Emerging Themes in Human Resource Management

This report analyzes the impact of diversity, equality and inclusion in human resource management. It discusses the importance of managing diversity in an effective manner and the steps that businesses must take to ensure a positive work culture. The report also highlights the implications of these emerging themes on the strategic and operational decision-making process of a business.

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Findings and Analysis from the case.........................................................................................3
The results of diversity...........................................................................................................3
Equality in the workplace.......................................................................................................4
Diversity in the workplace......................................................................................................5
Diversity and inclusion – What next?....................................................................................5
Area of focus..............................................................................................................................6
Political environment..............................................................................................................6
Social trends and shifts...........................................................................................................6
Technological advancements..................................................................................................7
Globalization within the industry...........................................................................................7
Possible implications for emerging themes................................................................................8
Conclusion and recommendation...............................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Management of human resource is one of the most important functions in a business. This
particular department of the business is bestowed upon with several responsibilities which
include recruitment, training, performance evaluations and compensations, addressing
employee issues, ensuring an effective workplace environment, and employee satisfaction as
well as retention (McCann et. al., 2017). Over a period of time, the industry has undergone
several changes that have led to various improvements in the role of an HR. This report
throws light on these emerging themes as well as their impact in the industry.
The two predominant changes that are being notably observed within organizations around
the globe are increasing levels of diversity and equality. A diverse organization comprises of
several people coming from varied caste, religion, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.
Inclusion refers to the ability of a business to make the employee feel included thereby
fulfilling their social needs (Davis et. al., 2016). Lastly, equality refers to equal treatment
towards every stakeholder of the firm in terms of pay, selection, opportunity and recruitment.
Equality also refers to equal and fair treatment of employees in the workplace. A critical
analysis for these trends has been done in this report with the aim of understanding the impact
of these emerging themes in the industry.
Findings and Analysis from the case
The report shared has largely thrown light at the high levels of inequality faced by employees
working in the United Kingdom. Several steps have been taken by the government of the
state of ensure improved levels of equality and establish a culture of fair treatment for
employees within UK organizations. Despite such efforts, the progress on the same has been
excruciatingly slow. The moral case of equality within the workplace suggests that all people
are equal and hence must be treated in an equal manner and with respect. The business case
of equality suggests that equal treatment of employees will create more opportunities,
enhance levels of employee satisfaction and hence employee retention (Peretz, Levi & Fried,
2015).

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The results of diversity
Increased diversity in the workplace has proven to enhance organizational productivity as
well as efficiency. It is essential to manage diversity in an effective manner. This is because
diversity can create a better working environment by offering new perspectives to different
situations. Diversity can also lead to increased creativity and innovation in the business.
However, if not managed in a proficient manner, diversity can lead to several conflicts and
gaps in communication. Diversity can also create a great workplace environment and enhance
learning for employees associated with the organization (Van Dijk et. al., 2012).
The case has laid emphasis on the positive impact of diversity in the organization at large
while referring to increased productivity, improved creativity and hence better profitability.
Several organizations are putting efforts in the direction of increasing diversity in the
workplace. A holistic view of diversity also inculcates the fact that a single individual has
several personalities and hence may perform or respond differently to the same situation
during different times.
Equality in the workplace
There is an intersection where diversity and equality meet. Intersectionality refers to a
framework which identifies the impact of power in the workplace. Business processes are
better understood with the help of Intersectionality. Diversity has a positive impact on
employees as long as there is equality and inclusion. There will be adverse impact of
inequality even in a highly diverse organization. Therefore equality among employees within
organization plays an important role in reaping benefits of a diverse workplace.
There are several factors that limit equality in the workplace. These include prejudices,
biasness, discrimination and a severe lack of women leadership in the organization.
Organizational equality begins from the first business process of recruiting people in the
business. The process of recruitment must be fair and transparent. Upon selection of
employees, there should be no discrimination on any basis. Even benevolent discrimination
must be avoided as they eventually lead to discrimination and partiality (Sabharwal, 2014).
Attaching stigmas to employees can scar them in longer run. One major problem faced by
organizations is gender pay gaps. Such discrimination is not only unfair but is also disgusting
and depicts the narrowness of the society that we live in. Such policies are disrespectful to
women and create an environment of inequality.

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There are several factors which adversely impact levels of equality in the organization.
Therefore it becomes the responsibility of the leaders of the business as well as the
government of the state to introduce policies which can foster greater levels of equality in the
workplace.
Diversity in the workplace
Maintaining diversity in the organization is a tedious job and requires tremendous efforts
from all stakeholders of the organization. Once employees from diverse backgrounds have
been recruited in the organization, it becomes even more important to manage the
organization in such a manner that it yields maximum benefits. Employee learning, creativity
and effective collaboration are all results of a well managed diverse workforce. There are
some steps that can be taken by businesses to ensure effective management of a diverse
organization.
As the case suggests, diversity trainings must be conducted within the organization on a
regular basis. These trainings must enhance learning of employees regarding different
cultures with an aim to develop a mutually respecting workforce. The trainings can provide a
short term impact and hence must be conducted in frequent intervals (Downey et. al., 2015).
The government of the state can also introduce policies and rules which takes businesses a
step closer to a diverse workforce.
Besides this, a culture of open communication and transparency can go a long way in
effectively managing workplace diversity. Business leaders must also adopt an open door
policy in order to address issues faced by employees working in a diverse organization. Open
Door policy is being increasingly adopted by organizations wherein the leaders of the
business leave their doors open suggesting that they are always available for their employees.
Diversity and inclusion – What next?
Businesses across the world are slowly realizing the importance of diversity within the
workplace. For any business, overall productivity, creativity, profitability, culture and
communication depend largely on the level of diversity in the organization. The leaders
within the business must therefore work towards creating a diverse workforce and then
managing it in an effective manner (McLesky et. al., 2017). Equality must be observed in all
business processes. Gender bias ads must not be released for attracting candidates for

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recruitment. Organizational policies must become more stringent in order to strictly prohibit
any form of discrimination in the workplace. Regular trainings must be given to employees
regarding managing diversity in an effective manner.
Globalization has led to the creation of a flat world. Several people are travelling across the
globe and working with organizations in different countries hence leading to higher levels of
diversity in the organization. Therefore it is high time that organizations learn how to manage
diversity in a proficient manner and establish a culture of equality. Inequality can not only
lead to unsatisfied employees and higher attrition rate but can also reduce the overall
productivity of the organization. Therefore all the stakeholders of the business must come
together and work towards creating a culture of open communication, equality, transparency
and inclusion.
Area of focus
Several focus areas have a direct impact on diversity and inclusion levels in the business.
This may include the political scenario of the country, technological advancements in the
industry, changes in social cultures and globalization of the industry at large.
Political environment
A state’s political scenario significantly contributes to the diversity of the business
organizations of that country (Lambert, 2016). The government officials and the policy
makers define the laws of the country which determine the freedom given to people coming
from other countries. The political stability or the country also plays a critical role in
attracting youngsters from all across the globe into the new country. Gone are the days where
getting a passport or a visa would take months or even years. Today all these facilities are a
single click away. Hence making it much easier for people to travel across the globe thereby
increasing diversity in organizations.
Social trends and shifts
Two remarkable trends observed in the society today is the growth of internet and the advent
of social media. Both these trends have changed the shape of the society by altering our
channels of communication. Today an employer sitting in the United State of America has
access to a competent candidate from Middle East or Asia. Similarly, candidates have

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platforms through which they can apply for jobs in foreign lands. Upon application or
selection, both the employer as well as the candidate can seek feedback about each other
through very transparent social media platforms. All these social trends have a positive
impact on the level of diversity in an organization.
Similarly, with the help of internet and social media, employees have become more aware
about different cultures and traditions. They have friends in different countries which assists
them in managing the diversity in the workplace in a much better manner. These platforms
have also helped employees in gaining a deeper insight about their rights and their place in
the organization and hence they can stand up for any kind of discrimination that they may
face. The competition among employers in so high due to social media’s reach that they have
to work upon improving their workplace culture in order to seek effective talent (Bond &
Haynes, 2014).
Technological advancements
Technology is growing by the day. There are advancements in technology that can improve
the overall efficiency of any organization. With the help of technology, the deaf can hear, the
blind can see and a handicap can move around and fulfil all duties as effectively as a healthy
person. The technological development has improved efficacy of people and hence helped in
creating equal workplace organizations.
Communication has also been positively impacted with the help of increasing technology.
With the help of technology, communication taking place in an organization is transparent
and a lot more effective. This eventually leads to improved levels of inclusion. Another
advantage of technology is that it is being largely used to conduct fair recruitment practices
(Barak, 2016). Candidates can apply for a job without disclosing their gender, religion or
caste.
Globalization within the industry
Globalization of the world has been a major reason behind increasing diversity in
organizations. Globalization has allowed people to travel throughout the globe. There is an
increasing transfer of resources, information and technology from one place to another with
the help of globalization. People are learning more about different cultures and hence are able
to collaborate effectively in a diverse organization. Also with the help of globalization,

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marketers are now expanding their businesses in different countries wherein they recruit local
talent and hence make their organizations more diverse in nature (Cloutier et. al., 2015).
Possible implications for emerging themes
These emerging themes of high diversity, high need for inclusion and growing equality have
several implication in the strategic as well as operational decision making process of a
business. The impact however is different for different organization. If managed effectively, a
diverse organization can increase creativity level, efficiency, productivity and communication
within the firm. On the other hand, if diversity is not managed in a fair manner then it may
lead to increasing conflicts and communication gap between employees. Diversity can bring
in different perspectives to the same problem and help the team in coming up with the out of
the box solutions. Employees working in a diverse team would have widen horizons and
would be better aware of different cultures. Such a culture also makes employees better at
communicating and enhances overall productivity of the organization (Kim, Lee & Kim,
2015).
Equality in the workplace and higher levels of inclusion aim to keep employees satisfied in
the longer run. This also leads to improved levels of employee retention. If the leaders of the
organization put efforts towards employee inclusion then the employees will also have an
increased sense of ownership towards the firm (Lindsey et. al., 2015). Also, equality among
employees through all business processes will also lead to the creation of an honest and
integral leadership. This will improve organizational productivity as well as brand positioning
in the longer run.
Conclusion and recommendation
Diversification within organizations is an emerging trend which is being observed. Creating a
diverse workforce is essential for businesses as it helps in bringing people from different
cultures and backgrounds to work together in effective collaboration (Foma, 2016). There are
certain steps that businesses must take in order to effectively manage workforce diversity.
Firstly, regular training must be given to employees regarding the importance of diversity and
its resourceful management. These trainings must also be aimed at learning how to create a
positive work culture. Secondly, leaders working in the firm must lead by example and
spread the awareness regarding workplace diversity. They must ensure that the culture in the
organization fosters open communication. People coming from a foreign country or a

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different background must feel comfortable in the organization. Stringent policies must be in
place to ensure equality among employees. Seniors must also adopt an open door policy so
that employee issues can be addressed in a proper manner. Employees who are found to be
discriminating must be penalized. All these efforts will ensure higher levels of workplace
diversity, transparency in communication, equality in employees, improved workplace
culture and higher levels of employee satisfaction and retention.

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