DIVERSITY PROGRAM, WHY WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT A DIVERSITY PROGRAM?

 INTRODUCTION

The business case for diversity derives from the progression of the models of diversity within the workplace since the 1960s. In the United States, the original model for diversity was situated around affirmative action drawing from equal opportunity employment objectives implemented in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. From CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) point of view and extended the idea that individuals outside the dominant group should be given opportunities within the workplace, not only because it was instituted as a law, but because it was the right thing to do. Diversity is shown to bring substantial benefits such as better decision making and improved problem solving, greater creativity and innovation, which leads to enhanced product development, and more successful marketing to different types of customers. Moreover, diversity also enhances organizations' abilities to compete in global markets. Simply recognizing diversity in a corporation helps link the variety of talents within the organization.

However, knowing something is good does not mean you can do it successfully. One of the greatest challenges an organization has when trying to adopt a more inclusive environment is assimilation for any member outside the dominant group. Each time, when organizations hire or promote individuals that are not part of this dominant group into management positions, tension develops between the socially constructed organizational norm and acceptance of cultural diversity. Usually, these individuals are mentored and coached to adopt the necessary traits for inclusion into the privileged group as opposed to being embraced for their differences. Another challenge faced by organizations striving to foster a more diverse workforce is the management of a diverse population. Managing diversity is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. Here we will discuss it based on what it is, why should we use it, and most importantly, how to execute it. 

WHAT IS A DIVERSITY PROGRAM?

I reckon that it is a persisting, systemic, structural, and cultural plan or strategy to keep a business operating within a diverse beneficial environment. 

WHY WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT A DIVERSITY PROGRAM?

Employers often use diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for both compliance obligations and to increase the overall bottom line with a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, the U.S. population will be 31 percent Hispanic, 14.7 percent black, and 8.2 percent Asian by 2060. As companywide culture has become more diverse, businesses and the communities they serve become more diverse as well. A companywide diversity program is a great way to leverage the strengths of your diverse workforce.

Today, I reckon diversity initiatives must be in our must-do lists of daily operations. Not only it’s widely accepted as the right thing to do, but the reasons for cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace also go far beyond that. Many research shows that when diversity and inclusion work together, they improve the job experience for employees. But they also improve the performance of the company as a whole. According to a report by Forbes, companies ranking high in gender diversity outperform their competition by 15 percent. Moreover, workplace diversity has become an important predictor of a company’s sales revenue and profitability, according to the American Sociological Association. Diverse employees also bring a far-reaching set of life experiences and backgrounds to the table, meaning they’re often looking at life through a different lens. It is also a crucial part of a multinational company because different perspectives can open up new ways to solve challenges or address problems. 

However, it is not as easy as we think it is. Diversity isn’t just changing the complexions of workplaces across the country. It’s also changing the faces of consumers. When a business establishes itself as having a culture that fosters diversity, it becomes more attractive to minority customers. Many studies indicate that positive work environments lead to greater success. Happier employees are more productive and engaged. Employees feel valued and respected, which leads to greater collaboration and creativity. 

HOW TO DEVELOP IT?

To transform our business, a simple fix to a policy or process rarely cuts it. Instead, we look at the people, mindsets, skills, structure, and culture you have now. Diversity inclusion initiatives must start with the commitment from the top. With a commitment from top leaders in an organization to change the existing culture to one of diversity inclusion, the diversity change management process can succeed. This process includes analyzing where the organization is currently at through a diversity audit, creating a strategic action plan, gaining support by seeking stakeholder input and holding individuals accountable through measurable results. To create an effective diversity and inclusion program, the company must consider the Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion Programs, and most importantly, The Stakeholders. To achieve better outcomes, it takes hard work and certain conditions to be in place such as developing norms of cooperation and collectivistic norms, where people are focused on the good of the group instead of their own individual needs, hiring transformational leaders who inspire people to achieve their best, or train all members to be more thoughtful and open to new experiences. 

Starting with the stakeholders, customers, employees, shareholders, directors, and other stakeholders, the HR executives may also want to create a diversity council or committee composed of employees from all levels. The committee or council’s duties should include defining program goals, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and holding stakeholders accountable for outcomes. After an internal census has been conducted and all relevant data collected, areas of concern and underrepresented demographics can be identified. Then, to address diversity issues, we must review demographics such as age, sex, and ethnicity to see if each group is properly represented throughout the business. 

After all of the potential concerns have been identified, the company must try to implement diversity and create a more comfortable working environment for all employees. We can start with the changes in company policies and practices, staff training, targeted recruiting, and employer-sponsored diversity and inclusion awareness events. Apply the SMART Goals(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), we can develop an effective action plan to implement these initiatives and start with the elements that have the greatest business value or that are readily achievable to build momentum for the initiative. In addition, the company must approach the managers and equip them with messages to inform, educate, engage or empower employees where appropriate. The communication plan should incorporate executive presentations, social media posts, internal newsletters, intranet, and email communications. 

Now, the next step is to make sure that diversity and inclusion initiatives are having a positive impact, to measure the results of the programs that have been implemented such as an increased representation of identified groups and improved employee satisfaction are two of the most important metrics to track. 

REFERENCE

Atcheson, S. (2018, September 28). Embracing diversity and fostering inclusion is good for your business. Forbes. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/shereeatcheson/2018/09/25/embracing-diversity-and-fostering-inclusion-is-good-for-your-business/?sh=34c2346d72b1 

About the Author Lisa Leslie Lisa M. Leslie, & Leslie, L. L. L. M. (n.d.). What makes a workplace diversity program successful? Greater Good. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_a_workplace_diversity_program_successful 

Kokemuller, N. (2016, October 26). What are the benefits of a companywide diversity program? Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-companywide-diversity-program-69203.html 

Kokemuller, N. (2016, October 26). What are the benefits of a companywide diversity program? Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-companywide-diversity-program-69203.html 

Team, / I. B., Castro, / D., Abney, / K., & Divine, / C. (2022, January 26). 5 surprising benefits of fostering diversity and inclusion in the Workplace. Intuit®: Official Blog. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.intuit.com/blog/social-responsibility/5-surprising-benefits-of-fostering-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/ 

Individualistic or Collectivist ?

 Culture refers to the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music and is different all over the world. In addition, it also refers to values and beliefs that exist in a society. To summarize, I think it is a style of what or how we live, what we think, and how we react to others. For instance, if you greet strangers with a smile on the street, you may get very different reactions from people who come from different countries.

According to the book Business Communications for Success, by Scott McLean, people in individualistic cultures value individual freedom and personal independence. For example, Amazon's stock soared recently, triggered many online media to post articles about it to get attention. Most of them are focused on how much money the CEO Jeff Bezos is earning per day, how worthy Jeff Bezos becomes, or what percentage does Jeff Bezos increasing his rich. These newspapers authors, editors, or publishers are reflecting their cultural viewpoint.

According to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, a framework used to understand the differences in culture across countries and to distinguish between different national cultures, the dimensions of culture, and assess their impact on a business setting, Hofstede identified six categories that define culture. Collectivism vs. Individualism is part of Hofstede's identified six categories.

Culturally speaking, I reckon that I am both individualistic and collectivist, I would say that I am kind of a hybrid personally. I value the autonomy of the person and creativity but not self-reliance. Some collectivistic cultures that I have are stronger bonds to my groups. I am more likely to talk about my likes and dislikes, personal goals, or accomplishments but also likely to define myself in relation to others sometimes.

Since I am kind of a hybrid, I value the autonomy of my employee and their creativity. However, I would like to lead by example and build some collectivistic within my business. I think it is my responsibility to take care of my employee and bring them a better future. Therefore, I would hire more collectivist people since they are more attached to my organization and have more permanent attachments to it but I would also manage and train them to respect diversity. We reward good performance but this benefit is both comes from individual and group effort, not purely group or purely individual.

Personally, I think my communication pattern tends to be collectivistic with low-context languages. Because I think most of the time, relationship prevails over task. And if the relationship is bad, the task is likely to be bad as well. Although people from collective cultures tend to use high-context language which means they are sensitive to their surroundings, I think language competency and expression can strongly influence other people's understanding. With low-context languages, messages can be received more correctly. However, some adjustment is always needed to reduce the chance of conflicts.

It seems complicated at first. However, I think most of the people or events are fall somewhere in between, not purely evil or purely agreeable. Therefore, purely collectivism will limit the creativity of individuals, and purely individualism will lead to a workplace that lacks empathy and responsibility for operating a business.

Reference

Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. Corporate Finance Institute. (2020, June 1). Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/hofstedes-cultural-dimensions-theory/ 

McLean, S. (2015, November 25). 18.4 Divergent Cultural Characteristics. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/18-4-divergent-cultural-characteristics/

Organizational culture, BUS 4402

 During this first week of BUS4402, I read chapter one, two, and fifteen of the textbook. What attracted me the most is the diversity program. It may seem pretty simple at first. However, it is not as easy as we think it is. Diversity isn’t just changing the complexions of workplaces across the country. It’s also changing the faces of consumers. I reckon that it is a persisting, systemic, structural, and cultural plan or strategy to keep a business operating within a diverse beneficial environment. 

Two years ago, when I worked at a coffee shop, I have a deep experience of the reason why happier employees are more productive and engaged. One of the reasons is that they tend to be more active and less likely to quit. Although customers are one of the important stakeholders, employees are also an important part of how a company can satisfy the needs of its customers. In addition, when employees feel valued and respected, which leads to greater collaboration and creativity. In the example of the coffee shop, I found that the barista is more likely to actively practice and make better latte art. I think there is a big difference between requiring someone to do something and someone actively performing something. Employees can do one thing as good as 60% or as good as they can to make it close to 99%.

Organizational culture is also a totally new concept for me. I think many business owners start their business with purely one goal, hiring people to work for them and to make money for themselves. However, while employees start working for you, there is huge differences between fear for being fired and happy to work for you. When the boss only care about how much money his/her employees can earn and do not care much about their health, satisfaction, or happyness, his/her employees are likely to put less effort into their jobs. And, the topic made me think of a company, Dyson.

Dyson, a name that has become synonymous with vacuum cleaners and known for transforming a brilliant engineering idea into a bright success. Dyson products are sold in 45 countries of Europe, Middle East, Australia and United States. Dyson’s remarkable success can be attributed to the corporate culture that flows directly from the founder’s personality, problem solving, creativity, and innovation. The consistency in personality and the open culture embedded in the very fabric of organization where mistakes are not punished, rather valued because of a potential to be turned into success.((Ltd, Dyson Company Analysis: Industry and Culture 2021)

Reference

Ltd, A. A. (2021, December 31). Dyson Company Analysis: Industry and Culture. UK Essays. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/examining-the-rise-of-the-dyson-company-business-essay.php