TutorsGlobe Inc's blog : Role of organizational policies, practices, design, and structure in Diversity Management
Organizational policies and practices form the framework based on which workplace diversity
arising from cultural, ethnic, social and gender differences can be effectively
managed. This is because such policies provide guidelines to the leadership,
management, and employees at all the levels of organizational hierarchy to
avoid conflicts and communication gaps. This is directly related to the
motivation of employees. Theories and models such as workplace spirituality,
goal-setting theory and self-determination need to be incorporated in the
policies and operationalized through the organizational practices This would
not only teach the employees to respect their co-workers from other backgrounds
but would also encourage goal-directed behavior. Such practices are bound to
improve the motivational levels of the employees. The practice of introducing
incentives and rewards for effective work as well as training sessions on
culture and other variables such as gender in workplace diversity would also
help to overcome diversity related issues (Scarborough et al., 2019).
As
far as organizational structure and design are concerned, communication
processes, organizational culture, and organizational hierarchy play an
important role in the management of workplace diversity in an organization.
Thus, it would be immensely benefitted if there is a proper system for review
and feedback through which employees can communicate their diversity related
issues such as maladjustment and misunderstandings to the senior management.
The next important thing is to adopt is an organizational culture in which
mutual respect and tolerance of cultural differences are promoted ethically. An
effective and responsive organizational hierarchy also plays an important role
in resolving cultural conflicts and keeping employees from different
backgrounds motivated. Such an organizational hierarchy would determine the
roles and responsibilities of each employee in fostering a climate of harmony
in diversity and would guide them in case of cultural conflicts or diversity
related issues.
Overcoming communication barriers
in a diverse workplace:
There
are various reasons why communication barriers and failures arise in an organization,
which has a diverse workforce. Some of these are microaggressions, lack of
inclusiveness in communication and difficulties in interpersonal dialogues. In
his book Diversity Consciousness, Richard Bucher (2004) deals with these
problems in communication faced in diverse workplaces. Microaggression arises
from contempt for people from particular cultural backgrounds based on cultural
stereotypes about particular ethnicities or communities (Cletus et al., 2018).
It leads to disrespectful behaviour and exclusion of employees from certain
cultural backgrounds from the communication process. This also creates problems
in interpersonal dialogues in organizations with diverse workforces. For
example the head of the accounts department may have difficulty in following
what the Human Resource manager is saying if they are from different cultural backgrounds.
Such problems related to workforce diversity can be managed by following
hierarchical communication. As per such a structure, managers at different
lateral levels in the organization would be responsible for inclusive and
cordial communication in their functions as well as across the different
vertical levels of organizational hierarchy. It would also ensure that everyone
from the CEO of the organization to the team leaders in different departments
would feel collectively responsible for inclusive and cordial communication in
the organization based on mutual respect and tolerance for workplace diversity.
Online social networking for
building a diverse organization:
In
today’s’ information age we are living in a digitally connected world where
most people have access to internet and an online presence. Employees working
in different parts of the world are also in possession of digital devices
through which they can connect to others through the internet. The book
DIVERSITY CONSCIOUSNESS also deals with the issue of social capital which can
be effectively harnessed for developing a community feeling in an organization
with a diverse workforce (Guillaume et al.,2017). Through insights on
management from their societies, employees can contribute to their
organizations in terms of their individual cultures. Furthermore, social media
can be used for cross-cultural collaboration between employees from diverse
backgrounds. They can use social media to know about each other’s cultures.
This can also contribute to the collective knowledge of the entire
organization. Hence, online groups and communities can be formed on social
media platforms and employees encouraged to participate in them.
Role of leadership in managing
workplace diversity:
In the book Managing Diversity, Norma Carr-Ruffino (1998) has discussed about the role of leadership in managing workforce diversity. In the author’s opinion the first task of a leader in this respect is to ensure that the needs of all employees are equally and adequately met without delay within a certain time period. Second a leader in a diverse organization must also provide equality of opportunity and participation in bottom-line efforts (Tamunomiebi, & John-Eke, 2020). These actions on part of the leader would also decrease resistance to change in as all employees irrespective of their background would feel that they are an integral part of the organization.
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