Inclusion and Diversity at Apple Computers
Inclusion and Diversity at Apple Computers
As globalization impacts continue to be felt by organizations, demographics change, equal opportunity laws are passed and the need for a pool of wide variety of talent for innovation grows, most organizations are compelled to embrace workplace diversity and inclusion. Managing diversity effectively and creating an inclusive working environment that recognizes and respects individual differences in the human capital have become a significant strategy for productivity and competitiveness (Biesler & Sezerelb, 2012). Diversity management is all about the recognition of ethnic, cultural, physical ability and racial differences in the members of an organization’s workforce, dealing appropriately with cases of workplace discrimination and the promotion of inclusiveness (Harvey & Allard, 2014). Diversity and inclusivity within an organization offer a myriad of benefits to an organization. For instance, with a diverse human resource, creativity, innovation, teamwork and job satisfaction are encouraged which leads to improved work performance and hence organizational performance (Stevens, Plaut & Sanchez-Burks, 2008). An organization that values and promotes diversity through its website platform is more likely to attract a pool of qualified employees thus giving it a competitive advantage over other enterprises. One of the most effective ways through which it can be ascertained whether or not an organization promotes or has comprehensive workplace diversity is by looking at the information available in their online website. This paper looks specifically at the nature and scope of inclusion and diversity at Apple Computers by examining their website.
However, a company’s diversity level may be looked at using the primary and secondary dimensions of inclusion and diversity. The primary dimension factors for evaluating diversity include age, gender, mental or physical abilities, race, ethnic heritage and sexual orientation. On the other hand, the secondary assessment factors include the geographic location, family status, income, religion, first language, military or work experience, organizational role, work styles and level of communication. It is how well an organization’s internal structure and website reveals these dimension that tells whether or not the organization is inclusive and diverse. According to Mattiske (2011), workforce diversity is the mix of employees within an organization contributed to by factors such as age, marital status, race, sexual orientation, religion and disability (p. 4). According to this author, an organization is said to be inclusive when it embraces a policy of diversity within its workforce that encourages inclusivity and openness that can enable it to have accessibility to a pool of talented employees. Further, the author states that an inclusive and diverse workforce is one whereby there is equal, respectful and fair treatment of each and every employee in terms of promotions, recruitments, job training, salary and other opportunities and decisions thereto. According to this author, the main challenge today to most organizational managers, leaders and even employees is how to build or create an inclusive and diverse workplace that transcends the organization’s policy statement on diversity and tolerates no act or behavior that is antithetical to workforce equality, respect and fairness. Mattiske (2011) further states the benefits of inclusion and diversity in the business setting as being maximization of productivity, sustainability and growth of business due to merited selection and promotion, reduction in the costs of training, reduction in intellectual capital loss due to departure of valued employees; minimization on staff turnover, reduction in the costs of litigation and adverse publicity and savings on the costs of recruitment.
Usefulness of Diversity Related Material
The diversity related information available on an organization’s website is useful in a variety of ways to its customers, employees and suppliers. According to Mattike (2011), to the employees, workforce diversity enables them to work productively in an enabling environ, increase their awareness of the promotion process and enables employees to develop their human potential on an equality basis. The information enables them to make important decisions about their future stay in the organization such as whether or not to continue working for the organization or to leave. To customers, diversity related information is important in that it enhances productivity and hence through creativity and innovation thus customers get quality products (Apple, 2016a). Additionally, diversity information on a company’s website leads to customer satisfaction with the organization’s activities, services and products To the suppliers, diversity and inclusion in an organization is important in that it provides them with a way of gauging the competitiveness and attractiveness of the organization (Stevens, Plaut & Sanchez-Burks, 2008)). The diversity material is related to the organization’s business case for diversity, core values and mission in that it seeks to create an impression that Apple computers is a corporate company that values fairness, openness and respect for equality as a human right. Furthermore, it is related to the company’s mission of leading innovation hub in the electronics industry and hence showing its current and future mission.
Appropriateness of the Apple Computers’ Diversity Related Graphics
The photographs and graphic material that relate to diversity and inclusion in Apple Computer’s website are appropriate in that they reflect the company’s employees from diverse cultural backgrounds working together as a team. It is also related to the verbal content of the company’s statement on diversity and the photographs have not been repeated. As a potential employee, customer or supplier, I might have the perception that the company is not very keen on diversity given that the information about diversity in its website is too inadequate as to show that they are serious about diversity. I therefore think that even though it has tried to put up a diversity statement on its website, that information is not easily accessible to potential customers, employees and suppliers. One would therefore have to second guess before making a decision on whether or not to apply for a job with this company.
According to Shen, Chanda, D’Netto and Monga (2009), certain internal management issues can have serious impacts on the prominence that an organization gets or does not get on the organization’s website. These issues include employee relationship management, inclusion culture and human resource management in general. This is the case because, where an organization fails to properly deal with these issues, it is less likely to succeed in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce since it is these issues that underpin the culture of inclusivity and diversity.
There are no diversity awards that are listed on the company’ s website, further showing that Apple Computers’ diversity level and commitment are still less advanced. The company should come up with a way of promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion by rewarding its managers and employees who have taken positive steps towards ensuring diversity and inclusion norms are established and promoted in their various departments and the whole organization. Communicating diversity information through an engaging and consistent internet message helps in supporting buy-in and enhancing the value of an organization and the diversity policy.
Lastly, on the basis of the foregoing audit of Apple Computers Company, before making any application for a job with Apple, one will have to have sufficient information about the extent to which the diversity and inclusion dimensions or criteria are taken into account in the recruitment process. The perceptions I might have of this company before making such a decision to set foot on its premises are that diversity and inclusion, though well brought out in its statement, are not put in practice. However, I will proceed to apply for the job with the assumption and hope that the company’s selection process is based on fairness, merit and equality of opportunity. According to Wambui, Wagombe, Muthura, Kamau and Jackson (2013), an organization should manage diversity by developing recruitment strategies that emphasize on the need for diversity, training recruitment personnel, enforcing and modelling cultural and racial sensitivity through diversity training of managers, seeking feedback from management and staff on progress made, encouraging teamwork and free communication in the organization and breaking barriers to diversity (p. 220).
Conclusion
In summary, based on the above audit of Apple Computers, it is evident that though the company has a vibrant and comprehensive policy on inclusion and diversity, the level of prominence and accessibility of this information is unsatisfactory. According to Harvey and Allard (2014), a company’s web site should be designed in such a way that it is easy for everyone to access material related to diversity and inclusion at a glance or by simply searching on its website. However, from the statement and photographic information available, the primary diversity dimensions such as age, gender, ethnic heritage, race and sexual orientation are promoted by the company’s website. Apple Computers should therefore consider investing more on workforce diversity and inclusivity in order to reap the benefits associated with them. Its belief that people from diverse racial, gender and cultural backgrounds should be given the opportunity to pursue their future dreams needs to be reflected in its website.
References
Apple. (2016a). Inclusion inspires innovation. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from http://www.apple.com/diversity/
Apple. (2016b). Diversity-What we are doing today: The future of tech isn’t a product. It’s people. Retrieved February 15,2016, from http://www.apple.com/diversity/tomorrow/
Besler, S., & Sezerelb, H. (2012). Strategic diversity management initiatives: A descriptive study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal, 58, 624-633. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from www.sciencedirect.com
Harvey, C. P., & Allard, M. J. (2014). Understanding and managing diversity: Readings,cases and exercises. New York: Pearson College Division.
Mattiske,C. (2011). Understanding and managing diversity: Manager and employee toolkit for an inclusive workplace. (2011). Rozelle & Sydney: The Performance Pty Ltd.
Shena, J., Chanda, A., D’Netto, B., & Monga, M. (2009, February). Managing diversity through human resource management:An international perspective and conceptual framework. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(2), 235-251.
Stevens, F. G., Plaut, V. C., & Sanchez-Burks, J. (2008, March). Unlocking the benefits of diversity: All-inclusive multiculturalism and positive organizational change. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 116-133.
Wambui, T. W., Wangombe, J. G., Muthura, M. W., Kamau, A. W., & Jackson, S. M. (2013, December). Managing workplace diversity: A Kenyan perspective. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(16), 199-217. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_4_No_16_December_2013/19.pdf
