Diversity means different individuals valuing each other regardless of intellect, talents, age or creed. Everyone in the workplace has to be treated equally because everyone has something to offer and a strong factor/skill that they can contribute to the company. They enrich a society because they allow people to experience different thinking processes, to see that there is more than one way of approaching issues or living one's life. Diversity brings other point of view and perspectives to different situations. Mixing with different people can help us to overcome fears and prejudices having people from diverse backgrounds in the work place will bring different talents, skills and knowledge.
The massive number of European immigrants that entered into America’s east coast from the late 1800’s and on forever influenced the growth and development of the country. Fleeing crop failure, famine, rising taxes, and land/job shortages, many immigrants journeyed to the United States because it was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. With hope for a brighter future, nearly 27 million immigrants arrived in the United States between 1880 and 1920. The majority of the immigrants entered through Ellis Island, leading it to become the gateway to America and become recognized as a national symbol. Many of the immigrants, not knowing the way America worked, didn’t stray too far from the East Coast and moved into areas filled with people of similar languages, traditions, and beliefs.
Such as a senior member of staff opposed to a care assistant, their roles and responsibilities may differ greatly, but they maintain equality between themselves as colleagues and as people. In other words, Equality is treating people fairly. - Inclusion refers to the act or state of being included, for example including everyone in a room when passing around five pound notes, or more importantly avoiding becoming ignorant towards someone. - Discrimination means the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. 1.2 Describe how direct or indirect discrimination may occur in the work setting.
Simard assumed that the removal of the time clocks would demonstrate management’s trust in the employees to be truthful about their time worked. Simard also assumed that in return for this newly appointed trust, the employees would demonstrate stronger work ethics and respect their managers. Two months after the removal of the time clocks, Simard started to notice some problems. Employees began abusing the new freedom and the level of absence increased. Contrary to what Simard assumed would happen, production began to diminish due to absenteeism.
Diversity consists of both visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as; background, culture, personality and work style and also the protected characteristics such as gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, religion and belief and age. By recognising and understand individual differences we are able to create an environment in which everybody feels valued. 1.1 b- Equality Equality means the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. Equality is about making sure that people are treated fairly and given fair chances. Equality is not about treating everybody in exactly the same way.
Changes in gender and age of workers has had a significant impact on the culture of today and influenced the pattern of work related standards such as work ethics (Chicago Tribune Business 2014). Stereotyping is the act of ascribing a set of traits to a person or group of people based on cultural preconceptions (Forbes global post). When stereotypes persist in the workplace, candidates for promotion may be overlooked, work teams do not function properly and the corporate culture erodes. In many cases, lawsuits are brought up, thus damaging the public perception of the company. Most companies deal with stereotyping in the workplace by educating as well as a clear directive to treat every worker as an individual.
Multicultural Diversity in the Workplace Though somewhat unpretentious by definition, multiculturalism simply refers to an array in a variety of dissimilarities between people in any organization that not only affects how people see themselves but also how they perceive others. Such discernments of other people affect day-to-day interactions and the ability of a wide assortment of employees to function efficiently as an organization; therefore, human resource specialists need to be skillfully trained to deal with issues, such as reverence, adaptableness, and transformation, otherwise communication, and teamwork will be hindered. Furthermore, incorporate race, gender, ethnicity, age, persona, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, upbringing and suddenly the task of promoting effective communication and teamwork among employees in a work center becomes a monumental task for management. Need For Multicultural Training Diverse and multicultural work centers will surge significantly in the approaching years, therefore; a multicultural and diversity-based training regimen must be established for employees ranging from management to laborers. Worldwide Telecommunications Inc. management must identify the immediate need for action and willingly commit to the use of any necessary means of managing the influx of diversity in the workplace.
When one thinks of diversity, usually ethnicity, race, and gender comes to mind; however, diversity is much more than that. Diversity in the workplace is human qualities that are different from others and outside the groups to which they belong. Diversity include; age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, ancestry, physical abilities/qualities, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience. All of these dimensions affect employee’s performance as well as their success in a business. People from all around the world come from different diverse backgrounds and view things from their own perspective.
In addition to body movements and gestures, the nonverbal cues given through facial expressions and eye contact, personal space, and touch, influence individual interactions in the workplace. While this body language is fairly well understood in general in each culture, there are major cultural differences in nonverbal communication. Because communication styles are different in different cultures and it can lead to misunderstandings, people should have general knowledge about cultural features, conversation etiquettes and mentality of other nationalities, so avoiding awkward situations. In different cultures communication can be differentiated in some ways. Culture can be defined as that set of values and beliefs, norms and customs, and rules and codes that socially define groups of people.
GENDER AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT The term "gender" refers to the male and female roles shaped by a society, learned indi¬vidually and re-negotiated by each new gene¬ration. Male/female roles are determined pri¬marily by the social, cultural and economic organisation of a society, and by the prevailing religious, moral and legal perceptions. Female and male roles and scope for action are not static, but are subject to constant change. They can vary enormously from one society to another, and even within any one society there can be significant differences depending on social class, family status, and ethnic or reli¬gious background. These roles are not neutral but characterised by different possibilities for making choices, and different rights and deci¬sion-making powers; generally to the disad¬vantage of women.