Research Paper on "Management of Commination as a Result of Workforce Diversity"

Research Paper 18 pages (6038 words) Sources: 18

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Theoretical perspective of Diversity

According to Balogun (2000), diversity management is associated with both the actions taken in reviewing government structures, programs and policies in the society's perspective, and the steps adopted by decision makers and other careers officials in resolving attendant conflict. Contemporary organization theory doesn't offer a structure or framework that sufficiently captures the transactions that occur within this dynamic environment. Apart from the works that emphasize "multiple loyalties" and multiple cultures as challenges in the management of global corporations (Guetzkow, 1955; Jordan, 1971; Martin & Nakayama, 1992), there are only a handful of empirical studies that investigate diversity and its organizational impact in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, there is a need for a framework that incorporates the following diversity variables and parameters:-

a. Extent and pattern of diversity (population demographics, intergroup attitudes and relations, diversity patterns, disaggregation, tolerance levels and conflict threshold; conflict resolution approaches).

b. Diversity perception (whether diversity in the workplace is being viewed by key players as a strength or a threat; policies that reflect that diversity is "completely accepted," "perceived as a fait accompli," "just tolerated," "frowned upon," or taken with "benign neglect"; types of diversity outlawed, barely tolerated and accepted.

c. Institutional and policy measures that support or oppose diversity (e.g. laws and regulations that relate to equal opportunities, competitive bidding, set-asides, quotas, in addition to internal inconsistencies or mutual reinforcements of internal documents).

d. The effects of (a) -- (c) on group and interpersonal relations (survey of group and individual perceptions of management styles, policies, transparency and fairness in the application of rules, otherwise known as "diversity barometer" or "mood watch").

e. The consequences of (a) -- (d) for the existing "management culture" and for overall development or productivity growth (this shows the overall impact of diversity management practices on productivity and "management culture"; and

f. Remedial actions (diversity counseling and training, legislative actions and training, creation of transparent decision making mechanisms, establishment of "cultural exchange" forums (Wambui et al., 2013)

g. Cultural Perspective of Diversity

Since, the importance of workplace diversity has increased significantly; numerous organizations are researching on the cultural link between organizations and diversity, the impact of this link on diversity openness, and the effect of the link between diversity and performance at both the organizational and individual levels. According to Patrick (2010), diversity establishes not just the impact of diversity, in the organizational context but also on the level of openness, to the differences between the organization's individuals, work teams and culture. In spite of technological advances in modern communications, global relations still require the interaction between people at a personal face-to-face level. For this to be realized, one has to circumvent stereotype and language barriers. This may necessitate the eradication from the mind, words such as "alien" and the perception of people in terms of their different backgrounds. According to Simlin (2006) as one becomes older his or her perception of diversity openness narrows, and thus it is crucial to reorient older workers on why diversity openness is necessary in organizations through workshops, training, group discussions, and similar programs and initiatives. To generate links and opportunities for collaboration, international leaders must not only learn the courtesies, business protocols and customs of their counterparts in other countries but also understand the mindsets, national character and management philosophies of the people (Hofstede, 1994). Researchers, world over, have argued that diversity has improved performance via broadening an organization's perspectives. This is a strong empirical proof of a positive correlation between effective diversity management and the resulting increase in organizational productivity and performance (Ozbilgin and Tatli, 2008). However, there is also a growing amount of proof that the diversity or variety should be sought for in moderation or in a graded manner. The capability of group member's in terms of expounding diverse information can develop over time as the members familiarize with one another's perspectives and acquire a transitive memory. This implies that, it is crucial for diverse work groups to reach extended tenures and to be permitted a more extended start-up stage relative to less diverse (more homogenous) groups (Knippenberg, de Dreu, and Homan, 2004). Within multi-disciplinary groupings, particularly in the gas and oil business, expertise and skills levels in terms of performance diversity were strongly linked to the performance of the team especially at moderate diversity levels (Van Der Vegt & Bunderson, 2005).

Cultural diversity is nowadays commonplace in the corporate world; however, it is crucial to make sure that employees and managers are communicating effectively, in cases where there are cultural differences. Poor communication results in missed deadlines, personal conflicts, wrong goal assumptions and also impacts employee turnover. Real effective communication creates rapport and trust, that helps one to act on opportunities and risks, and promotes productivity and the alignment of employees to the objectives of the organization (Rana, 2013).

Language barriers should be effectively addressed since official messages may easily be misinterpreted. An employee may pretend to comprehend an official directive, yet in reality he or she may not fully understand it because of a language problem. There are quite a number of cultural differences that impact communication and there are also several ways to look at them. One way to do this is to consider the context. Cultures that rely more on non-verbal communication, settings and actions to infer meaning and less on verbal communication are referred to as high-context cultures. India, countries in the Middle East and Japan are a few examples of high context cultures. Cultures that use verbal communication more to find meaning are referred to as low context cultures. Low context cultures don't involve paying as much attention as high-context cultures do to contextual clues. Germany, the UK and the U.S. are examples of low-context cultures. One thing to note when engaging in or managing cross-cultural communications is to avoid stereotyping/generalization consciously. Although there may be a certain definition of a particular culture and its ways, that does not imply that such definitions are true of each person in that culture. Regional differences are also at play. An Asian worker from Japan, for example, has a significantly different background with one from Malaysia. Other cultural aspects that have an effect on communication in the work environment are; personal space, roles and status, and body language. In terms of roles and status between male and female employees, it affects the way a male worker relates to a female supervisor or how comfortable a female employee is when being addressed by a male senior manager (Rana, 2013).

Organizational perspective

Cadrain (2008) discusses in his book why firms are wholeheartedly embracing diversity and claims that promoting diversity is a positive motivational tool that can not only attract but also retain the best workers in addition to increasing a firm's level of competitiveness. According to Hansen (2003) companies in the United States alone spend about $8 billion dollars every year on diversity projects and associated issues. The majority of these corporations have become aware of the need and importance of maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects the multiplicity/diversity of the modern society of the 21st century. Both researchers and corporate people have pointed to communication and education as the main instruments of change in transforming the attitudes and behaviors of their staffs towards accepting and embracing diversity in the workplace. Moreover, a diverse workplace whereby employees are communicating effectively can leverage on the talents, strengths and differences in the work environment through the identification and elimination of communication barriers and maximizing the potential of the organization's employees (DeVeale & Manea, 2007). An effectively communicating diverse workforce can also play a role in; enhancing productivity, conflict or problem resolution, and facilitating innovations (Davis, 2000). It can also enable better service provision to diverse clients (Thomas & Ely, 1996). Additionally, it can help create opportunities for future competitive advantages and enhancement of growth (Roberson & Park, 2007)

Societal perspectives and cause of diversity

Several studies have linked workforce diversity to the twenty first century increase in globalization-which has greatly increased the mobility of individuals across countries as well as interdependence among international corporations. However, globalization has come with a few challenges of its own despite the immense benefits. Communication is one of the main challenges among individuals of different racial and cultural backgrounds. For instance, as authors Martin and Nakayama (2007) noted, for the majority of people, communication interactions with individuals from different cultures, races or nationalities occur most often at the workplace. Similarly Hunt (2011) and Clive (2007) argued that work environments are the only places at which people from different cultures meet and collaborate, thereby refreshing and broadening the relevancy or functions of an organization. Moreover, authors Sadri and Tran (2002) reported that improvements in terms of supervisor-worker communication would help workplaces manage cultural differences and diversity through promotion of equality and integration in the workplace. These scholars recommend two strategies for achieving enhanced supervisor-worker communication. The first strategy is the… READ MORE

How to Reference "Management of Commination as a Result of Workforce Diversity" Research Paper in a Bibliography

Related Research Papers:

Workforce Diversity in US Essay

Diversity Management

In APA Format

Diversity Management is quite complex to understand and to understand the same, a good understanding of diverse management is required first. Diverse management includes many… read more

Essay 5 pages (1462 words) Sources: 6 Style: APA Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Management Styles Different Management Styles Exist Article Review

Management Styles

Different management styles exist and are in use, with the most common in use today being Management by Objectives (MBO). Bell, Bodie & Fulk (2011) in their research… read more

Article Review 5 pages (1558 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Best Practices: Leadership and Management Research Paper

Best Practices: Leadership and Management

In this essay, the contemporary "Best Practices" that are continuing nowadays in the areas of Leadership and Management and consequently making a difference for organizations… read more

Research Paper 9 pages (2627 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Management Chapter 1-The Influence of the Project Research Paper

Management

Chapter 1-the influence of the project procurement process on the design management strategy

The client may choose one of many available methods of procurement. This may result in different… read more

Research Paper 9 pages (4029 words) Sources: 9 Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Management Theory Organizational Behavior Management Theory Article Term Paper

Management Theory

Organizational Behavior Management Theory

Article Review Scavenger Hunt

Psychology

Wilpert, B. (1995). Organizational behavior.

In his review of organizational behavior and psychology, Wilpert (1995) reviews subjects pertinent to… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1580 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA Topic: Management / Organizations

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>