Globalization has converted the world of business into a global village. In a business setting, it is essential to incorporate diversity. Arguably, understanding the ethnic, gender and cultural differences, helps professional and managers in ensuring productivity and efficiency among other employees. As a matter of fact, understanding diversity of customers and employees, promotes effective communication with people from different cultures, ethnic affiliation, and gender. Diversity refers to understanding, acknowledging, valuing, and accepting differences among individuals with respect to class, sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, spiritual affiliation, as well as mental and physical ability.
Large and small companies believe that understanding of diversity by managers and professionals is critical to the success of the business. There is a common base among businesses to respect, recognize, and appreciate individual differences in their suppliers, partners, customers, as well as employees, (Daft & Marcic, 2010). Understanding issues of diversity in the workplace is difficult, personally, it is like holding a ball in my hand with fist closed then held in place for a day
In the current liberalized economic environment, professionals and managers have to understand the gender, cultural, and ethnic differences. Management in such a diverse environment plays a critical role in business development and stability. Diversity is a problem in most organization, but managers and professionals who have learned to manage have become successful. In a business setting, understanding diversity enables the company to achieve competitive advantage in the world market place (Steers, Nardon, & Sanchez, 2010).
The entire goal of understanding differences in the workplace is to enable professionals and employees bring out the best talent, knowledge, abilities, and skill, for the well-being of the business as well as, employees benefits. When workforce is managed professionally, no employees in the company feel disadvantaged.
The understanding this differences influences the peaceful and harmonious relationship, among business stakeholders, and in the long-run, it leads to overall growth of the company. Furthermore, understanding creates tolerance between professionals, employees and managers, which will in turn reduce conflict in the workplace (Parvis, 2006).
Managers in the company believe that it is their obligation to ensure that the business is running smoothly. One of the vital tools towards achieving this goal is the understanding of differences in the organization (Daft & Marcic, 2010). Undoubtedly, cultural, gender and ethnic misunderstanding impedes growth and development of business, thereby making it a tremendous concern among professionals and managers. On the other hand, professionals in business are suppose to understand these differences in business, in order to broaden their organization and business proficiency in caring out transactions and business dealings with all people.
Ethnic differences in the organization present numerous creativity solutions to the businesses; hence it is necessary for managers and professionals to utilize the complexity and strengths of ethnicity for attaining business goals (Kapoor, Hughes, & Pride, 2011). Due to creative solutions from a diverse workforce, the business attains unremitting economic growth and development. In fact, understanding diversity in a business locale offers a competitive advantage through cost-effective and innovative market strategies.
In the past men were dominating the workplace, recently, women have ventured into business as well as professional jobs. With globalization in place, managers should understand gender differences, and treat all women and men equally in the workplace. A large number of women are recently joining the workforce. Global managers and professionals should be flexible towards cultural changes taking place in society (Steers, Nardon, & Sanchez, 2010).
Understanding diversity in business settings leads to employee’s satisfaction. This will be achieved through fair, equal, and dignified handling of workers by professionals and managers. It reduces absenteeism, reduces undue stress, promotes morale, as well as discrimination. Furthermore, understanding diversity, creates awareness on cultural values and background of employees; hence making it easier to motivate them.
Understanding differences in gender, culture and ethnicity, eliminates stereotype thinking by managers and professionals. This refers to a process in which, professionals, managers, and employees in the business setting, view individuals as members of a group, and ascribe information we have about the group to individual (Kapoor, Hughes, & Pride, 2011).. Therefore, understanding diversity helps managers and professionals to eliminate false assumption and faulty analysis of individuals.
Additionally, managers and professional understanding of differences in the business setting, eliminates prejudice, discrimination, and biased during recruitment of employees. Recruitment of employees should be based on merit, rather than cultural, gender or ethnic differences. Understanding diversity, leads to employment of talented, and skilled workers (Kapoor, Hughes, & Pride, 2011).
In my personal experience, the importance of misunderstanding diversity in the workplace can be compared to holding a ball in my hand with fist closed then held in a place for a day. This scenario makes management and growth of business in the company difficult. Therefore, it is essential to understand diversity in the workplace, so as to reduce stress, tension, biased and makes the workplace a place to enjoy working in.
Conclusively, it is vital for managers and professional in the business to understand the ethnic, gender and cultural differences in the entire business environment. Nowadays, many countries in the world have a diverse population. It is of the essence that employees, managers and professionals understand cultural, ethnic, and gender differences. In the 21st century, it is close to the impossibility to achieve success in a business without acknowledging the aspect of cultural, ethnic and gender differences (Parvis, 2006). It is the responsibility of managers and professionals to eliminate obstacles and reduce barriers of affecting normal running of the business. It is obvious that when we acknowledge gender, cultural and ethnic diversity in the workforce, we working towards achieving business and individual goal.
References
Daft, R & Marcic, D.(2010). Understanding Management. London Wiley.
Kapoor, R. Hughes, J & Pride, W. (2011). Business. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Parvis, L. (2006). Understanding Cultural Diversity in Today’s Complex World. New York: Lulu Press.
Steers, R. Nardon, L & Sanchez, C. (2010). Management across Cultures: Challenges and Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge Press.
