diversity and its means

http://saharconsulting.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/6-advantages-of-workplace-diversity/

MARCH 26, 2010 BY SAHARCONSULTING
6 advantages of Workplace Diversity

Workplace Diversity
Why should 0rganizations and businesses care about Diversity & Inclusion now?
Diversity and inclusion affect not only the businesses’ people and operations internally but also their customers, suppliers, and other external stakeholders.
The most important key ingredient in this shift is:
A) The changing demographics in the US. Minorities, now roughly one-third of the US population, are expected to become the majority by 2042. Considering consumer purchasing power in 2013, Hispanics will account for 9.9 % of all US buying power;African-Americans will have an 8.8% share; and Asians will represent a 5.4% share, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) will reach a buying power of $835 billion by 2013 (as per some surveys)
B) Globalization, and the changing faces—in terms of language, culture, and religion—of both customers and workers will represent an even more diverse mix.
C) Generational gaps: The new trend the trend of people living longer and retiring later, resulted in four distinct generationsworking side by side—conservatives, baby boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y or Millennials—each with its own mind-set, work habits, technology attitudes, and customs.
D) Increasing number of dual-income families and single working mothers
Leading companies know it’s essential to consistently maintain diversity as a top business imperative over a period of, at minimum, five years before diversity can gain traction and become part of the way those companies do business. True diversity is not just about the mix that constitutes the workforce; it’s also about a company’s customers and business partners.

Advantages of Workplace Diversity:
Businesses are recognizing the need and importance of investing in diversity and inclusion as part of their overall talent management practices and to continually challenge their organizations to make the connection between those principles and their corporate performance.. Diversity is especially crucial in today’s global marketplace, as companies interact with different cultures and clients. The payoffs touch every area of the business by potentially resulting in increased creativity, increased productivity, new attitudes, new language skills, global understanding, new processes, and new solutions to difficult problems. greater agility, better market insight, stronger customer and community loyalty, innovation, and improved employee recruitment and retention. The businesses that fail to see the importance of Diversity and inclusion might find themselves unable to attract and retain the kinds of customers, employees, and business partners that constitute our changing world in 5 to 10 years
Among the advantages of diversity in the workplace are:
1. Increased Productivity: Diversity and Inclusion brings in diverse different talents together working towards a common goal using different sets of skills that ignites their loyalty and increases their retention and productivity
2. Increased creativity and Problem solving: With so many different and diverse minds coming together many more solutions will arise as every individual brings in their way of thinking, operating and solving problems and decision making
3. Attract and Retain talent that add a competitive edge to any organization. Feeling included and appreciated increases loyalty and feeling of belonging. Language skills pool is increased and propels organization forward either to compete in the International global world or to increase its diverse customer base
4. Help to build synergy in teams and enhances communication skills that brings in new attitudes and processes that profit the whole team
5. Applying the proper diversity& inclusion management strategies does not only save money on litigation expenses generated by discrimination lawsuits but is the right thing to do for the business.
6. It increases market share and create a satisfied diverse customer base by relating to people from different backgrounds. It does propel the United States and its status to claim its place and success in the global business world of the 21st century
The advantages of diversity& Inclusion embracing affects the base line revenues of any organization and can be the make or break of any business. Ignoring the effects or the existence of diversity in this global new market will only keep organizations back loosing on all the productivity and most important profitability of any business and its core of existence.
Cheers,

http://www.ehow.com/info_7892875_workplace-diversity-increase-productivity.html

Does Workplace Diversity Increase Productivity?
By Angela Ogunjimi, eHow Contributor

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To improve productivity, think in terms of diversity of skills and talents when forming teams.
The business case for diversity is well established. Having a skilled workforce with varied backgrounds in terms of demographics and abilities helps produce better products, establishes better rapport between businesses and their customers and helps companies enter new markets. Only a handful of studies have systematically examined whether diverse teams are more productive than homogeneous ones, however. The results are mixed. Diversity can help and hurt productivity. The difference depends on how well your organization strategically uses your diverse workforce. Diversity for diversity 's sake will probably be an expensive time-waster for your company. Your organization will reap productivity gains, however, if you put together teams with a diversity of skills.
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About Diversity Training
Ten Ways to Increase Workplace Productivity
1. Business Case for Diversity
Recruiting, retaining and promoting diverse employees is essential to an organization 's success in a constantly evolving marketplace. Because of shifts in terms of the United States ' workforce as well as the need to expand globally, companies have instituted wide-scale diversity initiatives. The payoff has been an infusion of new ideas and innovative thinking. That has turned into better products, better customer service and access to new client bases --- along with a healthy boost to the bottom line. You may think of diversity in terms of demographics, such as race, gender, age and sexual orientation. But your workforce can be diverse in far more ways, and when it comes to productivity, diversity in background, skills, education, experience and ideas may be what counts the most.
Diversity and Team Work
Diversity in the workplace changes team dynamics. As long as everyone has equal opportunity to express ideas and act on them, the end result is positive for the company. Research from Stanford 's Graduate School of Business, for example, says that when done well, diversity sparks constructive conflict --- debate --- around the task at hand. Different people get together to solve a problem, bringing together the wealth of their various backgrounds. However, when diversity is not well managed, it can also create costly conflict, engendered by miscommunication or lopsided opportunity.
A Productivity Boon
Two research studies, one by a group of business professors from Washington University in St. Louis and another by Census Bureau researchers, concluded that overall, diversity has a positive effect on worker productivity. It happens in different ways than you probably imagine, however. The WUSTL researchers evaluated the productivity of workers in factory that shifted from paying based on piecework to group productivity. They found those groups with diversity in skills --- different kinds of experience and training --- were the most productive. And because they were so productive, and earned the most money, these groups experienced less frequent turnover, saving the company even more money. Members of the team were able to offer unique contributions. Their value to the team wasn 't based on a variable they couldn 't control, like race or age, but rather on their abilities.
Productivity Bust
When you group workers together simply based on a perceived need to have different demographics working together, you can create communication problems, which ruin their productivity. Some workers may have a natural preference to work with people who are similar, and if they have not been educated about the business benefits of diversity, they may feel threatened and imposed upon. This could limit how much information they share with team members. These loosely tied groups also have less trust among members. In addition, if some employees ' opinions are valued and acted upon more than others, your organization is bound to see higher turnover, all of which negatively affect productivity.
Get It Right
It 's easy to get diversity wrong. What 's important to remember is that diversity, like any other initiative, must support your business goals. It 's not a feel-good solution, so don 't worry about painting a rainbow with your workforce. By seeking to maximize the talents and skills of your workforce, demographic diversity and improved productivity will be natural by-products.

http://gameswithwords.fieldofscience.com/2008/01/does-diversity-increase-productivity.html

Does diversity increase productivity?
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Posted by josh on Wednesday, January 09, 2008
One of the arguments for diversity-based hiring is that a more diverse workforce is more productive. Is that true?

Scott E. Page, a professor of complex systems, political science and economics and the University of Michigan argues that it does. He uses mathematical models and case studies to support the claims, which themselves are pretty straight forward.

Here 's a quote from a recent interview in the New York Times:
The problems we face in the world are very complicated. Any one of us can get stuck. if we 're in an organization where everyone thinks in the same way, everyone will get stuck in the same place.

But if we have people with diverse tools, they 'll get stuck in different places. One person can do their best, and then someone else can come in and improve on it.
Of course, this isn 't exactly a new idea. But ideas are a dime a dozen. What Page has are data.

On a related topic, Richard Hackman of Harvard University, who also studies the productivity of work teams, is now arguing that panels of experts can be less productive due to their expertise. He specifically argues that blue-ribbon commissions like the 9/11 Commission are often unproductive because, although they are filled with people with a great deal of expertise, such panels are often very inefficient at using that expertise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_(business)

Diversity (business)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For financial strategy, see Diversification (finance).

[hide]This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
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The "business case for diversity" stem from the progression of the models of diversity within the workplace since the 1960s. The original model for diversity was situated around affirmative action drawing strength from the law and a need to comply withequal opportunity employment objectives. This compliance-based model gave rise to the idea that tokenism was the reason an individual was hired into a company when they differed from the dominant group. This primarily included race, ethnicity, andgender. Although affirmative action is the law, in most cases, U.S. employers are prohibited by federal and state laws from giving race or ethnicity any consideration in hiring or assigning employees,[1] including hiring to fill diversity quotas. However, theU.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of limited preferences based on race, ethnicity, and sex, when there is a “manifest imbalance” in a “traditionally segregated job category”.[2][3]
The social justice model evolved next and extended the idea that individuals outside of the dominant group should be given opportunities within the workplace, not only because it was the law, but because it was the right thing to do. This model still revolved around the idea of tokenism, but it also brought in the notion of hiring based on a "good fit". From social justice developed the model of representation and diversity acceptance where the scope of diversity expanded beyond gender, race and ethnicity to include age, sexual orientation, and physical ability. Today, the diversity model is one of inclusion which reflects a globalized economy and multicultural work force where value is placed on diversity of thought, and the perspectives shared from individual standpoints are seen to benefit organizations that are savvy enough to capitalize on them.[4] The business case for diversity theorizes that, in a global marketplace, a company that employs a diverse workforce, is better able to understand thedemographics of the marketplace it serves and is thus better equipped to thrive in thatmarketplace than a company that has a more limited range of employee demographics.
Beyond having a workforce that mirrors the changing demographics of the global consumer market and the ability to better understand their desires and preferences, productivity, and costs can be analyzed to assist in building the business case for diversity. In the deficit model, organizations that do not have a strong diversity inclusion culture will invite lower productivity, higher absenteeism, and higher turnoverwhich will result in higher costs to the company.[5] On the other hand, a company choosing to foster an inclusive environment for increased productivity, better problem-solving capabilities, and increased market share is applying the investment model, or value-added model to diversity inclusion strategies. Either model, however, requires an intentional implementation from top leadership for the culture to truly be one of inclusion and acceptance. However, there is a lack of documented evidence that either model of diversity in hiring actually helps a business financially.
Contents
[hide]
1 Classification of workplaces
2 Role of leadership
3 Benefits
4 Challenges
5 Diversity inclusion as a strategic initiative
5.1 Liberal change
5.2 Radical changes
5.3 Transformational change
6 Implementation
7 See also
8 References
Classification of workplaces[edit]
In a journal article entitled "The multicultural organization" by Taylor Cox, Jr., Cox talks about three organization types that focus on the development of cultural diversity. The three types are: the monolithic organization, the plural organization, and the multicultural organization. In the monolithic organization, the amount of structural integration (the presence of persons from different cultural groups in a single organization) is minimal and white male privilege is very tangible. This type of organization may have women and marginalized members within the workforce, but not in positions of leadership and power.[6]
The plural organization has a more heterogeneous membership than the monolithic organization and takes steps to be more inclusive of persons from cultural backgrounds that differ from the dominant group. This type of organization seeks to empower those from a marginalized standpoint to encourage opportunities for promotion and positions of leadership.[6]
The multicultural organization not only contains many different cultural groups, but it values this diversity. It encourages healthy conflict as a source of avoiding groupthink.[7]
Role of leadership[edit]
The culture of an organization is reflective of the leadership. Exploring organizations that have experienced dramatic culture shifts, such as NASA from the height and success of the Apollo era to the demise of the Challenger and Columbia days, it is evident that the culture was in large part affected by the top leaders.[8] A study of successful multicultural organizations as opposed to monolithic and plural organizations can be understood by applying theories of leadership which have evolved over time. Trait leadership theory suggests that leadership is dependent on physical and social attributes of the individual and greatly based on European cultures.[9]Theories that deal with power and authority will include the autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles which reference the management and subordinate relationship to distributing and sharing power. These can overlap and lend themselves to situational leadership which Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard suggested depends the combination of the relationship behavior and the tasks at hand.[10] The last types of leadership which underscore those of the multicultural organizations are transformational and discursive leadership. Transformational leadership focuses on change agents and those with a competency to see the vision for the future and communicate it to others. Discursive leadership takes a closer examination of a leaders ability to shape the organizational talk, meaning and resulting interpretations from all discursive acts, symbols and vocabulary.[9] The combination of these last two leadership styles creates a culture that allows and encourages mid-level managers to use diversity as an influential resource in order to enhance organizational effectiveness. In the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, C.L. Walck defines managing diversity in the workplace as "Negotiating interaction across culturally diverse groups, and contriving to get along in an environment characterized by cultural diversity".[11]
Benefits[edit]
Diversity is claimed to be beneficial to both the organization and the members as noted above. Diversity is said to bring substantial potential benefits such as better decision making and improved problem solving, greater creativity and innovation, which leads to enhanced product development, and more successful marketing to different types of customers.[4][6] Diversity provides organizations with the ability to compete in global markets.[12] Simply recognizing diversity in a corporation helps link the variety of talents within the organization.[13] The act of recognizing diversity also allows for those employees with these talents to feel needed and have a sense of belonging, which in turn increases their commitment to the company and allows each of them to contribute in a unique way.[14] Standpoint theory suggests that marginalized groups bring a different perspective to an organization that challenges the status quo since their socially constructed world view will differ from that of the dominant group.[15] Although the standpoint of the dominant group will often carry more weight, a transformational leader will encourage conflicting standpoints to coexist within an organization which will create a forum for sanctioned conflict to ensue. Conflict stems from challenging the way things have always been done, and/or ideas and problems that have not been explored from multiple perspectives. Standpoint theory gives a voice to those in a position to see patterns of behavior that those immersed in the culture have difficulty acknowledging.[16] From this perspective, these unique and varying standpoints help to eradicate groupthink which can develop within a homogenous group.[4] Scott Page’s (2007)[17] mathematical modeling research of team work reflects this view. His models demonstrated that heterogeneous teams consistently out-performed homogeneous teams on a variety of tasks. Page points out, however, that diversity in teamwork is not always simple and that there are many challenges to fostering an inclusive environment in the workplace for diversity of thought and ideas.
Challenges[edit]
One of the greatest challenges an organization has when trying to adopt a more inclusive environment is assimilation for any member outside of the dominant group. A number of scholars have studied the interplay between power, ideology, and discursive acts which serve to reinforce the hegemonic structure of organizations.[18] Everything from organizational symbols, rituals, and stories serve to maintain the position of power held by the dominant group.[18] Extending this concept to diversity inclusion where organizations seek to hire or promote individuals that are not part of this dominant group into management positions, a difficult tension develops between the socially constructed organizational norm and acceptance of cultural diversity. Often these individuals are mentored and coached to adopt the necessary traits for inclusion into the privileged group as opposed to being embraced for their differences.[4][15] According to the journal article "Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: The State of the Field", Marlene G. Fine explains that "those who assimilate are denied the ability to express their genuine selves in the workplace; they are forced to repress significant parts of their lives within a social context that frames a large part of their daily encounters with other people". Fine goes on to mention that "People who spend significant amounts of energy coping with an alien environment have less energy left to do their jobs. Assimilation does not just create a situation in which people who are different are likely to fail, it also decreases the productivity of organizations".[12]
Another challenge faced by organizations striving to foster a more diverse workforce is the management of a diverse population. Managing diversity is more than simply acknowledging differences in people.[19] A number of organizational theorists have suggested that work-teams which are highly diverse can be difficult to motivate and manage for a variety of reasons. A major challenge is miscommunication within an organization. There are competencies, however, which help to develop effective communication in diverse organizational environments. These skills include self-monitoring, empathy, and strategic decision-making. Self-monitoring refers to a communicator 's awareness of how his/her behavior affects another person along with his/her willingness to modify this behavior based on knowledge of its impact. Empathy enables the receiver to go beyond the literal meaning of a message and consider the communicator 's feelings, values, assumptions, and needs. Strategic decision-making implies that the communication sources and channels used to reach organization members, as well as the substance of the messages conveyed, are mindfully selected.[20] In her article entitled "Developing Receiver-Centered Communication in Diverse Organizations", Judi Brownell explains that a message meaning can never be completely shared because no two individuals experience events in exactly the same way. Even when native and non-native speakers are exposed to the same messages, they may interpret the information differently.[20] Each interprets messages and discerns meanings based on their unique standpoint, and without a willingness to accept differing standpoints, an environment is created where the marginalized groups have no voice.[21]
This is an additional challenge that diverse organizations face, maintaining a culture which supports the idea of employee voice especially for marginalized group members. When the organizational environment is not supportive of dissenting viewpoints, employees may choose to remain silent for fear of repercussions,[22] or they may seek alternative safe avenues to express their concerns and frustrations such as on-line forums and affinity group meetings.[23] By finding opportunities such as these to express dissent, individuals can begin to gather collective support and generate collective sense-making which creates a voice for the marginalized members so they can have a collective voice to trigger change.[22]
Diversity inclusion as a strategic initiative[edit]
Managing diversity goes far beyond the limits of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) recognize that strategic planning is necessary for creating a productive, diverse workforce. They seek out continuous learning opportunities and ongoing diversity sensitivity training for organizational managers and staff. Managers must be willing to work towards changing the organization in order to create a culture of diversity and inclusion that follows the mission, vision, and values set forth by the leadership. Three approaches towards corporate diversity management can be distinguished: Liberal Change, Radical Change, and Transformational Change.[24]
Liberal change[edit]
The liberal concept recognizes equality of opportunity in practice when all individuals are enabled freely and equally to compete for social rewards. The aim of the liberal change model is to have a fair labor market from which the best person is chosen for a job based solely on performance. To support this concept, a framework of formal rules has been created and policymakers are responsible for ensuring that these rules are enforced on all so none shall be discriminated against.
One weakness of the liberal view is that the formal rules cannot cover every aspect of work life, as there is almost always an informal aspect to work such as affinity groups, hidden transcripts, and alternative informal communication channels.[25][26] The liberal-change approach centers on law, compliance, and legal penalties for non-compliance. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees and job applicants in the United States from discrimination by employers. In Europe, the 1957 Treaties of Romeestablish the right to equal pay for women and men. In 2000 the European Parliamentand the Council passed EU directives concerning equal opportunities at work. Directive 2000/78/EC establishes a framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. Directive 2006/54/EC deals with the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation. These anti-discrimination laws uphold affirmative action and ensures equal treatment for job applicants and employers regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or belief structure.
Radical changes[edit]
In contrast to the liberal approach, radical change seeks to intervene directly in the workplace practices in order to achieve balanced workforces (in regard to all diversity dimensions), as well as a fair distribution of rewards among employees. The radical approach is thus more outcome focused than focused on the forming the rules to ensure equal treatment.[26] One major tool of radical change is quotas which are set by companies or national institutions with the aim to regulate diversity of the workforce and equal opportunities. Quota systems are critically discussed concerning their effectiveness. Arguments for and against quota systems in companies or public institutions include contrasting ideas such as: quotas compensate for actual barriers that prevent marginalized members from attaining their fair share of managerial positions to quotas are against equal opportunity for all and imply that a marginalized member only got the position to fill the quota.[27] Sweden’s quota system for parliamentary positions is a positive case for radical change through quota setting.[28]A quota system was introduced at the Swedish parliament with the aim of ensuring that women constitute at least a ‘critical minority’ of 30 or 40 percent of all parliament seats. Since the introduction of the system, women representation in parliament has risen dramatically even above the defined quota. Today, 47.3 percent of parliamentary representatives are women, a number which stands out compared to the global average of 19%.
Transformational change[edit]
Transformational change covers an equal opportunity agenda for both the immediate need as well as long-term solutions.[29] For the short term it implements new measures to minimize bias in procedures such as recruitment or promotion. The long term, however, is seen as a project of transformation for organizations. This approach acknowledges the existence of power systems and seeks to challenge the existing hegemony through implementation of equality values.
One illustrative case for transformational change is ageing management;[30] Younger employees are seen as more innovative and flexible, while older employees are associated with higher costs of salary, benefits, and healthcare needs.[31] Therefore companies may prefer young workers to older staff. Through application of the transformational concept an immediate intervention provides needed relief while a longer-term culture shift occurs.
For the short-term, an organization can set up legislation preventing discrimination based on age (e.g., Age Discrimination in Employment Act). However, for the long-term solution, negative stereotypes of older employees needs to be replaced with the positive realization that older employees can add value to the workplace through their experience and knowledge base.[32] To balance this idea with the benefit of innovation and flexibility that comes with youth, a mixture of ages in the workforce is ideal.[33]Through transformational change, the short-term solution affords the organization the time necessary to enact deep rooted culture changes leading to a more inclusive environment.
Implementation[edit]
Diversity issues change over time, depending on local historical and dynamic conditions. Intentional "diversity programs" can assist schools, government agencies, and businesses facing rapid demographic changes in their local consumer market and labor pool by helping people work and understand one other better.[4] Resources exist through best practice cases of organizations that have successfully created inclusive environments supporting and championing diversity.
An example of a company involved with creating diversity in the workplace is MentorNet,[34] a nonprofit online mentoring organization that focuses on women and underrepresented minorities in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. MentorNet has used an algorithm to match over 30,000 mentor relationships since 1997. The organization gives students, especially women and underrepresented minorities, the chance to seek mentors to discuss how to overcome diversity obstacles in their fields and eventually their workplace.
Implementing diversity inclusion initiatives must start with the commitment from the top. Hegemony refers to the dominant structure where one group is benefitting over others; however, the dominant group is not "doing" this to the other marginalized groups, Mumby claims all members are a part of actively participating and maintaining the dominant structure.[35] Max Weber used a web metaphor to explain that we live in a socially constructed web of meaning which we ourselves create and which we cannot live outside of.[18] Individuals therefore have agency to create the structure and influence it through communication discourse practices, yet they are simultaneously constrained by what they create. When practical consciousness, which Gidden 's refers to as taken for granted knowledge and behavior as a naturalized "way it is", is interrupted, then intentional change to the hegemonic system can occur.[18] For this reason, with a commitment from top leaders in an organization to change the existing culture to one of diversity inclusion, the diversity change management process can succeed. This process includes analyzing where the organization is currently at through a diversity audit, creating a strategic action plan, gaining support by seeking stakeholder input, and holding individuals accountable through measurable results.[4] In the case of universities, the representation of women and underrepresented minorities among faculty in STEM departments can be compared against the analogous national data reported in the Nelson Diversity Surveys, as a means of assessment.

http://woman.thenest.com/workplace-diversity-increase-productivity-12394.html

Does Workplace Diversity Increase Productivity? by Lisa Finn, Demand Media

Smart employers embrace differences to get the job done.
The 22-year-old assistant who constantly checks her social media status can be irritating, but not when you need a Twitter campaign launched in 10 minutes. Instead of seeing her as annoying, consider her an asset: while she differs in age and experience from the rest of the team, her tech-savvy skills and pop-culture knowledge in invaluable. According to Douglas N. Silverstein, a Los Angeles-based employment and labor law attorney at Kesluk & Silverstein, P.C., when employees of diverse backgrounds get together, productivity soars. The mixture of skills, experiences and opinions allows for more creative ideas, quicker solutions and the ability to serve a broader range of clients.
Cultural Differences
A variety of cultures within the workplace helps to capture clients on a global scale, says Brad Karsh, president of Chicago-based JB Training Solutions, a company that works with employers to enhance business skills. "Clients want to do business with people who understand their culture and can appreciate shared experiences or backgrounds." If a corporation from Budapest hires an American advertising agency to launch a campaign, it benefits everyone if a creative or executive on the company 's team speaks Hungarian. A genuine appreciation and understanding for a culture will make presentations, business meetings and communication more targeted and accurate.
Generational Distance
In 2012, there were 22,857 age discrimination claims filed, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. What employers who discriminate fail to realize is that a diverse mixture of ages can appeal to a broader customer base, make execution of documents and ideas more effective, and help the company come up with multiple solutions to problems. When all age groups are respected in the workplace, employees feel appreciated and valued. This makes them work harder, volunteer for leadership roles and engage in philanthropic initiatives.
Gender Roles
Having representation from all sexes -- male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender and non-sexed -- can increase marketing opportunities, recruitment and business image, and creativity. If three men are responsible for choosing a woman 's purse color, it helps tremendously if a female employer also reviews the color swatches. When a company recruits at a college, it behooves them to have an openly gay male and executive female, for example, sitting at the table in the hopes of attracting like-minded candidates. The more gender representation a company has, the better chance it has at success in all areas.
Diverse Skill Set
A 2004 research study by a group of business professors from Washington University in St. Louis concluded that, overall, workplace teams that possessed diverse employee skill sets were the most productive. The group 's diverse experience and training skills allowed each person to make a unique contribution to the team. Because of this, employees enjoyed great personal and job satisfaction. Workers earned a better salary; managers experienced less turnover; and the company saved money.

http://www.proven-training-solutions.com/performance-management/diversity-and-inclusion-training/

Cultural Diversity Training Fosters Respect, Productivity
The workplace nowadays is a global community. People of different genders, cultures and social backgrounds get together every day to work and solve problems in what should be a respectful environment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, people have difficulty working with others who are different from them simply due to a lack of understanding. If this is the case in your workplace, diversity and inclusion training may be right for you.
We often hear about sexual harassment in the workplace, but there are other forms of harassment which occur as well. Cultural diversity training helps employees recognize the different forms harassment can take and ways to avoid making inappropriate remarks due to ignorance. When it comes to a culturally diverse workplace, ignorance is not bliss, and diversity and inclusion training can help employees see and celebrate differences as well as similarities.
With diversity and inclusion training, the following benefits can be reaped:
Celebration of differences
Reduction of conflicts
Greater innovation on projects
Encouragement of flexibility and creativity
Recognition of a wider range of skills
Reduction of harassing behaviors
Cultural diversity training allows employees and managers alike to see the benefits of having a diversified work staff. In the past, the office setting typically consisted of white males. Nowadays, the modern office has both men and women from all backgrounds and all nationalities, cultures and races. In such a setting, it’s important everyone feels like a part of a larger community and feels comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas.
With cultural diversity training, employees and employers alike can learn to appreciate both the similarities and the differences in what everyone brings to the table. Diversity and inclusion training lets workers see how great it is when there are many different minds working together toward a common goal.
Diversity and inclusion training is especially beneficial for companies and industries where women and people of color make up less of the staff. Often, these groups may be overlooked when it comes to upper level management positions. By placing these individuals in management roles, new ideas can flourish and the status quo can be challenged.
Cultural diversity training can assist everyone in becoming better workers. It can help foster respect and a sense of camaraderie among employees, which often leads to increased productivity as well as improved communication skills. Look in to a training program in your area to find a cultural diversity training system which works for your office.
With Proven Training Solutions, we come to you. Rather than spending a fortune to send a few upper-level employees to an off-site training program, let us come to you and spread our knowledge to everyone. Contact us for more information on how we can help your office.

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1787-staff-hiring-diversity.html

Diverse Staffs Are Happier, More Productive by Chad Brooks, BusinessNewsDaily Contributor | December 14, 2011 10:50am ET

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A diverse workforce helps businesses flourish and leads to a stronger staff of employees, a new study finds.
Led by Ryerson University professor Kristyn Scott, the study revealed that the more diverse a company’s workforce is, the more loyal, happy and productive its employees tend to be .
In order for the results to be seen, Scott said the commitment to diversity must be more than just superficial.
As opposed to a business that simply does what research and popular practice tells them to, such as showing pictures of diverse workers on their website, Scott believes businesses need to reinforce their commitment to diversity in every aspect of their corporate culture and practices to fully reap the rewards of a diverse staff .
"When you have an inclusive corporate culture, recruiting top talent becomes easier, group processes will be enhanced, which means employees are more likely to stay, which, in turn, increases the company’s bottom line," Scott said.
The study uses the Campbell Soup Company as an admirable example of a diverse organization. Some of the U.S.-based company 's diversity efforts include programs for its women, gay, Hispanic and Asian employees; its mission to consistently reinforce inclusion throughout all levels, from senior management to frontline workers; and training for managers on inclusive leadership, diversity awareness and being aware of unconscious biases.
"By weaving diversity into the very fabric of the company, not only does this embrace its employees, it makes for a happier and more productive workforce," Scott said.
The research, which was co-authored by Joanna Heathcote, a professor at the University of Toronto at Scarborough and Jamie Gruman, a professor at the University of Guelph, was based on reviews of about 100 diversity case studies from businesses in the U.S. and Canada. The full study is published in the current issue of Human Resource Management.

http://www.tlnt.com/2013/08/22/the-3-kinds-of-workplace-diversity-you-need-to-be-productive/

The 3 Kinds of Workplace Diversity You Need to Be Productive by Tim Sackett on Aug 22, 2013, 7:00 AM | 5 Comments

It’s widely held in the HR field that the most productive organizations are the most “diverse.”
The problem is that concept is misinterpreted by most HR Pros and executives. Most still believe that concept pertains to the ethnic diversity of your team (the color of the faces you hire).
It might be the greatest fallacy in the HR industry today!
In actuality, productivity has zero correlation with team ethnic diversity. So, what kind of diversity does make us more productive?
The 3 types of diversity you need
From Fast Company:
A growing body of research shows that diversity – in gender, thinking styles, and intro- and extroversion – is needed for teams to be their most productive.
Writing at 99u, Christian Jarrett, the psychologist-turned-writer behind the British Psychological Society’s superlative Research Digest blog, helps us to see why.“
You need three (3) types of diversity to get the most productivity out of your teams:
1. Gender;
2. Thinking style;
3. Behavioral Style.
None of those have anything to do with the color of your skin.
Let me break down the three types of diversity and why I think they have such impact on productivity:
Gender
To me this is good old nature at its best!
Boys want to impress girls, girls want to look good in front of boys — for the most part. Sometimes boys want to look good in front of other boys. I get that, I’m that old.
The other thing with gender that I’ve learned from being married 20 plus years, is that women and men sometimes think differently. Yes sometimes, which in itself will lead your team down a path in a number of ways with a number options if you have a good gender mix.
Gender diversity on teams in relation to productivity might have the greatest impact to positive productivity over anything else we can do.
Thinking Style
Whereas Gender is probably underutilized by HR Pros to help productivity, Thinking Styles might be the one we most rely on when thinking about non-ethnic diversity.
“It’s diversity of thought!” is the most over utilized statement in diversity — primarily because so few of us actually use real scientific tools to measure what someone’s thinking style is. “Oh, Tim’s old and a Republican so he must think one way, and Mary is young and Democrat, so she thinks the opposite!” is potentially so wrong, yet it’s how most organization determine ”Diversity of Thought.”
Behavioral Style
Having both introverted and extroverted individuals on a team is huge.
Too many people like me on a team and no one gets a word in edge-wise. Too many introverted folks and either nothing happens, or the one extroverted person controls the entire process. All can be very bad.
Getting your introverts in an environment where they are comfortable to share their knowledge is key to your organization’s performance.
This is not a message that is being shared to your executives at most organizations. They are still very “black and white’”in their thoughts on diversity.
While ethnic diversity can make great additions to your workplace culture, don’t mistake it for having positive impact to your productivity. There isn’t any science that proves this, yet.

http://diversityintheworkplace.ca/wordpress/2013/07/01/enhance-diverse-workplace-productivity-and-profitability/

Enhance Diverse Workplace: Productivity and Profitability
Posted on July 1, 2013 – 4:44 pmNo Comment | 458 views
By Gobinder Gill
Every organization wants to increase productivity and profits because at the end of the day that is actually what matters. And this often can be challenging in today’s diverse workforce which is comprised of different groups: Most experienced – born before 1946; Baby boomers; Gen-X; 20-something; multicultural diverse workforce (gays, lesbians and a variety of ethnicities).
Here a several steps to incorporate:
Build Trust
To build trust takes time and patience and does not occur overnight. It is important to show compassion and do what you are going to say. And offer valuable criticism for one to grow within the organization.
Make Them Part of Team
Teamwork is an exciting way to work and build camaraderie. It fosters creativity and gives each person a role to fill. It also tells your employees they are valued and your trust them– key ingredient for employee satisfaction.
Cultural Differences Lead to Misunderstandings
For instance, looking straight in the eyes of an Asian or South Asian person could be disrespectful. When you are speaking, they might look down a sign of respect. In Western cultures, we may view it as lying or not paying attention.
As a manager or leader, it is your responsibility to educate yourself first and foremost and then to pass that education onto your staff.
Trust and Respect Them
It seems everyone has a horror story about micromanager. It is just not a good way to build a positive working relationship and it belittles your role as a manager. An effective manager/leader defines and assigns tasks, creates a system of the assortment and evaluations, and then trusts employees have the ability to make it happen.
Be Able to Inspire Them
One of the ways to inspire employee is someone who they can trust, someone who is not afraid to make difficult decisions. And someone who provides an opportunity and hope. And also one who honestly enjoys their job and life.
In many cases, employees do not leave because of low wages but rather due to toxic work environment. It is important that all employees feel welcome and respected not only in harmony but for productivity and profits.

http://www.diversityresources.com/cultural-diversity-workplace.htm

4 Essential Skills by Dr. Richard T. Alpert, Ph.D.
President, Diversity Resources Inc.
From our increasingly diverse domestic workforce to the globalization of business, cultural competence is arguably the most important skill for effective work performance in the 21st century.
What is cultural diversity in the workplace? Culture refers to the values, norms, and traditions that affect the way a member of a group typically perceives, thinks, interacts, behaves, and makes judgments. It even affects perceptions of time, which can impact day-to-day scheduling and deadlines. Get an overview of all key aspects of diversity at the resource center.
Cultural competence, in brief, is the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures. This ability depends on awareness of one 's own cultural worldview, knowledge of other cultural practices and worldviews, tolerant attitudes towards cultural differences, and cross-cultural skills.
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The more different cultures work together, the more cultural competency training is essential to avoid problems. Cultural problems can range from miscommunication to actual conflict, all endangering effective worker productivity and performance. Training videoson diversity are excellent for developing awareness and respect.
Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures, and work with varying cultural beliefs and schedules. While there are myriad cultural variations, here are some essential to the workplace:
1. Communication: Providing information accurately and promptly is critical to effective work and team performance. This is particularly important when a project is troubled and needs immediate corrective actions. However, people from different cultures vary in how, for example, they relate to bad news. People from some Asian cultures are reluctant to give supervisors bad news - while those from other cultures may exaggerate it.
2. Team-building: Some cultures - like the United States - are individualistic, and people want to go it alone. Other cultures value cooperation within or among other teams. Team-building issues can become more problematic as teams are comprised of people from a mix of these cultural types. Effective cross-cultural team-building is essential to benefiting from the potential advantages of cultural diversity in the workplace
3. Time: Cultures differ in how they view time. For example, they differ in the balance between work and family life, and the workplace mix between work and social behavior. Other differences include the perception of overtime, or even the exact meaning of a deadline. Different perceptions of time can cause a great misunderstanding and mishap in the workplace, especially with scheduling and deadlines. Perceptions of time underscore the importance of cultural diversity in the workplace, and how it can impact everyday work.
4. Calendars: The business world generally runs on the western secular year, beginning with January 1 and ending with December 31. However, many cultures use other calendars to determine holidays such as New Years or specific holy days. For example, Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on a different day from western Christians. For Muslims, Friday is a day for prayer. Jews observe holidays ranging from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur. These variations affect the workplace as people require time off to observe their holidays. A cultural calendar is a helpful tool to ensure meetings are successful, and deadlines are met. So how does one develop cultural competence? Be sure to enjoy part 2 of this article, featured in our next newsletter. We 'll explore strategies, skills and techniques for helping people develop cultural competence.

References: by Chad Brooks, BusinessNewsDaily Contributor   |   December 14, 2011 10:50am ET Dreamstime.com