Modern society has a large number of representatives of various cultures, races, and nationalities. Consequently, such a concept as diversity has gained exceptional value, especially in the workplace. It can have many positive effects, including increasing productivity, improving the work environment, and providing enhanced opportunities to organizations. However, this phenomenon, if misunderstood and people lack knowledge, can result in stereotyping or discrimination. Thus, companies should take action to promote diversity in the workplace in order to gain the most significant number of benefits and competitiveness.
First of all, it is worth considering the advantages that diversity brings. Thus, it provides an opportunity to improve relationships and cooperation between employees by spreading the concepts of equality. This circumstance arises due to the spread of awareness about the importance of each culture, race, and tradition. As a result of this process, employees gain respect for each other’s peculiarities and backgrounds. In addition, they can subsequently broadcast tolerant behavior in everyday life, which will contribute to improving the situation in society.
The next benefit is to improve the environment in the workplace by reducing stress and conflict situations. This circumstance allows focus on achieving the company’s goals (Mazibuko & Govender, 2017). Therefore, the number of conflicts and stressful situations among employees is reduced, which can slow down the process of completing the tasks assigned to them. Moreover, the number of dismissals due to staff pressure on minority representatives is decreasing. Another advantage can be highlighted by providing employers with the opportunity to find unique and talented employees. Expanding the circle of potential employees helps to find the most valuable employees who can provide a new perspective on problem-solving. Therefore, employers can get the opportunity to find valuable specialists among minority groups.
At the same time, with insufficient training of personnel, there may be an issue of discrimination and unequal treatment of employees. Thus, employees will pay attention to certain features of colleagues that distinguish them from others (Colella & King, 2018). For example, this can be seen in the attitude towards native people or the Black individuals, who often stand out from the rest. This circumstance may result in a decrease in the efficiency of the company, deterioration of the relationship between employees, and layoffs. In order to spread awareness about the importance of diversity, staff training on this topic becomes necessary. Moreover, it is essential to encourage group work that will unite employees. Moreover, in the process of working together, they can learn more about each other and gain knowledge about different cultures, races, and traditions.
In conclusion, diversity plays a crucial role in gaining positive effects and competitiveness for the company. Managers should pay attention to the education of staff to provide them with the necessary knowledge about the phenomenon under study. To do this, various specialists can be involved, who will provide the most beneficial knowledge about the importance of diversity and respect for people and their backgrounds. This implies conducting an educational system within the company and employees. This is due to the fact that not only the staff must support the concepts of equality but also those who occupy leadership positions. A measure that can be applied in the workplace is to change the hiring process. Hence, it should provide an opportunity to find talented and creative specialists.
References
Colella, A., & King, E. B. (2018). The Oxford handbook of workplace discrimination. Oxford University Press.
Mazibuko, J. V., & Govender, K. K. (2017). Exploring workplace diversity and organisational effectiveness: A South African exploratory case study. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 15, 10.