Importance of Diversity in an Organization

Diversity is a point of difference. Change, variation, dissimilarity.

For most organizations it involves creating an inclusive organization where the differences of all people are respected, valued and utilized towards achieving a common goal. Differences people bring to the work environment include race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, geographic background, education, economic background and thinking and communication styles.
Company leaders are always on the lookout for innovative ways to attract customers and increase sales. Diversity is an effective way to draw new employees who bring a wide range of talents, perspectives and problem-solving skills. A homogeneous employee population runs the risk of approaching marketplace challenges using the same ideas and thinking styles as they always have. A multicultural group not only generates fresh perspectives and suggestions, but they also can appeal to a more diverse network of customers
Factors to Consider in adopting a diverse workforce

The concept of workplace diversity might differ from company to company according to the rules and guidelines that have been stipulated for a particular purpose and also the meaning a company gives to it and how it is often utilised.

No one wants to pay a company for services and not get value for money a company that would employ a diverse workforce aims improve its productivity and income

When considering adopting a diverse work force, some important factors and attributes need to be taken into account, which involves the following:

Company type
Organisational culture
Company Location
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Importance of diversity in organization
Mutual Respect
Workplace diversity fosters mutual respect among employees. Whether employees work in groups or teams comprised of co-workers with varied work styles, or colleagues who represent different cultures or generations, a synergistic work environment become the norm. Although an idyllic atmosphere may be difficult to achieve, employees nevertheless recognize the many strengths and talents that diversity brings to the workplace and they gain respect for their colleagues’ performance.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict inevitably occurs in the work environment. However, employees who acknowledge others’ differences often also find similarities, particularly when there are common goals -- production and quality. Respect for co-workers either reduces the likelihood of conflict or facilitates an easier road to conflict resolution. The ability to resolve workplace conflict minimizes potential liability for employee complaints that would otherwise escalate to formal matters, such as litigation. Workplace diversity preserves the quality of employees’ relationships with their co-workers and their supervisors.
Business Reputation
Diversity in the workplace is important for employees because it manifests itself in building a great reputation for the company, leading to increased profitability and opportunities for workers. Workplace diversity is important within the organization as well as outside. Business reputations flourish when companies demonstrate their commitment to diversity through aggressive outreach and recruiting efforts. An organization known for its ethics, fair employment practices and appreciation for diverse talent is better able to attract a wider pool of qualified applicants. Other advantages include loyalty from customers who choose to do business only with companies whose business practices are socially responsible.
Job Promotion
The importance of workplace diversity cannot be overstated when it comes to an organization’s ability to reach markets in foreign countries. The appeal of global markets creates two kinds of opportunities for employee’s opportunities for promotion and employee development. A global marketplace opens doors for employees with diverse language skills and multicultural understanding to build global profit centres.
Increased Exposure
A diverse workplace offers more than exposure to employees from different cultures and backgrounds. Employees learn from co-workers whose work styles vary and whose attitudes about work vary from their own. This is particularly true for employees within multigenerational work environments. Traditional-generation workers learn new technology and processes from workers who belong to the technology sector.

Inclusion
Everyone brings distinct viewpoints to the office based upon their backgrounds and life experiences. These personal histories can touch upon religious beliefs, educational backgrounds, military service, disabilities, marital status or sexual orientation. A broader pool of talent can give an organization a competitive edge.
Recruiting
Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates means a more qualified workforce. When companies recruit from a diverse set of potential employees, they are more likely to hire the best and the brightest in the labour market. In an increasingly competitive economy where talent is crucial to improving the bottom line, pooling from the largest and most diverse set of candidates is increasingly necessary to succeed in the market.

Consumer market
A diverse workforce can capture a greater share of the consumer market. By bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and experiences, businesses can more effectively market to consumers from different racial and ethnic backgrounds and women. It is no surprise, then, that studies show diversifying the workplace helps businesses increase their market share.
Disadvantages
High cost of diversity management
To increase job satisfaction workplace diversity management could sometimes be very costly when an organization strives to effectively manage the diverse workforce it undergoes a mandatory diversity training during which supervisors, employees and managers receive lessons on the best way to interact with employees and clients.
Discrimination
One significant disadvantages of working with a diverse workforce is discrimination in the part of both managers and employees. It can exist but hidden aspect of a poorly managed workplace. When a worker is being discriminated, it affects his ability to perform well and it also affects the perception of equity and raises issues of litigation.
Communication issues
Workplace diversity can negatively impact communication in the company. It can place an obstacle in the way of effective communication, which can cause a decrease in productivity and dampen the cohesiveness among workers. Even though spending time with employees by getting to know them helps reduce and in some instances eradicate communication barriers during a long term, co-workers orientation periods and an individual ́s first impressions can be difficult to control when culture clash.
Incorporation issues

Social incorporation at the workplace cannot be influenced to the maximum degree. Forming exclusive social groups is often a natural process that cannot controlled sometimes. Therefore, companies tend to experience some degree of info mal divisions amongst their workers thereby creating conditions where diverse employees avoid having contact with each other during leisure times and when work is over. Al-though this scenario does not seem fundamentally wrong, it can reduce the effectiveness of knowledge sharing amongst teams and hence decreasing productivity.