Diversity and organizational culture

The rise of multinational companies and increased global diversification by even small companies has resulted in people of diverse backgrounds and cultures working together in the same office or for the same organization. Conflict in such situations is inevitable, but understanding the diversity issues can help companies implement programs designed to keep conflict at a minimum and to take full advantage of the many benefits which such diversity brings to an organization. Key to understanding how diversity is managed in multinational organizations is understanding the concept of corporate culture (which defines organizations), diversity programs and their use to minimize conflict among employees, and the unique problems that employees working overseas encounter.

As with "culture" when used in an anthropological sense, there are essentially six factors which can be found in organizational cultures: observed behavioral regularities, norms, dominant values, philosophy, rules and the organizational climate (Moore, 1999, p. 208).

Observed behavioral regularities are typified by the language, tasks, jargon and roles which members of the organization use and expect to find within the organization. Just as in a larger societal culture, an organization's culture supports certain language and behaviors from its members.

The standards of behavior, or norms, that an organizational culture establishes define how newcomers to the organization are expec

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can help their careers. White workers may routinely be given extracurricular assignments and introduced to vice-presidents, for example, while minority workers are not. When the person performing the introductions or making the job assignments is white, these actions take on the aura of ritualistic discrimination. Culture and Standards of Behavior Managers and peers have it within their purview to direct and influence the behavior that individuals exhibit within a company. This behavior can include everything from the accepted mode of dress to the language that is accepted within an organization. Standards of behavior are set formally through a company's internal procedure manual, which is often developed by the human resources group. These procedures lay out the formal organizational processes, but may set the tone for informal processes, as well. Rules such as a casual dress day once a month, vacation and parental leave, and whether or not the company provides an education reimbursement are covered in this manual. To some degree, observers can learn much about an organization by the way that rank-and-file employees react to the formal procedures. If the formal procedures are strictly adhered to, that may say much about

Category: Business - D