Definition of Terms: Diversity & Diversity at Workforce

What is Diversity? 

It refers to the existence of variations of different characteristics in a group of people. These characteristics could be
everything that makes us unique, such as our cognitive skills and personality traits, along with the things that shape
our identity (e.g. race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background) ("What is Diversity", n.d.)

The concept of diversity includes acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and
recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is
the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and fostering environment. It is about understanding each
other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained
within each individual. (Lee, n.d.)

What is diversity in the workplace?

Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. The different
characteristics that employees (could) have. First, we have the protected characteristics, such as race, age, gender
and sexual orientation. And secondly, we have all the different: ("What is Diversity", n.d.)

o Experiences

o Talents

o Skills

o Opinions

o Personalities

GLOBALIZATION  is the factor that advances diversity in the workplace to an intense level. Simple demographic
attributes, such as age, gender, mental and physical abilities and heritage, were not only the factors that
differentiated every individual in the workplace but also cultural diversity has lately become another significant
variable in the workplace.  Diversity can be catagorized into three dimensions: primary, secondary and tertiary
dimensions. 

Primary dimensions, such as gender, culture, social class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, race, age, and mental or
physical abilities, determine fundamental perspectives of the world and the way people perceive themselves. They
have the most significant influence on individual and group in the society and workplace. Primary dimensions are
also known as internal dimensions. These include aspects of diversity over which, typically, we have no control.
 

Secondary dimensions are less visible and sensible than the primary, such as educational background, religion, first
language, family, status, work experience, income, communication style, and geographic location. 
They shape the the self-esteem and self-definition of an individual. Secondary dimensions are also known as
external dimensions. This can be acquired or changed in life,  These include facets of our lives which we have some
control over and may transition over time. These aspects are those which may impact the careers we choose and our
workplace behaviors. 
Tertiary dimensions are mostly the centre of individual identities, such as beliefs, assumptions, perceptions,
attitudes, values, feelings and group norms.
 

Currently, due to the rapid globalisation, workplace diversity is almost inevitable for any businesses. Diversity
causes the workplace to be no longer homogeneous, but instead, heterogeneous. In particular, the workplace
comprises people who have a different mix of variables under the three dimensions, which guide them to be
different in thinking and analysing. In subsequent, these people incorporate negative and positive influences on an
organization, which they can be the key engine to propel the organization to either success, such as increase
productivity and creativity and broader service range, or failures, such as discrimination, communication problems,
relationship conflicts, and poor work structure .

What is Diversity Management? 

Diversity management is a process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the
similarities and differences of individuals are valued. The literature on diversity management has mostly emphasized
on organization culture; its impact on diversity openness; human resource management practices; institutional
environments and organizational contexts to diversity-related pressures, expectations, requirements, and incentives;
perceived practices and organizational outcomes related to managing employee diversity; and several other issues.  

Diversity Management refers to organizational actions that aims to promote greater inclusion of employees from
different backgrounds into an organization’s structure through specific policies and programs. ("Diversity
Management", n.d.)

The concept of Diversity started in North America in the MID 1990's that spread to the other parts of the world
afterwards.  Organization are adopting diversity Management strategies as response to the growing diversity of the
workplace and around the world.  Companies are designing specific programs and policies to Enhance Employees
Equality of opportunity (INCLUSION), promotion and retention of employees who are from different background
and cultures.  These programs and policies are designed to create a welcoming environment for groups that lacked
access to employment and more profitable jobs in the past. 

What is Management? 

“Management is a set of principles relating to the functions of planning, organizing, staffing,  directing, and
controlling, and the applications of these principles in harnessing physical, financial, human, and informational
resources efficiently and effectively to achieve organizational goals”.

There are 5 functions of management namely:  

1. PLANNING

Planning is future-oriented and determines an organization’s direction. It is a rational and systematic way of making
decisions today that will affect the future of the company.  It involves predicting of the future as well as attempting
to control the events. It involves the ability to foresee the effects of current actions in the long run in the future.

2.  ORGANIZING

It requires a formal structure of authority and the direction and flow of such authority through which work
subdivisions are defined, arranged and coordinated so that each part relates to the other part in a united and coherent
manner so as to attain the prescribed objectives. Thus, the function of organizing  involves the determination of
activities that need to be done in order to reach the company goals, assigning these activities to the proper personnel,
and delegating the necessary authority to carry out these activities in a coordinated and cohesive manner.
3. STAFFING

Staffing is the function of hiring and retaining a suitable work-force for the enterprise both at managerial as well as
non-managerial levels. It involves the process of recruiting, training, developing, compensating and evaluating
employees and maintaining this workforce with proper incentives and motivations. Since the human element is the
most vital factor in the process of management, it is important to recruit the right personnel.

4. DIRECTING

The directing function is concerned with leadership, communication, motivation, and supervision so that the
employees perform their activities in the most efficient manner possible, in order to achieve the desired goals. The
leadership element involves issuing of instructions and guiding the subordinates about procedures and methods.  The
communication must be open both ways so that the information can be passed on to the subordinates and the
feedback received from them.  Motivation is very important since highly motivated people show excellent
performance with less direction from superiors.  Supervising subordinates would lead to continuous progress
reports as well as assure the superiors that the directions are being properly carried out.

5.  CONTROLLING

The function of control consists of those activities that are undertaken to ensure that the events do not deviate from
the pre-arranged plans. The activities consist of establishing standards for work performance, measuring
performance and comparing it to these set standards and taking corrective actions as and when needed, to correct
any deviations.  

BENEFITS OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

1. Diversity in the workplace promotes individuality within an organisation, acknowledging that every

person can contribute with different, creative and new ideas and solutions. Employees with different
backgrounds and experiences can bring together a variety of perspectives on matters and thus increase the
productivity and deliver better results. Diversity brings in different talents together working towards a
common goal using a diverse set of skills that increases their retention and productivity.

2. 2. Diversity within a company helps in building a stronger brand and makes the company more
interesting  and desirable employer. With a diversified workforce an organization gains even good
reputation and image because it is seen as having fair employment practices.

3. 3. Workplace diversity increases creativity and problem solving. Having a variety of different people

from various backgrounds together is essential for finding and implementing creative solutions to business
problems. With diverse mindsets coming together many more solutions will arise as every individual brings
in their way of thinking, operating and solving problems and decision making.

4. 4. A diversified organisation encourages personal growth and development. Having expats or persons

with international background  working for the company can help employees learn new ideas,
perspectives and connect professionally with different people. That enriches the employees and gives
them another point of view on how the market and the business work.

5. 5. Interacting with diversified staff improves their ability to work in a diverse environment, with
different styles, cultures and personalities.

6. 6.  Diversity in a workforce can optimize an organization’s ability to meet the needs of each different
market. Representatives of specific country or demographics can be paired with clients of the similar
backgrounds, helping clients feel more comfortable and in a way to create customer loyalty to the
 company. For example, having an employee who is actually part of a specific culture or a region where a
given business is conducted is a great advantage for the organization.

7. 7. A diversified company can attract and retain talents, young and as well experienced professionals and
thus add a competitive edge to the organization. Possessing different sets of skills and having a good
command of different and/or exotic languages and being appreciated for that increases the feeling of
belonging. This enables the company to compete in the international market or to increase its diverse
customer base and market share.

šWhat is Leadership? 

It is about serving the people who work for you, and not the other way around. Leadership is putting the spotlight on
your team, and not on yourself. Leadership šis not just about clocking the most time at work, submitting the best
report, or hitting the most amount of sales for the company. Rather, social intelligence and emotional maturity to
lead are the essential elements in promoting people to positions of higher power, and to positions requiring people
management. Because in the end, the real role of leaders is to make more leaders out of themselves.

Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. In a business setting,
this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company's needs. (Ward, 2020) 

Multicultural Leaders

They work to create and maintain a safe, accepting, and respectful workplace with creative, innovative, and
productive employees – unencumbered by barriers that impede growth.  The Primary responsibility of the
multicultural leader is to dismantle barriers that impede the career development of any aspiring leader regardless of
race, gender, and sexuality. To be an effective multicultural leaders they need to understand that GLASS
CEILING are not fictitious and that organizations must be proactive in order to rid themselves of these barriers to
leadership diversity.

Glass Ceiling refers to the invisible barrier within organizations that prevents members of minority groups such as
women and people of  color from ascending to top levels of management and leadership. (Thomas, 2005)

Inner Leadership

Inner leadership is about inspiring people to do what needs to be done.  šInner Leadership is about being true to
yourself and doing what you need to do because it is right for you. It does not matter to the Inner Leader whether
they have followers or not – their own inner vision is what counts for them. And if the Inner Leader truly honors and
values him or herself, then they will honor and value others as well. (jdrake, 2014)

Management vs. Leadership

As a manager you are responsible for the actual running and administration of the business and its workforce. This
role emphasizes ensuring that the infrastructure for operations running smoothly is in place, and that everything is
exactly where it needs to be – when it needs to be, and that the work is documented where necessary. Management
frequently tend to be rational problem solvers, with a head for numbers and an excitement for flow charts. In an
ideal situation, a successful manager is very rarely seen, they do not micromanage yet their influence is widely felt
throughout the company. Ultimately they work behind the scenes to ensure that the business operates as smoothly as
possible.  However, when you adopt a more Leadership oriented role, you are dealing more from the front lines as it
were, and getting into the action up close. Whereas managers tend to direct, leaders will often inspire by example.
To this end they are very active and very adaptable, capable of making snap decisions as and when the situation
demands. They are also very people orientated. Whereas managers are better with numbers and schedules, leaders
are the driving force behind the workforce and teams. If managers provide the goals, it is the leaders who help the
company meet them.  (Arnold, 2019) 

Naturally it follows that leadership is used when you want to keep a company moving forward, and to keep it
mindful of the people who form it. Whereas managers can sometimes lose sight of the employees in the pursuit of
goals, leaders remain connected to the task force and will often bring any issues relating to staff performance or
morale to the management’s attention. They are also usually responsible for details including staff hiring, training,
rotas and orientation. Leaders set the tone for the type of company they wish to attract more talent too. (Arnold,
2019)

The differences between leaders and managers. They are: 

 

1. A great leader connects daily work with great goals. A mere manager focuses only on the short-term.
2. A great leader thinks of people as people. A mere manager sees only titles or organizational charts.
3. A great leader wants to earn respect. A mere manager wants to be liked.
4. A real leader is thrilled when team members achieve great things. A mere manager is threatened.
5. A great leader empowers people with honesty and transparency. A mere manager parcels out
information as if it costs him personally.
6. A great leader understands that if the team falls short, he is responsible. A mere manager blames the
team.
7. A great leader cares mainly about results. A mere manager is more concerned with process.

KEYS AND TRAITS & QUALITIEA OF SUCCESSFUL LEADERS

Everybody defines leadership differently but I really like the way John C Maxwell defines leadership, “A leader is
one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Irrespective of how you define a leader, he or she can
prove to be a difference maker between success and failure. A good leader has a futuristic vision and knows how to
turn his ideas into real-world success stories. Now, lets take an in-depth look at some of the important leadership
qualities that separate good leaders from a bad one.

1. Honesty & Integrity  

The 34th President of United States, Dwight.D.Eisenhower once said, “The supreme quality of leadership is
unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football
field, in an army, or in an office.” Honesty and integrity are two important ingredients which make a good leader.
How can you expect your followers to be honest when you lack these qualities yourself? Leaders succeed when they
stick to their values and core beliefs and without ethics, this will not be possible.

2. Confidence

To be an effective leader, you should be confident enough to ensure that other follow your commands. If you are
unsure about your own decisions and qualities, then your subordinates will never follow you. As a leader, you have
to be oozing with confidence, show some swagger and assertiveness to gain the respect of your subordinates. This
does not mean that you should be overconfident, but you should at least reflect the degree of confidence required to
ensure that your followers trust you as a leader.

3.  Inspire Others
Probably the most difficult job for a leader is to persuade others to follow. It can only be possible if you inspire your
followers by setting a good example. When the going gets tough, they look up to you and see how you react to the
situation. If you handle it well, they will follow you. As a leader, should think positive and this positive approach
should be visible through your actions. Stay calm under pressure and keep the motivation level up.   As John Quincy
Adams puts it, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a
leader.” If you are successful in inspiring your subordinates, you can easily overcome any current and future
challenge easily.

4.  Commitment & Passion

Your teams look up to you and if you want them to give them their all, you will have to be passionate about it too.
When your teammates see you getting your hands dirty, they will also give their best shot. It will also help you to
gain the respect of your subordinates and infuse new energy in your team members, which helps them to perform
better. If they feel that you are not fully committed or lacks passion, then it would be an uphill task for the leader to
motivate your followers to achieve the goal.

5.  Good Communicator

Until you clearly communicate your vision to your team and tell them the strategy to achieve the goal, it will be very
difficult for you to get the results you want. Simply put, if you are unable to communicate your message effectively
to your team, you can never be a good leader. A good communicator can be a good leader. Words have the power to
motivate people and make them do the unthinkable. If you use them effectively, you can also achieve better results.

6.  Decision Making Capabilities

Apart from having a futuristic vision, a leader should have the ability to take the right decision at the right time.
Decisions taken by leaders have a profound impact on masses. A leader should think long and hard before taking a
decision but once the decision is taken, stand by it. Although, most leaders take decisions on their own, but it is
highly recommended that you consult key stakeholders before taking a decision. After all, they are the ones who will
benefit or suffer from your decisions.

8.  Delegation & Empowerment

šIt is important for a leader to focus on key responsibilities while leaving the rest to others. Delegate tasks to your
subordinates and see how they perform. Provide them with all the resources and support they need to achieve the
objective and give them a chance to bear the responsibility.

7.  Accountability
When it comes to accountability, you need to follow the approach highlighted by Arnold H. Glasow when he said,
“A good leader takes little more than his share of the blame and little less than his share of the credit.” Make sure
that every one of your subordinates is accountable for what they are doing. If they do well, give them a pat on the
back but if they struggle, make them realize their mistakes and work together to improve. Holding them accountable
for their actions will create a sense of responsibility among your subordinates and they will go about the business
more seriously.

9.  Creativity & Innovation

šIn order to get ahead in today’s fast-paced world, a leader must be creative and innovative at the same time.
Creative thinking and constant innovation is what makes you and your team stand out from the crowd. Think out of
the box to come up with unique ideas and turn those ideas and goals into reality.

10.  Empathy
šLeaders should develop empathy with their followers. Unfortunately, most leaders follow a dictatorial style and
neglect empathy altogether. Due to this, they fail to make a closer connection with their followers. Understanding
the problems of your followers and feeling their pain is the first step to become an effective leader.

Lesson 2 - THE TOURIST MARKET AND SEGMENTATION

A market is a set of actual and potential buyers of a product. There are three steps to target marketing: market
segmentation, market targeting and market positioning. A market segment has to be identifiable, cohesive,
measurable, accessible, substantial, and actionable. Markets can be segmented using different varables that are
geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioral in nature.

There are three market coverage strategies: undifferentiated, differentiated, and concentrated marketing. Top of
mind is the highest level of recall a brand can achieve in the customer's mind. Unique selling
proposition differentiates the product or service from others. Competitive advantage means the greater value the
product has over its competitors. New and emerging markets include the family market, the senior market, the youth
market, and the MICE market.

1. Definition of Market
A market is a set of actual nad potential buyers of a product. These buyers share a particular need or want that can
be satisfied through exchange relationships. The meaning of the term market has evovled over the years. To
marketing professionals, a market is all actual and potential buyers of a product or service. (Kotler, 2010)

DIFFERENT MARKET LEVELS

1. Total Market is the sum of the actual and potential customers of product.

2. Potential Market consists of those consumers that profess some interest in a defined product.

3. Available Market consists of those consumers who have the interest and the necessary income to visit a
destination, along with no constraints.

4. Served Market is part of the available market. The destination management can decide to pursue only well
defined segments or limited target.

5. Penetrated Market consists of the set of consumers who actually purchased the tourist products. It must be clear
that this is only a fraction of the total population

The tourism product is not for all. The tourism industry aims to target a specific set of individuals. It is for a
particular set of buyers, a niche market. There are three steps to target maketing: (1) market segmentation, (2)
market targeting, and (3) market positioning.

2. Market Segmentation
A market is comprised of varied profiles and characteristics that can be further segregated. Imagine the market as an
entire pizza that can be divided into several pieces or an oramge fruit with several segments . Each slice or segment
has different characteristics from the others. These segments differ in their wants or desires, socio-economic status,
age, travel behavior, etc. 

Market segmentation is dividing the market into disctinct groups who might require separate products and/or
marketing mixes. A market segment is a subgroup of the total consumer market who share similar charactersitics
and needs relevant to the purchase of a product, service, or experience. Each segment is profiled based on its
characteristics. 

Characteristics of a Market Segment

Lumsdon (1997) identified six characteristics of a segment, as follows:

1. Identifiable. The people who comprise the segment can be located and identified such that targeting them would
be easy.

2. Cohesive. The consumers should be part of a whole whose specific qualities are common to all.

3. Measurable. The marketer should be abe to estimate the size and potential spending of the members of the market
segment.

4. Accessible. The members of the segment should be accessed by maketing efforts and promotopnal activities to be
conduted. If they are difficult to reach, efforts to reach out to the speccific segment might be futile.

5. Substantial. Segments should be large in order to be substantial. If the segment is small, it should have a high
spending  capability to make a significant impact on the business' bottom line. 

6. Actionable. The company has enough resources and commitment to enable effective penetration of the identified
segment to ensure effective positioning. 

Variables for Market Segmentation

1. Geographic Segmentation. To group potential tourism customers based on their location. It is considered as the
oldest and simplest basis for market segmentation. (Nations, Regions, Countries, Towns)

2. Demographic Segmentation. To group the consumers according to variables that define them in an objective,
easily measurably way. (Age, Gender, Income)

3. Psychographic Segmentation. Involves grouping people on how they live, their priorities, their opinions, their
attitudes and their interests. Personal lifestyle and personality. With similar hobbies, sports and musical
interests. (Social Class, Lifestyle, Personality)

4. Behavioral Segmentation. Also known as Product-related Segmentation  is multifaceted and aims to group

consumers according to their relationship to the product. (Benefits sought, User Rate, Loyalty Status)

5. Technographic  Segmentation. With the use of Internet and World Wide Web. (Between users and non-users of
technology in searching information for technology.)

3. Market Targeting
Market segmentation shows the various market segment opportunities available for a company. A careful
assessment of these specific market segments will help the firm identity which ones it should target. Market
Targeting is evaluating each segment’s attractiveness and selecting one or more of these market segments in which
to operate one’s business. (Kotler, 2010)
Kotler suggests three factors to consider in evaluating which segments should be targeted. These factors are:

1. Segment Size – refers to the current sales volume, growth rate, and high profit margin.

2. Attractiveness – refers to the potential impact of the segment to the company. One that is not saturated and has
few aggressive would be structurally attractive.

3. Company objectives and availability of resources – refers to the main for its decision making and the available
resources the company will use to make its objectives a reality.

Market Coverage Strategies

In the selection of specific market segments, a company decides on a market strategy that is in line with its
objectives and resources. Kotler et al. suggests that it can adopt any of three market coverage strategies. 

1. Undifferentiated Marketing

2. Differentiated Marketing

3. Concentrated Marketing

In undifferentiated marketing, a company ignores market segmentation and goes after the entire market with only
one market offer. This looks into what the market has in common and is designed to reach a huge number of buyers.
This market coverage strategy can be used effectively for consumer products mainly because a lot of buyers would
need the same product. 

Differentiated marketing approaches the market by targeting several market segments using separate offers per
segment. Companies may offer serveral products for different market segments to capture bigger chunk of the
market. 

oncentrated Marketing is practiced by companies with limited resources. It pursues getting a big share of a small
market rather a small share of a large market. Companies are able to allot its resources in making its presence felt in
a specific market with greater impact. If the segment is well chosen, it may yield high returns for a company. 

Kotler suggest that the following factors be considered when choosing a market coverage strategy as follows:

1. Company's Resources. This refers to how much money and resources the company has which can be allocated to
marketing. If the company has limited resources, it is logical to use concentrated marketing.

2. Degree of Product Homogeneity. If products are standardized and identical, it is more advisable to go
for undifferentiated or concentrated marketing.
3. Market Homogeneity. If there is a diverse market, differentiated marketing is advisable. If the market has a lot of
similarities, undifferentiated marketing maybe used.

4. Competitor's Strategy. It is important to assess the strategy competitors are using so the the correct strategy can
be implemented to counter their marketing efforts. If competition is doing undifferentiated marketing, it would be
advantageous to do differentiated or concentrated marketing. If competitors are doing segmentation, concentrated
marketing is a must.

4. Market Positioning
Market positioning is developing competitive positioning for the product and an appropriate marketing
mix. (Kotler, 2010)

Positioning has everything to do with the deliberate way by which marketers would want to position their product in
the consciousness of its prospective customers. Its goal is to identify the product's unique characteristics in a way
that will differentiate it in the marketplace. Theses three positioning concepts will help reinforce the idea of market
position: (1) unique selling proposition, (2) competitive advantage, and (3) top of mind.

Unique selling proposition (USP) is a term used to identify what makes the product or service different from
others. This USP may occur due to the product's physical attributes, added services, personnel, location, or
image (Kotler et al. 2010).

Competitive advantage is the product's advantage over competitorss, which is gained by offering grater value by
offering lower prices or providing more benefits to justify higher prices (Kotler et al. 2010).

Top of mind is the highest level of recall that a brand receives. It means that the brand occupies the top spot in a
consumer's mind. The ultimate top of mind level a brand can reach is when it becomes a synonymous to the generic.
Market positioning is a deliberate way of making sure that the product has a high recall in the consumer's minds
relative to its competitors.

Some positioning strategies include the following:

1. Specific product attributes such as price and special features can be used to position a product.
2. The product can also be positioned based on its benefits and the needs the product fills.
3. Positioning the product based on certain classes or segments of users can also be done.
4. A company can decide to position itself against an existing competitor and present its edge  over said competitor.