MGT 301 Organizational Behavior For Culture and Diversity

Write an essay about the differences in Culture and Diversity at workplace. Use examples, peer-reviewed journals to support your answer.

Answer:

“Essay on Differences in Culture and Diversity at Workplace”

Cultural Diversity refers to the variety of cultures and religions in a society or a community or in the world as a whole. The aspect of cultural diversity unites people from different part of the world under the same roof. Diversity refers to the mixture of diverse nature of people in the society. Diversity is of different types like, age, sex, religion, gender, income level, culture etc. In the perspective of an organization, diversity can be good or bad, as people that can manage diversity at workplace, this feature give wonders to them. However, if the management do not manages the workplace issues adequately then the company might face problems due to diversity (Manning 2017). Managing workplace diversity has become one of the most increasingly debated topic in the workplace management that outlines the aspects of globalization, change in demographics and differences between individuals as well. This issue has become one of the most significant that the companies need to tackle so as to adequately manage the growth of the company. Employees are the biggest asset for an organization and if those employees do not work effectively at workplace then they can become biggest burden for the organization as well (Rao, and Tilt 2016).

However, the companies should not afraid of using the process of culture diversity in their business just for the sake that they will not be able to manage it. Diversity is an important concept that is important for the companies to adopt as it provides various benefits to the organization using it in the environment. The biggest benefit of diversity is that it helps the companies in providing competitive advantage in the target market. In the process of diversity, diverse minds having diverse thinking and cultural background come together under one roof and share their ideas and though process. This process eventually bring innovative and positive outcomes for the organization. Resulting in which, productivity for the company subsequently increases. Further, workplace diversity strategy engages the employees to the maximum extent in the functions of the company. It increases the employee commitment towards the company that potentially helps in increasing the productivity of the organization (Salas, et. al., 2015).

Further, a place with wider talent pool generates more innovative and creative ideas in the environment. This process also helps in the process of globalization as it makes the people to shift from one part of the world to other for the purpose of job. The people and companies get to know about the culture of other countries by employing expatriates in the business. The process of diversity also provides a larger customer base to the companies in the target market as the employees of the company attract people from their native region that subsequently increases employment and sales for the company as well (Hislop, Bosua, and Helms 2018).

Further, the fact should be noted that there are many challenges faced by the workforce while initiate diversity in the organization. One of the biggest barrier faced by companies in initiating diversity practice is language and communication issue. For instance, an employee coming from China will face difficulty in understanding and adopting the language spoken by the people living in Australia, due to which the employee will feel left along. The feeling of left along will make them face cultural shock due, to which they will leave the organization and subsequently shift back to their native place only. It is very important to have a common language with which employees can communicate with each other and understand each other as well (Luthans, Luthans, and Luthans 2015). Further, in order to understand, it is very important to similar understanding between people as well. Difference in cultural background also gives rise of conflicts at workplace. If one culture contradicts to the beliefs of other culture then ultimately employees having the diverse cultural influences within them will face difficulty in communicating with each other and agreeing on each other’s terms. Thus, it will result in conflicts which will ultimately affect the growth of the company in the target market. The process of diversity give rise to competition but in a negative manner as the employees will that they will not work under any person that do who not understand their culture and belief. Differences in the environment create conflicts as it make people face difficulty in understanding each other’s point of view of each other (Scott 2015).

What's more, most authoritative changes include decent variety segments. An authoritative upgrade, for instance, may join works that have beforehand been discrete, for example, advertising and assembling. Positively, promoting and producing have two unmistakable "societies" and an effective overhaul needs to focus on those social issues included. Decent variety offers both the point of view and the innovation to manage these intercultural issues, regardless of whether they are activated by updates, mergers, or worldwide developments. It has been contended that decent variety can possibly decrease gather cohesiveness and increment struggle in groups and among representatives and chiefs (Sarooghi, Libaers, and Burkemper 2015). Specifically, social decent variety among workers has been observed to be tricky. Socially assorted representatives have diverse feelings, convictions, standards, traditions, qualities and conventions and when such specialists are put in a gathering setting to accomplish a hierarchical objective with shared exertion and coordinated effort, these distinctions of perspectives and convictions can possibly thwart the advancement of solidarity. A few investigations have additionally demonstrated this can likewise prompt lessened staff assurance and profitability (Bolman, and Deal 2017).

Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned event, it should be noted that there are varied differences in culture and diversity as work. This aspect is looked as the companies present in the market face difficulty in managing innovation. However, apart from disadvantage, there are many benefits that the company can make use of by utilizing this diversity aspect in the business. 

References

Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. US: John Wiley & Sons.

Hislop, D., Bosua, R. and Helms, R., 2018. Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press.

Luthans, F., Luthans, B.C. and Luthans, K.W., 2015. Organizational Behavior: An EvidenceBased Approach. IAP.

Manning, K., 2017. Organizational theory in higher education. UK: Routledge.

Rao, K. and Tilt, C., 2016. Board composition and corporate social responsibility: The role of diversity, gender, strategy and decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(2), pp.327-347.

Salas, E., Shuffler, M.L., Thayer, A.L., Bedwell, W.L. and Lazzara, E.H., 2015. Understanding and improving teamwork in organizations: A scientifically based practical guide. Human Resource Management, 54(4), pp.599-622.

Sarooghi, H., Libaers, D. and Burkemper, A., 2015. Examining the relationship between creativity and innovation: A meta-analysis of organizational, cultural, and environmental factors. Journal of business venturing, 30(5), pp.714-731.

Scott, W.R., 2015. Organizations and organizing: Rational, natural and open systems perspectives. UK: Routledge.