Diversity, Ethics, and Cultural Competency

Running head: DIVERSITY, ETHICS AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY
Unit 3 Assignment: Problem Identification and Background
Sharon Richie
Capella University
Prof Prac Collab Div Dyn World
Dr. Mary Lannon

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Introduction
Lack of gender diversity is a complex phenomenon which can be observed in
organizational arrangements, measures as well as practices. Workplace has often been
mentioned as an unfriendly place for women due to the varied forms of lack of gender
identities present. Few examples of the way workplace discrimination unconstructively
impacts women’s earnings as well as opportunities are the gender wage gap in addition to
lack of gender diversity in leadership and extended time required for women in comparison to
men in the advancement of their careers (Cornwall & Rivas, 2015). The following paper will
evaluate the issue of lack of gender diversity and the way it affects the decision-making
process in public service organization such as police departments by drawing relevance to the
U.S Police Department.
Discussion
Impacts of lack of gender diversity in decision-making process of gender equality
Several studies have revealed that gender diversity is likely to improve organization’s
performance (Choudhury, 2015). However, it offers minimal explanation to the underlying
factors related to the issue of lack of gender diversity (Stotsky, 2016). Studies have claimed
that in gender diverse organizations, employees show improved performance level which
included enhanced work setting and values along with proper direction, collaboration and
regulation and most importantly leadership (Cornwall & Rivas, 2015). However, on the other
hand, many organizations with lack of gender diversity, employees exhibit lower level of
association with companies with reduced level of motivation, competence, answerability and
innovation. According to Cornwall (2016), policies of accelerating the process in the
direction of economic gender equality as well as to support women’s empowerment have
attained significant attention from various academic and corporate domains. Healthcare

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organization like Mayo Clinic in the United States witness the way women in the work
setting are being represented among their leadership.
Women are typically under-represented in decision-making positions across the
world. Nonetheless, gender diversity show beneficial impacts on organizations and the
overall society and economy. Gender diversity in decision making process expands the views
thus increases creativity as well as innovation and further diversifies the pool of talents as
well as competencies (Choudhury, 2015). Female leadership approach successfully
contributes to the advantages of diversity, since women show better competence in dealing
with complex situations and pay intensive attention to the needs of others. According to
Perrault (2015), diversity and its benefits can be observed when both men and women
involved in decision-making. He has mentioned that alike involvement expands the
viewpoints, upsurges creativity as well as innovation and further develops the pool of talents
and proficiencies further lessen the level of conflicts and most importantly develop the
process of decision-making and tend to symbolize the various shareholders of the
organization. Comprehensive studies have noted that women in decision-making positions
show great propensity of adding to the understanding of a new agenda for the organisation
which comprises of items that are usually neglected by men (Ravazzani, 2016).However, for
organizations, such an impact is likely to include a shift towards less critical decisions or in
the direction of sustainability as well as environmental policies with long time horizons.
Meanwhile, Mizock and Lundquist (2016) have mentioned that the primary issue while
supporting gender diversity in decision-making process is linked to the fact that there is
shortage of women participants who have competency to assume top hierarchical positions.
In consequence, involving more women in decision-making roles possibly will transform into
a commonly lower quality of representatives (Stotsky, 2016).