Environmental Working with Culture Diversity

Development of business toward the globalization makes business organization, especially multinational companies, filled with diverse individuals. This diversity can be an asset that supports the organization‘s success if used optimally.

Many multinational companies implement workforce diversity policies, that is the policy to recruit and develop employees who come from social backgrounds and different cultures.

Benefits
Diversity policies may provide some benefits to the organization, among others:

First, because company upholds the ethics. The Company does not have a preference for people with a certain background, and did not support discrimination practice. In a global scale, stereotypes and discrimination are still a lot going on, especially for a certain people, such as women, skin color, the elderly, those particular physical look, and others. The people included in the assessment is often obtained only on first impression, not based on ability and character of the original.

Organization that consisting people with different backgrounds, can generate ideas that are more creative and innovative. This is the result of the wealth of ideas that emerged from these people. They may have a different perspective of looking at things, and this is a positive thing in solving a problem. Thus, the decision has been thought of many ways, and is the best.

Moreover, if your organization is a multinational, workforce diversity will greatly benefit. You can get insight from employees who have different backgrounds, giving you an understanding of various cultures, so as to obtain a picture of a business approach that suits for local.

Workforce diversity is believed to provide positive effects on the company. According to Robinson and Dechant (1997), studies of organizations that carry out workforce diversity found that lower levels of absenteeism, lower costs and lower employee turnover prosecution for discrimination. These problems can impose huge costs for the company. Thus, by promoting workforce diversity you actually helped `keep` bottom line.

According to reports made by the European Commission, workforce diversity can strengthen the value drivers in the long run, both assets tangible or intangible that allows companies to become more competitive, generate a stable cash flow, and satisfy shareholders. The existence of workforce diversity can strengthen the human and Organizational capital. Then, the odds can produce short and medium term to increase cash flow, for example with lower costs, overcome the shortage of human resources, opening new markets, and improve performance in the current market. The point is to increase ROI.

Challenges
This implementation must also experienced a number of challenges and obstacles, including:

First, that is communication. To make smoothly communication, so the constraints derived perceptions, culture, and language must be overcome. Perceptual differences, cultural and linguistic potential cause miscommunication, which can lead to disharmony, conflict, and demotivation.

Second, this application may be rejected by some who are not ready. Some may not be ready to accept diversity in the work environment. Therefore, it becomes a major challenge for leaders.

How a leader can manage a workforce diversity?

First, leaders must have the awareness to accept diversity, and allow employees to bring their diversity into the work environment.

Furthermore, leaders must be able to build awareness of this diversity to its employees. Leaders must emphasize the importance of appreciating diversity in the work environment, both in internal employees and associated with external parties. Development of this awareness should be done continuously, so that the `value` of workforce diversity becomes part of corporate culture. Without command, the employee was implemented in everyday life.

With mutual respect, then this course to build a positive energy in the work environment. Each person feels that he or she is a valuable individual.