Final Application Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Application - Term Paper Example It offers an overview on the management of diversity in the workplace. The paper will focus on the general concepts of managing diversity and its advantages to an organization. Managing diversity is defined by Taylor Cox as â€Å"planning and implementing organizational systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized while its potential disadvantages are minimized† (University of California, Berkeley, 1994). Diversity among people can be with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, educational background, work experience and income. Today’s increasing globalization requires more interaction among people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Now more than ever, managing diversity becomes an important issue in the workplace. Managing diversity, in order for it to be successful requires certain skills from management. First, management must u nderstand that workforce diversity is a reality and that discrimination has its consequences. Second, managers must be able to recognize their own biases, prejudices and stereotypes. An example is in the area or recruitment where the HR manager is considering an Asian and an American for a certain job position. Although the manager is an American, he chose the Asian over the American because he was more qualified in terms of experience and educational background than the American. This case clearly illustrates that the HR manager put aside his biases/prejudices to come up with a decision that will be most beneficial to the company. Finally, managers must have the ability to recognize what will best work for the organization in terms of teamwork among its diverse employees and the dynamics of the workplace (Green, Lopez, Wysocki, & Kepner, 2008). If an organization is able to manage diversity effectively, it poses to gain several benefits. Foremost among these benefits is that it wil l be able to attract, recruit and retain people from a wide talent base. It will also reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. Management will also pave the way to develop the flexibility and responsiveness among its employees. Creativity and innovation is further enhanced by the heterogeneity of the workforce. The morale of the employees will be boosted; thereby, increasing their commitment towards the company. To illustrate, if one employee is physically disabled yet he feels that he is not discriminated and not looked down upon by his co-workers and by management, then he will be encouraged to perform his best at work because he knows that he is appreciated despite his handicap. Moreover, in this era of globalization and rapid technological advancement, a diverse workforce from all walks of life will certainly benefit the organization. One such example is when a company hired different nationalities in its sales force, their revenue incredibly increased. This was because they we re able to tap various markets and serve their clients better since their sales force understood the specific needs of their foreign clientele. To recognize diversity means understanding that people have differences and similarities which can be used for the benefit of both the individual and management. Managing diversity means that there is fairness and equality in the organization. â€Å"