religion and interest in a homeland connected with a specific geographical area, traditions, food...
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...1.0 Diversity Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1995). 2.0 Cultural diversity in workplace As the world becomes more global, it is more likely that the next person sitting close to you “belongs not to just to a different faith, but to the other part of the world as well”( Loveleena Rajeev, 2011 Buzzle.com). In our world today, where businesses or markets transcend all boundaries, cultural diversity in workplace needs to be properly understood to ensure a successful organization. In order to understand cultural diversity in workplace, it’s important to know that diversity refers to people who are culturally, racially and ethnically different from other. In this sense, people that belong to different demographic make ups and the life associated with that difference. It is also a term that not limited to physical appearances, but the ways we communicate, manage and think. There are some challenges in cultural diversity in workplace, like the rightness in conflict, judging others based of their upbringing, circumstances and religious beliefs. And also their varying ways of interpreting key words and valuing things in different ways. But there are many solutions to those problems, such as creating a common understanding among...
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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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...WEEK ONE DISCUSSION What are the dimensions 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...
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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 Cultural Diversity in Professions Chamberlain College In promoting a better understanding and importance of cultural, ethnic, and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting. It is important to be able to communicate and govern fairly in an ever and rapidly changing environment of diverse cultural personalities, morals, and gender identity. Diversity shows a desire to be empathetic to all individuals without showing favoritism or condescension. Many argue that diverse populations are more open to change and acceptance. They create more of an open and unbiased perception within the workplace. By having said that, it is easy to assume this country will become more diverse, and we will have to adapt to the different ways of life. With my experience, the healthcare field has adapted to the ever and changing societies of the world. I work at a major County hospital as a nurse; there are several units that consist of so many different types of people. Your typical, predictable patient is no longer that! There are so many traditions that involve many different cultures in those particular units. We are to be aware and recognize every aspect of cultural competence. For example, when providing care for a Muslim patient, we must remember that the gender is very specific of who can provide care. Though not ideal, the husbands of Muslim women do not permit male caregivers to care for their wives. Also, we have to be culturally competent...
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