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200300 MANAGING PEOPLE AT WORK

Essay

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Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................3
Conclusion................................................................................................................................5
References...............................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Diversity in business is more than race, gender and ethnicity. Many businesses spend
money on initiatives to acquire and hire diverse talent, only to have that talent depart
because there are no formal proactive retention plans in place. Businesses are making
attempts to attract diverse talent, but many are losing it at alarming rates due to inclusion
issues. This article evaluates the problems people experience in a varied workplace, such as
communication hurdles, which are at the heart of all diversity management efforts. Individual
attitudes toward diversity of all kinds, as well as the management of diversity, are also
evaluated.

The importance of diversity management has risen dramatically in recent years as


companies and workers alike have become more aware of its positive impact on workplace
productivity and performance. To enhance output and succession within the organisation,
communication has been the focal point of managing diversity. For the time being,
miscommunication and interpersonal conflict are the most prevalent problems in varied
organisations due to misconceptions between people from various backgrounds and
perspectives. Although age, gender, and religion all play a role in communication, the most
common miscommunication occurs when people of different races and ethnic backgrounds
have a limited understanding of English literacy and misconceptions about other cultures,
which can have a undesirable impact on job presentation and lead to high employee
turnover rates. There is evidence from study of Donato, et al. (2014), which reveals that
44.5% of the participants indicated that a varied workforce caused the ability decline owing
to safety concerns, misunderstanding and a lack of literacy in English, which lead to a rise in
the training and development expenses. According to Meacham, et al., (2017), a lack of
effective diversity programmes or those that were poorly executed resulted in ethnic workers
being more cautious about sharing their experiences and backgrounds, making this one of
the most challenging barriers for managers to overcome when it comes to diversity.

Communication about gender and age disparities may often lead to disagreement when it
comes to the implementation of workplace diversity policies and events. Due to a absence of
application of the significance of diversity, most different groups do not interact or connect
well with other individuals. In earlier research, it was discovered that the Australian
administration disputed about the entire idea and real meaning of diversity managing, with
no common description and a rising creation of new views about how to manage a diverse
workroom. It has been stated that regular worker interactions can build and boost assurance
and self-esteem in a varied workplace (Bartram, et al., 2021). It can be seen that most
employees from various backgrounds might be frightened by a sudden shift in terms of job,

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which results in a restrained behaviour experience. As a result, it is critical to study and build
knowledge about other cultures and origins, as well as to have legislation implemented, as
well as to establish new diversity programmes and initiatives from orientations onwards, in
order to overcome communication obstacles.

Most workers inside the corporation would have various perspectives on other workers from
different circumstances and cultures, which some would misread and have a bad attitude
toward as a consequence. When employees inside an organisation might make snap
judgments, resulting in workplace conflict and the exclusion of different personnel, attitudes
toward diversity can be a major issue. However, in some organisations, the selection
criteria were the same for everyone, with an emphasis on work abilities rather than
where people were born. Negative views and perceptions of individuals of a dissimilar age
range or gender might reduce their confidence and self-esteem when it comes to
employment, just as the problem of communicating within backgrounds does (Brigden,
2019). As a result, providing all persons a chance in all parts of service and focusing on
talents rather than circumstances to develop and accomplish a diverse labor force while
reaping good advantages.

As a result, every company has a distinct manner of adopting and commenting on diversity
in the workplace, management can have a difficult influence within the organisation.
According to Meacham, et al., (2017), if managers focus more on diverse culture and do
everything they can to smear it to the organisation, such as indorsing collaboration among all
employees, implementing transformative programmes that include everyone, and
empowering everyone to struggle for success, it will advantage the development for a
beneficial result in the future. Diversity is supposed to be promoted, and reshaping policies
and practices may not only provide equal chances for all persons, but can also fight one-
sided power and provide strong and inspirational ideas in regard to diversity management.
Previous research by Moore, et al., (2017), states that in order to work above the line,
businesses should provide everybody with a wide variety of diversity programmes, instruct
them about the beliefs and values of diversity administration, and set out the goals for how it
should be handled and how others should behave toward each other.

As per the views of Stone (2013), diversity and inclusion have an impact on human resource
functions like as record keeping, training, recruiting, and the skills required of HR employees.
In many ways, diversity and inclusion enhance HR duties while also holding the department
accountable for legally mandated activities. There is supplementary to diversity
supervision than implementation and training, since directors inside the organisation
must enforce these diversity strategies and initiatives. Organizations in New Zealand

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determine and promote diversity by holding charity proceedings and trust runs to fund the
organization's varied programming and training. Recognizing and implementing diversity
management strategies in organisations has failed to inspire directors to make this a primary
focus and see the larger depiction of smearing diversity, making organisations less likely to
be effective and potentially leaving more prospective employees from diverse upbringings
economically inactive (Kulik, 2014). In other nations, organisations handle diversity
management by focusing equally on employee development and future job prospects
without prejudice. As a result, organisations should convey and assess the value of diversity
and how it will benefit them through communications and training. It can be seen that
diversity in company can affect financial performance and engagement of employees and
enhance their retention which contribute to success of business. Employee engagement is a
human resources (HR) phrase that describes a worker's enthusiasm and dedication to their
job. Employees that are committed care about their profession and the performance of the
firm, and they think that their efforts are important.

Management of diversity has had a positive influence on organisations, increasing


productivity and success in the workplace for each employee. While reaping the rewards of
diversity management, there are major hurdles to overcome. Communication is at the heart
of diversity management, and it may help people feel less frightened and more confident
when applying for jobs and being interviewed for them. Another obstacle to overcome is
people's attitudes and opinions of others. This may be done by being fair to others and
putting greater emphasis on one's own talents (Stone, 2013). At the end of it all, managers
may overcome their own challenges by implementing and training workforce diversity
practices as well as enforcing regulations and rules in the office to guarantee that this is a
top priority for both managers and employees. As a result, the substantial obstacles in
diversity management may create more advantages and rewards for the whole management
and individuals inside the organisation with the right processes given and the implementation
of diversity policies.

Many companies spend money on initiatives to find and employ a diverse workforce only to
lose that workforce owing to a lack of formal proactive retention programmes. Businesses
are putting up efforts to recruit, yet many are losing their varied talent at alarming rates
because they have difficulties with inclusion. There are a number of typical roadblocks to
inclusion, including institutionalised prejudices rooted in corporate cultures. Diversity is
considered to be multidimensional, and is also inclusion of people who belong from different
background in an organisation. Diversity refers to a wide range of viewpoints represented,
whereas inclusion refers to a willingness to participate. When it comes to encouraging

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inclusiveness, the firm has to establish an atmosphere where everyone feels appreciated,
welcomed, valued and included by their colleagues and superiors, no matter how they feel or
what they believe in. Inclusivity is felt when individuals are motivated to participate and have
a sense of belonging. It is also felt when people are recognised and appreciated for their
contributions (Meltzer, et al., 2020). To promote participation, develop engagement, and
empower all their workers, businesses may provide tools, resources, and support to a
diverse workforce.

Conclusion
For organisations, encouraging diversity is the way ahead. It is clear that companies who
can successfully manage workplace diversity will be differentiated, innovative, and have
strong employer branding in a global talent market. Increased employee engagement and
higher financial performance may be attributed to a more diverse workforce, both of which
have a positive impact on the company's bottom line. Organizations should promote
diversity and inclusion programmes that may create a pleasant working environment for all
their employees if they want to thrive in these areas.

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References
Bartram, T, Cavanagh, J, Meacham, H, & Pariona-Cabrera, P 2021, ’Re-calibrating HRM to
improve the work experiences for workers with intellectual disability’, Asia Pacific Journal of
Human Resources, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 63-83.

Brigden, C 2019, ’Voice and agency: workers with a disability and trade unionism’, Labour &
Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work, vol. 29, no. 1, pp 118-131.

Donato, B, Shen, J, Chelliah, J, & Monga, M 2014, ‘Human resource diversity management
practices in the Australian manufacturing sector’, The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 1243–1266, viewed 29 April 2016, EBSCOHost,
DOI 10.1080/09585192.2013.826714.

Kulik, C 2014, ‘Working below and above the line: the research–practice gap in diversity
management’, Human Resource Management Journal, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 129–144.

Meacham, H, Cavanagh, J, Shaw, A, & Bartram, T 2017, ’HRM practices that support the
employment and social inclusion of workers with an intellectual disability’, Personnel Review,
vol. 46, no. 8. pp 1475-1492.

Meacham, H, Cavanagh, J, Shaw, A, & Bartram, T 2017, ’Innovation programs at the


workplace for workers with an intellectual disability: two case studies in large Australian
organisations’, Personnel Review, vol. 46, no. 7, pp 1381-1396.

Meltzer, A, Robinson, S, & Fisher, KR 2020, ’Barriers to finding and maintaining open
employment for people with intellectual disability in Australia’, Social Policy and
Administration: An International Journal of Policy and Research, vol. 54, no. 1, pp 88-101.

Moore, K, McDonald, P, & Bartlett, J 2017, ’The social legitimacy of disability inclusive
human resource practices: The case of a large retail organisation’, Human Resource
Management Journal, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 514-529.

Stone, R J 2013, ‘Managing diversity’, in Managing Human Resources, 4th edn, Wiley,
Milton, pp. 577-620.

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