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Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

There is no denying that the corporate world is now played globally. The fact that the world is becoming smaller due to globalisation and enabling companies of different magnitudes to source the best talents from wherever they are is just a limited element. Also, technology's development reaches the people who get the technology.

These are the generation currently in and in the present time, in the future, and in present e workplaces. The buzzword for today, for tomorrow too, is 'cultural diversity,' it should be noted that such a trend is more than evident and is here to stay. But first, what is cultural diversity? One can look for a precise explanation in The Oxford Dictionary. It outlines that cultural diversity "Is the presence of cultural or ethnic groups within a society." In other words, all types of differences a society has among its people. Workplace diversity is defined 'within the business context' as 'race, ethnicity, age, disability and language, nationality and economic status, sex or gender, religion, and sexual orientation.'

Looking at the current political state of affairs and even the global movement at large, it is essential to understand the meaning of cultural diversity in business. It is not about arrogance or trying to fit in. From the perspective of instilling this culture, a lot can be gained, for instance, by encouraging new ideas and driving creativity.

In this post, we will discuss the importance of cultural diversity in society. We will answer those critical questions in our expert guide to cultural diversity. This way, you help your company's understanding of this topic and develop a strategy for promoting cultural diversity in the workplace.

 

Cultural diversity: What is it?

Culture is integral to every human's life. Culture is what people are, what they do, and the reason for their beliefs. The situational collective portrayal of numerous ethnic and cultural units in society is called cultural diversity.

Cultural diversity in the workplace includes employees of various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, and political viewpoints. The concept of cultural diversity evokes the prospect of a harmonious workplace where all employees from diverse backgrounds come together as one big unit in pursuit of common goals.

Emphasis has been placed on the concept and theories surrounding cultural diversity; however, creating it in an organisation has been partially influenced by the available recruitment policies.

What is the significance of cultural diversity?

We have looked into the advantages of culturally diverse workplaces. However, equality and diversity are not the only catchphrases that have been promoted in the media. Much research has been carried out on how companies benefit from participating in community relations.

Regarding the advantages of cultural diversity, such studies tell us why it is essential through reliable facts and figures. For instance, one study claimed that the profits of the 43 most public and diversified businesses outperformed The S&P 500 by 24%. In other surveys, almost 95% of the directors believe diversity brings new ideas and approaches. Last but not least, workplace diversity and inclusion practices help organisations build teams equipped with differing ways of thinking and skills, which in turn helps foster creativity and generate more revenue.

Workplace Diversity Types

It is also necessary to know cultural diversity to evaluate strategies, examples, and policies. Thus, the information about employees includes such forms and their characteristics that often do not appear in standard HR capture forms. With this, a very long list of the various types of cultural diversity can be provided. From the point of view of human resources management, several fundamental diversity features must be considered:

Gender- women today are a more significant proportion of the labour workforce than ever. Nonetheless, there still exists a gender pay gap, and the proportion of women in top executive positions is deficient.

Race and ethnicity- As there are changes to ethnic and racial identities, forms of crossed ethnic categories become irrelevant. Opening the debate about race and ethnicity with employees and prospects helps to widen the cultural diversity.

LGBT- The LGBT community includes many individuals with different backgrounds, histories, and concerns. Regarding employment as an LGBT organisation, it is imperative to pay attention to a plan for the prevention of discrimination.

Age- Precisely about the stereotypes, there are rates of discrimination of younger and older workers. Such stereotypes can be combated by implementing initiatives like making optometric apprenticeships for all ages and instituting inter-age mentoring programs.

Workers with disabilities- disability can encompass anything from the range of being unable to make social connections to having a physical disability. Addressing negative attitudes and creating a neurodiversity programme can be part of the solution.

Mental health- It is particularly effective to combine mental health care and workplace wellness support to resolve various problems, including absenteeism and behavioral problems.

Neurodiversity- Accepting individuals with dyslexia, autism, or Tourette syndrome enables organisations to recognise the value of such differences for high job satisfaction and productivity.

Cognitive approach– If there is a good fit between one's personality and functional role, diverse individuals with various cognitive styles may lead to a more creative output. However, it is to be noted that it can lead to conflict if it is not a good fit.

The other point worth stating is that this is not an exhaustive list. For most, extensive research will be required to explore and experiment with additional diversity characteristics such as marital status, race, ethnicity, education level, and language accent.