Diversity is a topic that has been on the mind of many. It’s a far-reaching subject, the discussion happening well beyond the workplace. During times of increasing globalization, this is hardly a surprise – the world is becoming one huge melting pot, and the intersections of different backgrounds and cultures steadily increase in our day to day lives. Nevertheless, the word is thrown around extensively in conversations, so much so that it has reached buzzword status. The core idea might have been lost throughout all these discussions, the meaning behind it becoming more and more diffuse. So, let’s take a deeper look at diversity: What are its facets? What relevance does it have in the workplace? And finally, what are its effects, if implemented?
The 4 Common Types of Diversity
To simplify, diversity has been given 4 dimensions:
- Internal diversity: This facet encompasses characteristics a person is born with. One’s sex, race, ethnicity, physical ability etc. are part of this category. Sounds familiar? That’s because these attributes are protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- External diversity: These qualities have less to do with what a person is born with, but what they are exposed to. These elements define their identity. Whether actively or passively, these are factors a person can influence through external means. Education, socioeconomic status, marital status, religion etc. are demographics that belong into this category.
- Organizational diversity: To better explain this dimension, the definition of the opposite might help: When an organization is not diverse, its workforce is uniform. Everybody does the same thing, has the same education and the same background.
- Worldview diversity: Our experiences shape our outlook on the world. Some of these beliefs find expression in our political affiliation or maybe our culture. Worldview diversity includes every person’s unique perspective on life.
Benefits of Workplace Diversity
Reading these definitions might make the advantages of diversity obvious: A diverse workforce naturally differs regarding their perspectives. This may foster innovation, improved problem solving and refined decision-making.
Another benefit is the expansion of an organization’s market reach. As more and more people from different ethnicities, backgrounds and cultures begin working for a company, the more their experiences can help reach people in these demographics. Companies can adapt and improve their product and/or service for more people, as they are now more able to understand a wider customer base. Undoubtedly a huge advantage in an increasingly global market.When employees feel like they are contributing productively, they will most likely feel more motivated. Being able to offer unique insights based on their skills and experiences is an example of such a contribution. Through diversity it may be possible to create a sense of belonging in workplaces where workers feel heard and respected. This in turn can lead to higher job-satisfaction, employee engagement and retention.
Challenges of Workplace Diversity
In theory, diversity provides many advantages to companies who choose to implement it. However, studies indicate that cultural diversity may not produce as strong of an effect as expected. In a preliminary study conducted by Al-Jenaibi (2011), the effects of a diverse workforce were evaluated. Here, the researcher stated that introducing different cultures and religions into a workplace might lead to an increased rate of miscommunication and conflict. In the survey data collected, employees seem to have a generally favorable view towards workplace diversity. Despite that, a significant amount expressed doubts about their employer’s capability of successfully implementing a diversity strategy.
Martin (2014) explains that an individual’s identity has an obvious dimension (i.e., ethnicity, gender age etc.) and hidden dimensions. The effects of the latter reveal themselves over the course of time. Mostly, hidden dimensions encompass the aforementioned external and worldview diversity. Internal beliefs, political affiliations, religion, and general perspectives often conveyed through one’s culture are some of such qualities. The conflict that may ensue from these differences can, but must not necessarily, be related to work. Something as simple as a football match where two employees support opposing teams can result in friction in the workplace. The aftermath of such disagreements can severely hinder collaboration and performance.
How to Promote Diversity
There are multiple avenues companies can pursue to introduce more diversity in their workforce. Below are a few examples of ways to approach the topic:
- Recruiting: Perhaps the most obvious one. If organizations have well defined long-term goals, they might find that diversifying their workforce will help reach them. Companies can choose to pursue workers with different educational backgrounds, work-experience, and culture.
- Transparency: Companies should try to keep their existing workforce on board for as much as possible. If new measures are being undertaken, employees should be informed about the reasons behind it. This allows for every person to evaluate if they stand by the company’s goals and often increases the acceptance towards new policies. Regular meetings enable a framework in which transparency can be created and give opportunity to voice concerns and suggest improvements.
- Build teams: If possible, teams should be structured in a way that will facilitate the benefits of diversity. Naturally, which roles are necessary in teams is entirely dependent on the project. However, to reduce group think, whether during creative tasks or problem solving, teams should be built in a way that allows outside of the box thinking. That is, grouping employees together who may have different ways of tackling the same problem but have the same goal in mind.
Sources
- Cooks-Campbell, A. (2023, May 24). What Diversity Means in the Workplace and Why it’s Essential for Teams. BetterUp. Retrieved June 22, 2023, from https://www.betterup.com/blog/what-diversity-really-means-and-why-its-crucial-in-the-workplace#:~:text=Diversity%20in%20the%20workplace%20means,are%20part%20of%20the%20team
- Types of Diversity: All You Need To Know. (n.d.). https://www.getimpactly.com/post/types-of-diversity
- Martin, G. C. (2014). The effects of cultural diversity in the workplace. Journal of diversity management (JDM), 9(2), 89-92.
Al-Jenaibi, B. (2011). The scope and impact of workplace diversity in the United Arab Emirates–An initial study. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Communicatio, 5(1).
