MARKETING AFRICA MAL 18/17 mal 18:17 online | Page 84
LEADERSHIP
EMPLOYEE
DIVERSITY
By Dr. Kellen Kiambati
D
iversity in the workplace
means bringing together
people of different ethnic
backgrounds, religions and
age groups into a cohesive and
productive unit. Advances in
communication technology, such
as the Internet and cellular phones,
have made the marketplace a
more global concept. In order to
survive, a company needs to be able
to manage and utilize its diverse
workplace effectively. Managing
diversity in the workplace should
be a part of the culture of the entire
organization.
Workplace diversity refers to the
variety of differences between
people in an organization. Diversity
encompasses race, gender, ethnic
group, age, personality, cognitive
style, tenure, organizational
function, education, background
and more. Diversity not only
involves how people perceive
themselves, but how they perceive
others. Those perceptions affect
their interactions.
For a wide assortment of employees
to function effectively as an
organization, human resource
professionals need to deal
effectively with issues such as
communication, adaptability and
change. Diversity will increase
significantly in the coming years.
Successful organizations recognize
the need for immediate action
‘‘ Organizations employing a diverse
workforce can supply a greater variety of
solutions to problems in service, sourcing,
and allocation of resources. Employees from
diverse backgrounds bring individual talents
and experiences in suggesting ideas that are
flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and
customer demands. ’’
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and are ready and willing to spend
resources on managing diversity in
the workplace now.
Reasons for Managing Diversity
The changes in the employee
market suggest most employers will
need to develop their recruitment
and retention strategies to achieve
their organizational goals.
The changes in the domestic
and global market suggest that
companies need to understand
diversity to succeed in their
business and meet their customers’
needs
Valuing diversity creates an
environment where everyone is
respected and valued for their
contributions to the organization`s
success
Key Components of a Successful
Diversity Initiative
•
Executive level commitment
partnering with HR and
championing this kind of change
initiative is critical to its
credibility and long-term
success.