Managing diversity in organizations and workplaces

Managing Diversity

Managing diversities

In any given organization, a leader must be present. It is through his or her guidance that the activities of the organization are influenced towards the achievement of the organizations set goals. At the same time, the people in the organization are from different backgrounds hence emergence of diversity. It is with the coordination of the leader that the organization realizes the means to manage these diversities and enhance harmony within the workplace so as to realize the set goals. The other issue that rises in the workplace is that of gender. For many years the man has been given the superior position and the woman looked as at only a subordinate. In the contemporary world it is evident that even women can portray effective leadership positions and steer organizations to the desired directions. This paper discusses questions that influence leadership based on cultural values, gender and how to manage diversities in order to provide equal opportunity within the work place.

relationship between cultural values about effective leadership

Leadership refers to the process of influencing any given organized group or system towards achieving its goals. Cultural values are what the society regards as standards for what is right or wrong. In the society we get to learn to think how things ought to be or how we ought to behave in relation to qualities such as openness, honesty and integrity. Effective leadership is the ability to steer ones belief in something, and engagement of one's vision and ideas for the good of many Terrell and Lindsey 121()

The first step of how cultural values are related to beliefs about effective leadership involves identifying and making clear what values one admires the most and wish to incorporate within the organization. For any company or individual, values such as respect for others, entrepreneurship, innovation, profitability and market leadership are some of the values that top the list. The second step is the implementation of the identified values in order of priority in regard to ones position in employment and in life. This determines the approach one chooses to lead life. As a leader, one must understand the emotions that run his/her life and the lives of those around you. We all have basic assumptions and automatic responses related to our cultural context. Based on these assumptions, beliefs and values we learn to portray a given attitude expressed through behavior. By developing positive beliefs we develop thoughts that determine whether we lead a positive, healthy and longer life.

Cultural values are related to belief about effective leadership in that we are able to develop skills to provide direction and motivate others to follow. It is all about empowering the following team to achieve the shared vision of the future that is clearly communicated to them. An effective leader will show respect, have good listening skills, takes responsibility for his/her action, practices honesty and integrity, and is objective and acts in a selfless manner. Common beliefs about effective leadership include that the skills are acquired and therefore anyone can become a leader so long as you believe in yourself, and it can be exercised from whichever position one is within the organization as it is not related to the title one holds. Effective leaders do the right thing and have the will power to achieve the desired goal. In short, an effective leader inspires, appreciates and respects others.

influence of cultural values on leader behavior

Cultural values can influence leader behavior because what is expected of them vary considerably as an outcome of cultural forces within the regions in which they function. For example, people in America appreciate the kind of leaders who delegate authority to his/her juniors and gives opportunity for autonomy and also the kind of leader who is confident, forceful and risk taking. On the other hand, Arabs worship their leaders and Malaysians expect their leader to behave in a manner that is modest, dignified and humbled. Rapid globalization implies that there is greater need to understand cultural influences on leadership behavior so as to be able to deal effectively with situations that constantly changing, complex and difficult to interpret within the organization.

Cultural values influence the extent to which the behaviors of an individual with the cultures are enacted and the extent to which they are viewed as acceptable, legitimate or effective. This is evident whereby the founders of organizations are immersed in their own cultures and are more likely to portray behavior patterns that are considered favorable by the given culture. They established the original organizational cultures. Their influence on their juniors and the leaders that follow is by use of selective management criteria, socialization and role modeling. Therefore the behaviors and attributes of leaders are a reflection of societal cultures. Leader effectiveness is a function of the interaction between leader behavior and attributes and organizational contingencies. To effectively influence others, the leader must also be socially accepted for he/she stands for what is considered to be socially acceptable Terrell and Lindsey 123()

Technological developments and other changes in the environment, has also brought about cross cultural interactions, hence changes in culture are most likely to occur so as to introduce new competitive forces and create new experiences. These new behaviors and practices when put into action will constitute new common experiences. This will in turn result in psychological changes within the society that influence any cultural variables that existed before. Certainly, if the new behaviors violate the expected norms, the society will resist the new leader whom is seen to behave in a manner that is inconsistent with the society's perception.

management of diversity and provision of equal opportunities

The 21st century is characterized by an information society which is concerned with diversity in a global context. Diversity refers to the difference in experiences brought about by the difference in cultures, race, age, gender, physical or mental abilities and other characteristics that influence our personalities. By being a leader in any given organization, it is ones duty to develop systems and practices that maximizes the advantages of the variety within the workforce. One needs to acknowledge and value the socio-cultural differences within the organization and encourage continued contribution within the inclusive cultural context so as to empower all within the society. Effective management of the diversities results in profits for the organization as the aspects of time and money will be saved Yukl 56()

The process of managing diversity involves developing an organizational culture. This includes writing a non-discrimination policy statement explaining the organization's view of not discriminating based on culture, race, religion and other diversities. This is then followed by a zero tolerance policy whereby the organization states that it would not tolerate inappropriate jokes and offensive terms. For the policies that already exist, the organization should ensure that they impact positively on the different groups and if necessary should be revised to include all groups existing. The diversity assessment should also be read so as to develop programs that address the needs of the workforce.

The developed culture is then to be implemented by the leaders and employees. This is done by scheduling a meeting with the leaders, reviewing the policies and clear explanation of how each leader is expected to enforce and monitor the implementation of the policies and culture within their respective departments. The employees must also have an insight of the existing policies and the consequences of not adhering to them. New employees upon being hired should also be aware of the company's policies. To ensure the above is observed, keep records of the employee's signatures upon copies of the policies. The final stage of managing diversity is to have a screening committee that ensures applicants in within the organization are selected objectively. Provide the employees with the opportunity to give suggestions on ways to improve the company's culture and implement the ideas that are most likely to impact positively. Leaders and staff should be regularly monitored to ensure adherence to the laid out policies. This can be enhanced by performing regular random assessments of the departments Press 77()