Learning Activity No.

2: Diversity

Jasmine R. Ukay

Human Resource Management: Human Behavior in Organization

Mr. Ceasar Billones

July 26, 2022

 1. Workplace Diversity
Workplace Diversity focuses on an organization whose views on its employees are equal.
There are similar in terms of cultures, traditions, races, gender, etc., and all of them can work
and do the job assigned to them from a higher position. Every employee who wants to work in
your organization is of a different race or tradition. Still, they are the same regarding work,
experiences, and knowledge. They have the potential to work for the organization in improving
in achieving the specific goal.

According to Sophia Lee in her article, there are five benefits of diversity in the workplace.
The new perspective defines that employees in an organization experience hardship and struggles
in past and current jobs. As a leader of an organization, your perspective on a new or old employee
will be based on what they can do and what experience and skills they mastered and practiced for
the leader to assign them in an excellent job in improving the organization's specific goals.
Problem-solving and decision-making mean that in an organization, because we are discussing
diversity and equality of every worker based on what they are or culture they have, we will have
different views when it comes to thinking and ideas about what would be the problem of the
organization and what plan should the organization thin to improve a specific goal. You have
increased employee retention. In this type of benefit of a workplace, diversity means that as a
leader, if you show importance to your workers, they will likely stay and work more under you
because you are qualified as a leader. In diversity, you should expect that your employees will
probably have different characteristics. Still, as a leader, you have to view them as equal and give
them you respect by guiding and motivating them. Better reputation is just like your
responsibility as a leader to guide and support your employees while working on their assigned
tasks that you have given to them. Motivating them to work will boost their self-confidence and
willingness to do more. It is your reputation as a leader to be mindful of your employees around
you and check if they are left out. Lastly, a better understanding of your customers is one of
the most important benefits because that is your number one goal in an organization. You have to
be mindful of your customers because satisfying your customers will help to raise the growth rate
of your organization, and this is also the best way to achieve your organization's goals.
 2. Levels of Diversity
According to getimpactly.com, Levels of Diversity consist of two main types within the
organization. The first level of diversity is Surface Level Diversity. This level of diversity defines
that diversity is all about the outside or the surface part of a person. Examples are gender, sex, age,
color, etc., which identify a person in their outside appearance, which people can recognize or
categorize when asking them to talk to them. This level of diversity is also focused on workers of
different races, colors, etc. As a leader of an organization, you should look at them as equal because
all of them are also human or a person who will work hard for the organization's good, and they
also help improve and achieve the goal. The second level of diversity is the Deep Level of
Diversity which is all about the inside or the hidden traits or personality of a person. The examples
are culture, beliefs, religions, traditions, and opinions of every worker about their work. It is hidden
because it won't appear as you work in an organization. Unlike the surface level diversity, by
looking at them, you will know their color, race, and age if you want to ask them. It is a person's
physical traits, while this deep level of diversity is hidden because it is within ourselves. Many
people will make their culture privacy because it is their family culture. That's the difference if the
two.

3. Perspectives of Diversity
According to Help Scout, posted by Paul Jun (2015), there are five perspectives on diversity
in the workplace or an organization. The first perspective on diversity is Inclusion and Diversity
at slack. In an organization, communicating includes one of the most important things we do
inside of an organization: communicating when your team may result from a good relationship
and the best way to approach your team about the business matter you have talked about. In
diversity, you should look and treat them equally because that's the work of a leader, not to feel
any employees you think are left out. The second perspective of diversity is How diversity
makes us smarter. Diversity helps every leader to treat them just the same and equally. We
never know that if you are a strict leader and base your employees on their races or culture,
people will be offended, and you will also miss the opportunities by not recruiting those people.
It helps us to get smarter because as we communicate and socialize with them, we wil l learn
new experiences and lessons. The third perspective of diversity is Diversity Debt: How much
does your startup have? According to Andrea Barrica, "The more people your company hires
until you have a diverse team, the more diversity debt your organization has accrued." It defines
that having a diverse team in your organization may help you to learn and grow more about
them. Learning new things is also included in development because you know from them and
try to understand them, which has a good impact on them. The fourth perspective of diversity
is When Women Stopped Coding. In the past, women weren't allowed to work from the outside.
It is a job for a man to work and provide a life for their family. The only job of women is a
housewife. Now in this generation, all women can have a job. But some people treat women as
“weak" or "adding more stress" in an organization, especially when working. None of this is
true. Women can work, and women are independent. They can earn money by working, and
there is nothing with that. The wrong ones are people who look down on them. The last
perspective on diversity is Why I Believe in Intentional Efforts to Hire for diversity. It is
because you want to meet them. As a leader of an organization, you must learn new things, not
only things that surround you but also learn new things by meeting new people and those people
around you who can relate to diversity. If you are a good leader, you will look at them and treat
them equally, and they will also respect and trust you.

4. Diversity Management
Diversity Management is about recruiting or hiring employees with different backgrounds and
experiences which you think you can learn and help them improve and achieve the
organizational goals. Because of diversity management, some organizations are growing and
successfully attaining their plans because of the employees who have more unbelievable skills.

According to CFI Team in their Diversity Management: Organizational actions that promote
a diverse and inclusive workplace, there are two types of Diversity Management. The first type is
Intranational diversity management which defines as recruiting and hiring people who focus on
people who are included in minority groups. The last type of diversity management is Cross-
national diversity management which defines recruiting and hiring new members or employees in
an organization from other countries or what we call "foreigners" in helping to improve and
achieve the organizational goals planned and organized by the manager.

It also mentioned the three Characteristics of Diversity Management. The first characteristic
is Voluntary. It is voluntary because people of different ethnicities are qualified and welcome
in the organization. There are no policies in not having new employees from other cultures and
ethnicities join the organization. Diversity is called equal treatment. Even if you have different
colors, races, religions, etc., you are a human; You are intended to be respected by others. The
second characteristic is to provide tangible benefits. Now that we are in a new generation all
people can work. If you're a man, woman, or a member of the LGBTQ, you are allowed to work
and the job. People have different skills and experiences, and because of that, diversity
management was implemented to employ and hire people who have good skills in doing the
work; even if you are from different countries, races, etc., you are free to work in any
organization. The last characteristic of diversity management is the broad definition. This
characteristic is all about, for example, when there are a diverse person or a person who lives
from another country, as you observe them by working the task that you gave to them and
successfully did it in the deadline that you set or the amount of time that you gave, you won't
reject that employee and who would reject an employee who are working hard to come up with
your expectations. You are willing to let them stay and assigned more job that is qualified for
them to work on.
 Philippine context/Filipino reality: REFLECTION
The video documentary that I’ve searched and watched was the "SOCIAL REALITIES
AND ISSUES AT PHILIPPINES" SW2 posted by Renandang Noralden. On that documentary
video, the main issues are the Hunger, Unemployment, and homeless. Let me discuss about the
hunger. In the Philippines, there people who lives in poverty. There are also people who are
begging for money on the streets just to have something to eat to fill their empty stomach. I always
think about “why is there a people who suffered from hunger?” “Why there are people who don’t
have something to eat?” As we all know, in our family when we are eating meals together, they
will tell you that “You have to eat more because there are people, especially children doesn’t have
food.” I keep on thinking, what’s the connection between me and them. As I grow up, I finally
understand what it meant. It means that I am lucky that I am not one of the people who suffered
from hunger. I am lucky that I can eat meals everyday and also eat the things that I wanted to eat.
I always feel bad to those people who are begging for food and money outside the malls, restaurant,
and etc. There is one time that I gave food and money to a hungry person, she was a senior citizen,
instead of feeling bad, I was happy because I could help them even if it is just a little food. Saying
them “thank you” makes my day.

In unemployment, I also encountered many people about this. They are unemployed
because they don’t have diploma or they did not graduate or can’t afford schools. There are also
people who are giving up on their jobs because of the salary that was given to them was not enough
to feed their families. All I can say about this matter is that, let’s provide an opportunity to those
people who didn’t go to school, graduate, and doesn’t have diploma a chance to work. They can
learn if they are interested. Not only about providing a job for them but also giving them salaries
according to the effort that they make when they are working because it is unfair to give a same
salary to those people who worked hard and who are not.

Lastly, the homeless. Just like I said that here in the Philippines, there are many people
who love in poverty. There are also people who lives in the street begging for food and money.
There are also people who don’t have homes because of the tragedy like typhoons and landslide.
All I can say as a college student, the government should help them. Those people who lost their
homes because of the tragedy, they must provide them a new home. Even if just a little, just for
them to stay warm. If there are people who needs foods, especially to those who lives in the street
or corner of the street, we must provide them food.

As the generation was changing, there are also people who suffered from hunger,
unemployment, and being homeless. All I can say about this matter is that, you should help each
other. Helping other people even if you don’t receive any help or payback from them can also
make you feel good. Why? Because you are helping them and when I saw them having a big smile
on their faces, that’s enough for me.

Three national/local laws that address issues on discrimination at work in particular and
in the society in general.
The first law that addresses issues of discrimination regarding work is Prohibition on
Discrimination Against Women (Republic Act 6725). This act or law defines that in an
organization, there is discrimination, especially against women, because they view them as weak
people who should stay at home and cook for the family. This law was created because there are
times that even if women work hard, they are not satisfied with the salary that they get because
they are women. According to the Manila Recruitment in the Workplace Equality and Diversity in
the Philippines, the employer distributing the wages will be fined 1,000 to 10,000 pesos. Also,
there is a possibility that they will be imprisoned because of the inequality that they have.
The second law that addresses issues of discrimination regarding work is Magna Carta of
Disabled Persons (Republic Acts No. 7277 and 9442). Even if you’re a disabled person doesn’t
mean that you can’t work any job that you applied. Every person have a dignity to work. Even if
you are a senior citizen or a disabled person. If that person can work just fine, then let them work.
An employer who are against this law will be fined 50,000 to 100,000 pesos and will be imprisoned
for six months to two years depending on how you will treat disabled person.

The last law that addresses issues of discrimination regarding work is Anti-Sexual Harassment
Act (Republic Act 7877). I’ve seen this situation in the movie. The assistant is a woman and the
boss is a man. The boss will think and look at the assistant in a dirty way. Sometimes touching her
in hands and hair. That is consider as harassment. We should stop sexualizing or co-workers and
employees because it is not good. You should respect your employees even if they are a man or a
woman. If someone will commit this kind of act will be fined 10,000 to 20,000 pesos and will be
imprisoned or one to six months.

My recommendation as I read those local/ national laws, all I can say is that, in order to avoid
from imprisonment and will be fined by a large amount of money, don’t do this act. Don’t commit
this act because people will think of you as a person who doesn’t respect others. The number one
thing that an employee or a person would do is respect. We should respect our people and think of
them equally. All of the people can work well if they are willing. That’s why, we should respect
each other and also their decisions.
 REFLECTION:

In my overall reflection, as I answered my learning activity, I can say that I discovered new
things. Equality is something we should take it seriously. Yes, some people bully or discriminate
against others; for example, having black skin, their feelings will be hurt. Even if you are a close
friend, you should think about what you said because one foul word can destroy your friendship.

In an organization, equality and respect is important. These 2 factors are important when you
are working in an organization, especially if you are the leader of the organization. Diversity for
is defined as “equality” among people who you work inside or outside the organization. No matter
what color they are and no matter what beliefs they have, they are also people. We should respect
them as we respect our families and friend. We should treat them equally so that they will boost
their confidence in working. Complementing is also one good thing if you are communicating with
someone who you think that was left out in a group.

Let me share you this. One time when I was scrolling in TikTok, I saw this one clip about
equality and that brought me into tears. The movie title is the Hidden Figures. In that movie, there
is a black woman who is assigned to join a team or an organization of all white people. Because
of her talent and skills, she was recruited. What struck me the most in that movie film is when she
go to work late because she had to go to the bathroom. Their boss was asking why is she so late if
the bathroom is just near the hall. She said “there are no bathroom for me here Sir, there are no
colored bathroom.” Even her colleagues put a sign of her coffee pot “colored” because of the color
that she have. When she is serving a tea or coffee for her workmates, they won’t touch it. She also
works day and night and sacrifices herself just to become a good employee, but the salary is not
enough. The treatment in terms of the salary is just like the same with the white persons who
doesn’t work hard. You see, this kind of treatment breaks my heart. Imagine, having no one besides
you who will help you and guide you from all struggles that you make is sad. But because of that
incident, the boss was very outstanding. He was a good boss because what he did is he broke down
of all the signs that has “colored” and told everyone that starting today, there are no colored
bathroom.
 When you discriminate a person based on their gender, races, etc. won’t make you a cool
person. But if you respect a person and look at them equally makes you a good person. Everyone
can work even if you’re a woman, member or LGBTQ, and disabled person, if you are willing to
do the job, all of that are possible.

REFERENCES:

1. →, V., 2022. Workplace Equality & Diversity in the Philippines | Blog. [online]
Recruitment & Search Agency - Headhunter in the Philippines. Available at:
<https://manilarecruitment.com/manila-recruitment-articles-advice/workplace-equality-
diversity-philippines-laws-protect-you/> [Accessed 25 July 2022].
2. CFI. “Diversity Management - Learn about the Types and Best Practices.” Corporate
Finance Institute, 2018,
corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/diversity-management/.
3. Help Scout. “6 Perspectives on Diversity in the Workplace - Help Scout.” Helpscout.com,
3 Dec. 2015, www.helpscout.com/blog/cultural-diversity/.
4. Lee, Sophia. “Diversity in the Workplace.” Culture Amp, 2022,
www.cultureamp.com/blog/benefits-diversity-in-workplace.
5. PEEPSHR. “The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace.” Peeps HR, 27 Aug. 2019,
www.peepshr.co.uk/resource-centre/the-importance-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/.
6. “Levels of Diversity: 2 Main Types within the Organization.” Getimpactly.com,
www.getimpactly.com/post/levels-of-diversity-main-types-within-the-organization.