DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS

Diversity in organizations

Diversity in organizations

Analyzing Diversity in Organisation

What is meant by a diversity approach is a shift in thought in two main areas: a focus on treating people differently; and a focus on the business case. First, a move away from traditional liberal and radical conceptions of equality, based around treating everyone the same - a 'sameness' approach - towards approaches based on recognizing and valuing people's differences - a 'difference' or 'diversity' approach. There is further debate about whether differences should be narrowly conceived as concerned with social groups, or broadened to encompass a greater variety of individual differences. Second, the rise of the business case as the primary rationale for equality and diversity action is also an important aspect of the diversity approach. Traditional EO or affirmative action approaches, aimed to redress discrimination and historical injustices faced by certain groups in the workforce (e.g. especially women and black and minority ethnic people) underpinned by legislation. However, diversity approaches start from a position that sees human differences as a resource, the utilization of which is crucial for competitiveness and improving organizational performance (Janssens & Zanoni, 2005, 311-34).

Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is not a government mandate and is inclusive of every employee. Whereas affirmative action is the forerunner of cultural diversity, allowing individuals to access education, cultural diversity ensures the humanization of education. Though cultural diversity is more extensive, both are invaluable means of promoting equity in education. Diversity policies are introduced specifically in order to meet organizational goals: in this sense the concept or model is business-driven, rather than underpinned by broader notions of social justice. Noon and Ogbonna argue that this is the key analytical differentiation between EO and 'managing diversity', that they are underpinned by two different rationales: EO by the social justice (or moral) case and 'managing diversity' by the business case. However, arguably this difference is overstated and what has actually occurred is a shift in emphasis rather than a fundamental re-conceptualization. In other words, while EO policies may utilize business rationales, they do so in order to achieve moral or social justice ends. In contrast, diversity policies are generally seen to have a more exclusive focus on the business case.

Cultural diversity challenges assumptions through the exposing of previously unexplored perspectives by intentionally embracing differences. Irrefutably, with the infusion of cultural diversity in higher education, sensitivity to cultural differences will be clear in policy, ...