Within the larger national context, diversity is said to be important and very few people dare to socially state their displeasure with the term and what it means. Let’s agree in our politically correct world that diversity is appreciated and that there is value ascribed. But what would this mean for organizations of learning, working, teaching and/or monetary exchange? Whether the organization is Search Fund Accelerator, corporate or academic in nature, the growing trend is to highlight an organization’s diversity. With this being done, the question can be asked, “What strategies can be employed to increase diversity within an organization?”. Organizations, specifically the leadership, should:
- Demonstrate the Value of Diversity: This requires that individuals acknowledge the various differences needed within an organization. This is further seen in the process where organizational employees and their potential are recognized and developed. Employees working toward their strengths and having a broader world view tend to be more productive. Productivity can be translated into capital gains. An example of this can be seen with MFG.com, a high-growth venture backed global internet marketplace for the manufacturing industry. During his time at MFG.com, Sherwin Krug developed a dynamic initiative to promote and invest in diversity whereby global awareness would become a direct benefit. This initiative allowed for employees willing to take their vacation outside of the United States to receive $500 towards their trip, $250 for their spouse, and an extra day of vacation. The value on diversity was so great that the company was willing to make a financial investment in their employees to gain a different, more inclusive perspective.
- Consider the Impact: We live in a global society where information is transmitted and becomes available in seconds. The nature of how business is conducted has rapidly changed as a result of technology. Organizational leaders, who fail to understand global needs and their implications, fail to have a progressive strategic plan. Progressive and inclusive plans consider the local, national, and global impact an organization desires to have and what is needed in terms of resources, particularly a diversity of human resources.
- Be Proactive: A part of being strategic is thinking 3-5 years into the future on a short-term basis, and even more time long-term. Organizations must consider changing trends and be in a position to anticipate future needs. These trends include a workforce having an increase in: (1) racial and ethnic minorities, (2) women, (3) tech driven and savvy individuals, as well as a (4) cross generation of employees (Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials (also known as Generation Y)) each with varying needs, opinions, and world views.
- Be Responsive: This is in no way in opposition to the previous point, but rather, it is in conjunction. Organizations need to be responsive to their employees and the community being served (directly and indirectly). To be responsive, organizations must know the strengths and capabilities of their staff and trust their staff to do the jobs they were hired to do. Additionally, organizations must know their customers. Organizational leader should frequently try to ascertain, “Who are our customers, what are their expectations, what services should we be providing, and how do we know this information?” Effective response strategies enables a company to deliver the highest standards of employee and/or customer care at a time when it is needed. Technology now affords individuals and businesses with the ability to be responsive in minutes. We live in the age of blogs, text messaging, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Myspace, Email, and a host of other new media technologies that enable rapid communication among connected individuals, in addition to the telephone whether mobile or landline (as landlines still have their place and usage in our society). With all these varied potential methods of communication, it would be rather difficult for a company or its leadership not to be responsive.
Be Dynamic: Static by its very definition means lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in a way viewed as undesirable or uninteresting. Static businesses are eventually viewed with having “Going Out of Business” signs in their windows. Businesses are in place to meet specific societal needs. When those needs are no longer being met; realistically, there is no need for that specific type of business. When an organization understands the value of being dynamic, they tend to be creative and innovative. Earlier this year, Business Week published an article titled: “For Corporate Training, MGM Resorts Puts on a Show”. At first glance, the article appears simple and unassuming. However, when the nuts and bolts are analyzed, the reader learns that MGM wanted to get their message of being “the greatest company in the world” out “fast enough” and in “a way to reach everyone” in the organization. So gone was the use of PowerPoint slides and in was a show written, produced, and starring MGM employees – Inspiring Our World: A Musical Journey, which explored MGM’s commitment to diversity and sustainability. The noted highlight of the production was a series of employee testimonials about race, gender, religious, and weight-related discrimination. This was MGM’s attempt to increase attendance and get all of their 62,000 Las Vegas-based employees through its corporate diversity program.
Successful businesses are mirrors of the leaders at the helm. Leaders demonstrating these skills are in reality organizations demonstrating these skills. As we move toward fostering a more equitable and inclusive society, we must be very mindful of where we are organizationally and where we are headed. Not being cognizant of these items is being irresponsible.
At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves:
What, if anything, do we truly lose by not valuing diversity?
I would love to hear from you…What’s your opinion? Please leave your comments below*.
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Dr. Huntt: First off, I enjoyed the way you broke it down to 5 steps which made it easy to follow and learn from. On the question posed by you, I find that it is not a question at all of “if”; there is definitely a loss involved when one fails to value diversity. As our world continually develops, diversity is no longer simply one's sex or skin color, but it can encompass a number of things. Individuals have diverse skill sets, diverse experiences, as well as diverse views on both work and life. What failing to value diversity does to an organization is that it limits their potential to really maximize operations. The question of diversity can include the age and experience of potential employees. Take for example, a recent college graduate who possesses only 2 years of work experience, but brings with him energy and great visions for the future as compared to another candidate who has over 10 years of experience. The experienced worker has a solid track record of doing a good job, but his track record is limited in spearheading new movements. Who should the firm hire? Well, I find that in this case it is dependent on the current workforce which can dictate the needs of the firm. The experienced worker has a good work ethic which makes him a safe bet, while the recent graduate is more of a “wildcard” that has shown the potential to be a great forward thinker. In this case, the current workforce blend could factor into the hire; if the organization has many experienced workers already (identical to the candidate), then a good option is possibly the potential of the less experienced candidate. In this instance, the experience worker is a good hire, but it fails to bring into account the value of diversity; it simply maintains the status quo. Diversity can be about bringing in a good group of people whose individual traits are great, but together they obtain optimal synergy. I find that as the economy is global, the talent pool is so diverse, and that the most successful firms will be the ones which continually look to tap into these talent pools and find the right blend of employees. V/r, March
MPS191 thank you for your comment. First, let me start off by saying that I agree with you – diversity encompasses a number of things. For the purpose of this blog article, I chose to focus on the benefits and impact of the cultural component of diversity. In no way were other aspects of diversity being excluded or relegated to a lesser standard. I agree with you that as the economy has become global and the talent pool more diverse, the most successful firms are the ones which continually tap into diverse talent pools and find the right blend of employees. However without using the preaching to the choir framework, we should acknowledge that there are organizations that unfortunately still do not value “diversity” and make use the quota and checkmark systems along the traditional diversity lines (even in this day and age) and are considered successfully (this is a whole other slice of pie that we can address in another blog article). As with any other aspect of diversity, the cultural component brings a few benefits to organizations. These potentially include (all within a nonjudgmental framework) an expanded worldview, a different way of being, and a different way of doing (processing). Broadly defined cultural diversity disrupts the status quo in whatever form it exists in. For the purpose of this article, it includes a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place, society, or organization. This could be regionally- (i.e., north-south), nationally- or globally- based. Even within the example you provided, there are cultural nuisances to be considered. It is here that the definition or construct of a term becomes paramount. Cultural diversity here is loosely defined. Based on the fact pattern outlined, it could be safely deduced that the two individuals are from varying cultures (dependent on age, experience, and technological know-how). Both have varying strengths which would be GREAT for a company. The previous question that would have been asked is, “Which one is better?” However, this is the wrong question. The answer does not rest in who is better, but rather in the diversity value that is ascribed to each individual. In order for businesses (whether large or small) to become or remain competitive and ultimately successful, the question has to be reframed to, “What type of person do we need to have in place and what skill sets should that person possess in order to advance our company? I believe that it is in the answer to these questions that the real value of diversity is seen. What do you think? Join the conversation…..
~~People do not lose anything from valuing diversity. Valuing diversity can allow people to gain knowledge, friendship, and insight. Cultural diversity is an important aspect of the world today; furthermore, it is a vitally important concept of ethics. Ethics is about respecting others and giving them the honesty they deserve. People cannot respect others differences, until they fully understand them. In Digital Media Ethics, the author explains that when people develop respect and acceptance of different norms, beliefs, and practices of cultures, they will possess a better understanding of the Other, (Ess, 2009, p. 110). These rules should not only be applied to the business world, but to everyday citizens. In today's society, it is important to be culturally diverse in every aspect. For example, schools teach about specific cultures and display their cultural diversity. The strategies that you listed are important for understanding the uniqueness of each individual. Every person is completely different from another individual. Differences should be embraced rather than discouraged because they give people their identity. Additionally, I completely agree with you that the leaders are the examples. Many people do not realize the impact the leaders are having on the world today. Whether they enjoy it or not, the leaders of the world are in the spotlight; furthermore, they should remember the people that are watching. Overall, diversity should be employed by everyone because people are only losing out on the insight they could have gained from other unique individuals.
Ess, C. (2009). Digital media ethics. Cambridge: Polity.
Brooke C. Smith
Undergraduate Student
Drury University