Management and Workplace Diversity: Challenges and Goals

Managers in today’s business world face a daunting challenge with regard to workplace diversity. They need to know how to manage an intercultural workforce, encouraging change, communication and acceptance, while making sure the organization does not lose sight of its own business goals and its own customers. Large corporations need to balance internal diversity while making its public consumers aware of their ability to reach a diverse audience. Managers today also face the fact that they may identify with minority group in one way or another themselves, whereas twenty years ago their identity with said group would not have been as prevalent. Women managers find themselves in roles that were traditionally male, for example, and so they are forced to identify first as a woman, secondly as a manager. The same might hold true for a manager who was homosexual, disabled, of Asian descent, etc.

After reading the class materials and taking into account my own experiences in “Corporate America,” I believe the most important skill future leaders should master is to bring out the best in people. At first glance, this skill seems rather trite and lacking the global vision the other possess. I argue this is the only skill that would matter in any organization, in any culture, or in any country. As the Global Paradox article discusses, we are in the midst of identity crises all the time, and leaders today who use the old bureaucratic hierarchy to manage people lose credibility with today’s workers. An identity crisis means “this is the opportunity for new ideas and new leadership.” The article also mentions that cultural affiliations are becoming more important than professional associations. An organization limited to beliefs based on company-centric thinking sees only what was possible based on the company itself, whereas an individual-centric organization focuses on the potential of the individual employees and celebrates their diversity in all it forms. Learning what makes workers tick and what is important to them is based on many factors, including their company commitment but most importantly their cultural background.

A snapshot of a work team might reveal a worker who believes hard work leads to financial rewards; worker who values internal communication over material benefits; a worker who is personal time sensitive and who leaves work on time, and another who thinks that worker is not committed to their work because they don’t put in 80 hours a week. A good leader would recognize and encourage diverse but fair styles of work, and appeal to each of these workers’ sense of what is important. It is important to note that if workers need a sense of hierarchy and direct leadership, then that should be addressed as well. Not every worker believes in flex time, sensitivity and communication. One example would be the situation described in the “Power Distance-London” example of how an executive tried to intervene in the British standard office channels. It is also important to remember that employees themselves have to learn to relate to one another under a successful leadership. A manager can encourage employees to relate based on similarities as well as differences, whether in culture, ethnicity, gender, etc. Without this element a leader cannot be successful, but he or she must still keep in mind the company goals and views while allowing employees to interact on a more personal level. A successful leader reveals to their employees what is important to one another on a group level, and teaches them how to make their individual beliefs into workplace strengths on the individual level. A leader, lastly, must be aware of his or her own value orientations and how they can strengthen not only their team but their company. A VP of Operations who shares the American-type “doing” orientation (Adler, 2002) will succeed with workers who want the job done on time, need someone to take ownership of projects, and who work best by being controlled and followed through the various project steps. An Operations Manager who follows a “being” oriented way of work lets their employees figure issues out on their own terms, allows projects to mature at their own pace and accepts their natural conclusion. Either method can be argued as the best, depending on the reaction of the employees to their manager’s style and their willingness to either accept the way things are or to take ownership more aggressively. A successful leader will also make their work style known, but also should know and mirror the style of work their job position, or company, dictates.

References

Adams, Bob (1996) Small Business Start-Up: Your comprehensive guide to starting and managing a business. Cincinnati, OH: Adams Media.

Adler, N. J. (2002). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western. Class Material highlights: How to think like a CEO for the 90’s; Global Paradox; Perception of the world case studies.