As the economy becomes increasingly global, our workforce becomes increasingly diverse. Organizational success and competitiveness will depend on the ability to manage diversity in the workplace effectively. Diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, age, language, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more (Greenberg, 2004)
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 and are ready and willing to spend resources on managing diversity in the workplace now.
An organization's success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. When organizations actively assess their handling of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits are reported such as:
According to Diversity at Work (online), diversity in the workplace is one of an organization's greatest strengths. Managing workplace diversity well requires the creation of an inclusive environment that values and utilizes the contributions of people of different backgrounds, experiences and perspective. Managing diversity builds on the EEO foundation but puts a new emphasis on the importance of valuing workplace difference as good management practice. This approach means that organizations must develop people management strategies to value and accommodate differences in the background, perspective and family responsibilities of their employees (2004).
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