The Importance Of Diversity Management

INTRODUCTION

This assignment will focus on explaining the importance of diversity management, challenges of management diversity, give strategies and implementation of management diversity in the workplace. A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and marketplace. Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual differences will benefit the workplace by creating a competitive edge and increasing work productivity. Diversity management benefits associates by creating a fair and safe environment where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges. Management tools in a diverse workforce should be used

It is acknowledged that South Africa is rich in both its private and public health sector. Public and private metropolitan clinical settings experience similar diversity challenges. Much of the private industry literature on diversity management exalts the benefits of a diverse workforce. These benefits center on the belief that individual differences create the potential for a more creative and different way of thinking about organizational issues and thus should lead to innovative solutions to routine problems. Additionally, within the clinical setting context, it is believed that the diverse patient population would be better served by a diverse staff. There is the danger however, of romanticizing an extremely complex and demanding process, which as noted by Tshikwatamba (2003:36) despite their advantages in the workplace, differences are sometimes the source of considerable hostility and disagreements that cultural differences and religious beliefs have been the cause of much hostility and human suffering globally, is a matter of public knowledge. The clinical setting is but a small aspect of the world in which we live and work. Within the clinical environment, cultural differences can be found in both traditional cultures and the new cultural identities resulting from the socialisation and inculcation processes encountered in the professional schools that produce those who populate the

Implementation is the key to success. Developing annual operational plans against which progress can be monitored, is critical to success. An operational plan is invaluable in ensuring that the front line staff and middle managers stay focused on the agreed upon objectives toward attaining the institution’s goals for becoming a diversity oriented organization. The plan must be characterized by an unambiguous and clear policy statement about the organization’s standpoint about all forms discrimination, disrespect, and harassment. There must be clear and unambiguous statements about ethical and professional interpersonal relationships and significance of each individual’s contribution to the institution’s efforts towards attaining its goals. Most importantly, managing diversity must be a mainstream issue, owned by everyone. Essential to the implementation process is ensuring that (a) periodic review of progress is conducted, (b) diversity management strategic interventions are supported through resource allocation, and (c) individual performance of all managers is in alignment with the institution’s diversity strategic goals (Gwele 2008: