Personal Nutrition Plan
The ever-increasing nature of the world today has promoted interaction among people with different backgrounds and places in all sectors of the society. People are constantly moving out to different places in search of new opportunities especially in the carrier part of their lives. This calls for coexistence in the place of work despite the cultural diversity of the people working together. This is due to the fact that the world business sector is equipped with unlimited opportunities for all the societies of the world today. Nevertheless the subject of cultural diversity in the workplace has come with its share of problems in most of the multicultural states of the world today (CONNOLLY, 2007). The problems that come with cultural diversity in the work place are placed squarely on the shoulders of the organization management to solve as well as find the relevant solutions that will promote peaceful co-existence among all employment in bid to optimize performance in the work place.
In the recent times Ireland has experience the effect of globalization directly due to the intense immigration of foreigners into the country. The work place of Ireland has a good percentage of the immigrant society. The cultural diversity in the workplace of Ireland has brought about a remarkable number of challenges and the employers on the other hand are put in a place of having to come up with effective strategies of how to deal with the problems presented due to diverse nature of the identity, backgrounds and cultures of the organization’s employees. This is because it has become necessary for the employers to manage the obvious diversity of the cultural as well as the working in terms of the backgrounds of the employees.
The employers of the multicultural Ireland have come in terms with the fact that diversity management entails more than mere acknowledgement of the fact that the employees in an organization differ in more than one way (CONNOLLY, 2007). It is clear that diversity management involves a lot to do with; realizing as well as appreciating the values in differences among the employees, fighting discrimination in all sectors of sectors of work, as well as setting up efficient strategies to facilitate the management of diversity in the workplace.
Communication and ethical challenges
The multicultural Ireland employers are faced with communication challenges as well as ethical related problems in relation of to their foreign employees. Most employees from the foreign countries have limited knowledge of the Irish language this presents a problem in terms of ease in communication with their employers as well as the other employees in the place of work. The different cultures of the world have their own defined ethical as well as moral values which may be unknown to the employers in the work place. The foreign employees may end up feeling left out as well as disrespected, this may result in underperformance in the terms of their respective places of work as well as the development of defensive mechanism among the foreign employers hence affecting the general performance of the organization as it strains communication as well as the relationship among the employees as well as the relationship between the employees with their employers. It is therefore up to the employers to ensure the establishment of strategies that facilitate communication within the organization as well as recognize and appreciate the different ethical value of the multicultural employees.
Considering all the different problems in the workplace of multicultural Ireland, the employers are faced with a big challenge to deal with all these problems as well as to ensure the employees work together in order to maximize and utilize the organization’s capability in production sector. The issues of discrimination and communication barriers have proven to be the biggest challenge of all. Moreover, in bid to establish equality in the work place and facilitate communication among workers and the employers have no alternative than to face the challenges involved and come up with a well defined strategy that will address the problems and enhance peaceful co-existence and understanding among all employers irrespective of their cultural backgrounds.
Discrimination
The multicultural Ireland employers have had to deal with the issue of discrimination among the employees in the organization. As much as the employers have tried to educate the employees on the importance and of multicultural society as well as the need to co-exist, a small group of the indigenous workers have always refused to embrace the fact that the society is changing and the to accept the change in the cultural make-up in the work place. They view their fellow employees from the foreign countries as intruders in their work place. This may lead to ill treatment as well as general discriminatory deeds among themselves. In addition the employees from different cultures may hold different views on the matters concerning gender equality. This fact may lead to other workers mistreating the women workmates or perhaps being disrespectful of their women counterparts in the work place (CONNOLLY, 2007). This is due to the fact that some of the world’s cultures still hold backward and outdated values that are defined in such as undermine and oppress the women in the society due to the fact that the men are brought up in such a way as to consider themselves superior to women.
The matters turn to be worse when a member of the management possesses questionable characteristics associated with biasness or perhaps discriminatory activities. This may be reflected in such actions as favoring a particular group of people openly or perhaps treating the employees differently based on their cultural backgrounds. It is therefore the duty of the employers to ensure that the employees respect each other as well as the establishment of equal treatment for all employees.
Implementing workplace policies to embrace diversity
The managers as well as the advocates of matters of diversity are faced with a potential overriding challenge of implementation of diversity in the policies relating to the work place. It is a matter of clear knowledge that by training programs alone, the organization can not address sufficiently the matters concerning the management of the diversity in the workplace. It therefore becomes of necessity for the organization to set up strategies that are implemented with the aim to establish a multicultural situation that allows optimum functioning of the company in every department of the workplace (CONNOLLY, 2007). It is becomes necessary therefore for the employers to carry our research so as to attain the relevant information that will equip the employers with the necessary for the employers to customize as well as build the strategies that will see to it that the diversity effect is maximized in the respective organizations and the workplace at large.
Measurements taken to accommodate diversity
The managers of the global organizations are well equipped with the knowledge of the importance of variety of skills in the establishment of a successful workforce in a work place with cultural diversity among the organization’s employees. The employers in any given organization are dedicated to do whatever it takes for the survival of their organization as well as to maintain optimum productivity of the company. In order to achieve the desired results the employers today have had to search for ways of encouraging peaceful co-existence among its multicultural employees as well as implement strategies that accommodate the factor of diversity in the work place as well as promote the matters of equality in terms of opportunities for all employees in the work place. This is achieved through the efforts of the employers to understand the subject of diversity and discrimination while at the same time give relevant consideration for the consequences of both. However, it is a point worth taken for the employers to understand as well as realize that as a matter of fact, being fair does not necessarily mean that equality is maintained in the workplace as there is always an exception for the laid down rules.
Understand discrimination
In order to accommodate diversity and equality in the work place, managers should put themselves in a position to understand discrimination that takes place in the place of work. It is important for the employers to take note that discrimination does not affect a certain group of people but it affects the different people on an individual level (O'CONNOR, 2009). This is because of the fact that each and every person in the work place is unique in a special way and does not represent any particular group of people at any given time. Through understanding of this fact the employer is able to address the cultural related problems at an individual level.
Self-examination for the employers to detect personal discriminating character
The employers are expected to carry out self examination on a regular basis for any personal establishes biasness in the place of work. This is because it is necessary for the employers and organization managers to be free of discriminatory influence if at all they are to establish a health diversity environment in the work place as well as promote equality among all employees. There exists a pressing need for the employers in the today organization to better understand the importance of teamwork as well as the dynamic nature of the workplace in order to manage well diversity in the place of work (BRADY, 2009). The employer should establish a work situation that involves each member of the organization irrespective of the employees’ culture, background as well as their ethical values.
Promotion of personal awareness among the employees
The employees in Ireland have set up personal awareness program that involves all the employees of the workplace in bid to create a successful workforce in a diverse world of business. The awareness programs enable the employees to understand their personal value to themselves as well as in relation to the society (O'CONNOR, 2009). The awareness programs also give the employees a chance to understand each other as well as appreciate each other as well as embrace diversity as a positive aspect of life. In this light it is of uttermost importance for the organization to undertake, implement as well as maintain constant training at all time in bid to model the people’s behavior.
Eradicating discrimination among employees
The employers in Ireland have set up well defined
rules that discourage the practice of discrimination among the employees. In addition the employees are educated on the importance of cultural diversity in the work place (O'CONNOR, 2009). All employees are placed under one office with the establishment of social recreational activities for all employers so as to enable the people from different cultural backgrounds to interact freely in bid to establish a state of understanding as well as appreciation among the employees for the different culture of the world today. This is done to aid in helping the employees understand that each culture is different and unique in its own well and to establish relationship with each other at a personal level and not on the grounds of cultural values and diversity as a whole.
Enhancing communication
Communication is a very important factor in any given place especially in the work place. In order to established healthy working environment as well as to manage a diverse workforce, the employers in Ireland have established well defined strategies to enhance communication in the workplace (Humbert, 2010). All the communication barriers are dealt with and eradicated so as to promote communication, not only among the employees but also between the employees and their employers. Effective communication promotes understanding among the workmates. Through communication, the employees can comfortably air their concerns to the management and talk freely about the problems they face in the workplace be it discriminatory, or perhaps other diversity related matters that need to be tabled.
It is also through communication that the employers can manage the diverse workforce. Through communication the employees in Ireland can understand as well as appreciate each other through the establishment of healthy relationships among the employees in the workplace. The mutual understanding among the employees of a given organization will definitely improve the performance of that particular organization in the world of business. The state of understanding among the employees keeps in check such negative issues such as; discriminatory attitudes, hatred against members of a certain race, religion or perhaps gender based discriminatory activities (BRADY, 2009). The existence of such negative factors among the employees at the workplace will definitely work against team work as well as forms s barrier against cooperation among the employees of the organization in attempt to achieve a specific set goal of the organization.
It is therefore an issue of common knowledge to the employees that managing diversity in the workplace in Ireland entails much more than the mere practice of equality among employees and focusing on the affirmative action. Managing a multicultural workplace has a lot to do with skills as well as well set strategies. It has a lot to do with focusing on the employees at an individual level (Humbert, 2010). It involves addressing the social needs of each particular employer and it has a lot to do with interaction and friendship among the people working together. In order for the managers and the employers to manage cultural diversity in the multicultural Ireland they must be willing and able to understand, care, as well as address the individual need of each employee without bias irrespective of their identity or perhaps background.
The results of the employment equality act of 1998and 2004
The employment equality act of 1998 and2004 were implemented with the intension of eliminating discrimination in the different places of work of the all employees with no regard at all to their nationality. The decisions made by the equality tribunal with the unwavering support of thelabour court were to establish a working environment that focuses on equality for all the employees of all organizations and businesses in Ireland (BRADY, 2009). The equality matters were to be addressed in three category namely; the Gender Equal Treatment Framework that focused mainly with the elimination of the gender based discrimination activities, the Race Directive focused on equal treatment of people irrespective of their race, as well as the Framework Employment Directive which focused on the general treatment of all people in their different workplaces. The Employment Directive was set up to defend the minorities including the minority group of the people with disability, as well as the setting up of directions in order to protect the vulnerable group from harassment in the work place.
The Gender Equal Framework
Through the implementation of the Gender Equal Framework, the employment equality act has made big stride towards eradication of gender based discrimination in the workplace as the set rules have brought about a considerable improvement in the equal treatment of all of employees in the workplace irrespective of their gender identity (BRADY, 2009). The women workers who had been subjected to unfair treatment were for the first time given consideration and protected due to the success of the employment equality act.
Employment Equality Act
The Employment Equality Act has faced great success in the elimination of discrimination in the workplace. This has seen the cases of sexual harassment in the place of work reduced to an insignificant level in addition victimization acts as well as appropriate treatment of all employees has been realized. The employment equality act has achieved a great deal of success in the protection of the minority group in the workplace.
Race Directive
Through the establishment of Race Directive act in Ireland, all the employees of an organization are subjected to the same treatment irrespective of their race, the color of the skin, nationality or ethnic group (Humbert, 2010). The equality act has done more than enough in improving as well as establishing a ground of equal treatments among all employees in the workplace as the employees have protection against all form of racial discrimination.
Conclusion
Although cultural diversity in the workplace is associated with a big share of challenges to the employer, the diversity at workplace must be encouraged and embraced as a part and parcel of the modern global world. The problems associated with diversity in the place of work can easily be solved through the use of well defined strategies and hard work on the part of the employer and the management as a whole. The employment equality act on the other hand has achieved unexpected in the quest of abolishing all forms of discrimination in the place of work. The success achieved is presently enjoyed by all the employees in Ireland. Though the achievement is not at 100% success through patience and hard work Ireland workplaces will be completely free from any form of discrimination.
BRADY, S., & WALSH, F. (2009). Crossroads: performance studies and Irish culture. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hanpshire, Palgrave Macmillan.
O'CONNOR, H., & WILLIAMS PRENDERGAST, MARY. (2009). Newcomers to Ireland: an evaluation of the challenges facing Irish organisations in the management of their multicultural workforces in terms of training and development. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/4810.
CONNOLLY, M. (2007). The Multicultural Workplace Challenges for Employers. Accountancy Ireland. 39, 30-33.
Humbert, Anne Laure, and Eileen Drew. 2010. "Gender, entrepreneurship and motivational factors in an Irish context". International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. 2 (2): 173-196.
