Organizational Communication and Diversity

This assignment delves into the complexities of organizational communication and diversity. It examines various communication theories and models, analyzes the impact of diversity on organizational performance, and discusses strategies for effectively managing workplace diversity. Students will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with fostering inclusive and equitable work environments.

Running Head: IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS
Impacts of Diversity and Conflicts on Performance of the Employees and Organization
Name:
Affiliation:
Date:

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 2
Executive summary
The performance of a business organization is affected by various factors. The
conduct of employees and the management staff is very crucial and should always exist
under controllable limits. The fact that different organizations have employees from
diverse backgrounds, their existence should be business friendly. Diversity and conflicts
have a great impact on the performance of employees and agencies in general. The
development of technology leading to companies going global has increased
diversification in the workplace. It has also been facilitated by immigration and economic
factors like globalization. When people of diverse backgrounds are working together,
conflicts are likely to arise. The conflicts have significant impacts on the performance of
the organization. The production process is affected therefore leading to poor
performance of organizations.
This paper outlines the processes pertaining research project which identifies the
impacts of diversity and conflicts on the performance of employees and organization.
The methodology involving the project is well described involving the mechanisms
applied in data collection. The social media channels will be used as the source of the
primary data to be used for analysis. The applied theory framework and literature review
involving the same topic are outlined. The analysis is conducted and the findings and
discussions obtained. In the end, the conclusion is made then the necessary
recommendations concerning the results.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 3
Table of Contents
Executive summary.......................................................................................................................2
Introduction....................................................................................................................................4
Research motivation......................................................................................................................5
Methodology..................................................................................................................................5
Introduction................................................................................................................................5
Research design........................................................................................................................5
Target population.......................................................................................................................6
Sampling frame..........................................................................................................................6
Data analysis..............................................................................................................................6
Data presentation method..........................................................................................................7
Applied theory framework..............................................................................................................7
Literature review............................................................................................................................9
Introduction................................................................................................................................9
Improved decision making (Facebook)....................................................................................10
Company performance (Twitter)..............................................................................................11
Poor cooperation (LinkedIn).....................................................................................................12
Poor communication (Instagram).............................................................................................13
Building cohesion (YouTube)...................................................................................................14
Summary of the literature review.............................................................................................15
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................15
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................16
References..................................................................................................................................17

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 4
Introduction
Currently, the workforce in many organizations consists of varied composition as
opposed in the past. The structure has been affected by continuous technology growth
making the globe exist as one small village. The levels of immigration and economic
factors like globalization have increased significantly. Diversity in workplaces is currently
growing, and it is high in multinational countries. When people of different backgrounds
come together, conflicts are likely to occur. The disputes affect the performance of
employees thus that of the entire organization. The implementation of diversity is
associated with various impacts to the group. Diversity has both negative and positive
effects in an organization. The main challenge associated with diversity is the confusion
resulting from functional diversity and other forms of on-functional diversity. Functional
diversity leads to more effective function and innovation.
In the workplace, there are various forms of diversity. Most of the factors are not
focused towards promoting the performance of an organization. Diversity and conflicts
are mostly related. It is because when employees from different backgrounds, age, and
gender work together, differences are likely to emerge. The conflicts usually have both
negative and positive effects to the organization since the conflicts are characterized as
a task, interpersonal and procedural. Task conflict may lead to either poor performance
or improved performance. Interpersonal conflicts are only associated with negative
effects, and in most cases, the participants end up losing their jobs and poor
performance of the company. Procedural conflicts have the positive performance to
organizations since they help in decision making.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 5
Diversification in companies should be well addressed to ensure that the conflicts
associated with it are curbed and proper running of the company. This paper, therefore,
highlights the research project on the impacts of diversity and conflicts on employees
and organization. The paper examines decision making, company performance,
building group cohesion, poor cooperation and poor communication. The data
necessary data is collected from social media then analyzed. The results of the study
are used to make recommendations which will keep firms in better performance
position.
Research motivation
The growing workforce diversification has facilitated the research on this topic in
all parts of the globe. Continuous growth of technology has played a critical role towards
the research on the topic. The fact that some companies have been reported to have
performed poorly due to conflicts arising from diversification. There is an urgent need for
businesses to identify the impacts of diversity and conflicts on employees and
organizations so that the results can be applied in companies. The results of the study
will be useful to wide range of firms since they will apply them with immediate effect to
strengthen their areas of weakness. Processes in organizations will end up flowing
expectedly, and objectives will be achieved within the stipulated period.
Methodology
Introduction
This section outlines the methodology employed throughout the study. It consists
of: research design, target population, sampling procedures, description of the research

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 6
instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, data collection methods and data
analysis procedures.
Research design
Descriptive survey design was used in this study. The study relies heavily on
secondary data from journal articles. Social media composed of Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are the major sources of information (De Witm, Greer
& Jehn, 2012). The reactions of social media users on the impacts of diversity and
conflicts on employees and organizations are observed and recorded. The impacts
under consideration are companies' performance, improved decision making,
cooperation, communication and building cohesion. Data is observed within five years
(2012-2017) from the social media sites. The sample size is undefined since there was
uncertainty on the number of individuals who are going to use the social media
channels within the period. The collected data will be entered into the system using Gen
Stat software and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24 and Microsoft Excel 2016.
Target population
The study targeted the employees and the management of the business
organization. These are the individuals who might have directly or indirectly experienced
the effect of diversity and conflicts in various organizations.
Sampling frame
The research was based on a certain locality, but it took care of all organization
globally. The results of the study will be therefore useful to all business organization
irrespective of the fields of operation.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 7
Data analysis
After the data was obtained from social networking media, it was keenly edited
for completeness and consistency. Then coding errors and omissions were checked.
The coded data were processed using IBM SPSS-software and analyzed by use of
descriptive statistics. The researcher further organized the raw data into categories
according to research questions and established expected theme categories for
qualitative data.
Data presentation method
Data was presented using charts and tables. Bar charts, histograms, and pie
charts were widely used.
Applied theory framework
The paper relies on secondary data to determine the impacts of diversity and
conflicts on employees and organization. Social media channels including YouTube,
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are highly reliable. Conflicts occurring in
organizations are many. In many cases, conflicts arise when an organization involves
employees from diverse backgrounds and whenever there is uncertainty on what an
individual is expected to do (Shin, Kim, Lee & Bian, 2012). A theoretical foundation for
diversity in the workplace can be found in research regarding social networks.
The organizational perspective on diversity is an organizational issue and acts as
a point of connection for individuals despite any differences in the socio-demographic
and a variety of characteristics (Fitzsimmons, 2013). The information and decision
making is another aspect which serves as theoretical means of understanding the link

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 8
between organizational diversity and organizational effectiveness (Scott, Richard &
Gerald, 2015). There exist a strong link between organizational effectiveness and
organizational diversity. The processing of information and making a decision is
comprised of the cognitive resource diversity theory which highlights that the cognitive
resources of each team member play an essential role towards the success of the
business. As a result, the diversity of cognitive resources promotes creativity and
decision making.
Socially diversity has also been an area of concern from past studies. There exist
evidence that individuals of similar characterizations will be able to work together in a
more effective manner (Lauring & Selmer, 2012). The social categories include age,
gender, and ethnicity. Many organizations focus on means of accessing external
networks as well as a source of increasing conflicts between individual within a social
group (Wang et,.al 2013). The social organization perspective is regarded as amongst
the most significant aspects of conflicts and loss of efficiency within organizations
related to the alignment of persons along social identity lines.
The impacts associated with diversity can be either positive or negative. On the
positive side diversification and conflicts may lead to the formulation of a better
decision. Arguments within employees and the management in an organization may
lead to arrival at the best decision (Miller & Barbour, 2014). Whenever the best
decisions are formulated within an organization, good performance is also achieved.
Diversity has also been portrayed as a cohesion building medium. According to Olsen
and Martins (2012), when people from different backgrounds are brought to work

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 9
together friendship relations are created amongst them. The multinational companies
are playing a critical role in building global cohesion.
On the negative side, diversity is associated with poor performance of an
organization. Whenever conflicts arise between the employees or the management, it is
likely that policies are not formulated and formulated well (De Witm, Greer & Jehn,
2012). The organization may undergo a lot of loss which may hinder it from achieving
the set goals. Poor cooperation and communication is also associated with diversity and
can interfere with company's performance. Lack of cooperation and poor
communication also results from conflicts (Qian, Cao & Takeuchi, 2013). When
cooperation and communication fail to exist in the firm, it means that transactions are
not flowing efficiently. As a result, huge losses may be made which may be difficult to
recover. Organizations should ensure that diversity and conflicts within agencies are
adequately addressed. It will provide a smooth flow of events thus creating an
opportunity for good performance within the organization.
Literature review
Introduction
Many online social media site, for instance, twitter, Pin interest, my space,
Instagram, and so forth have become a major part of most individuals in the world. The
social media has constituted a great change in the way people perform their activities.
Technology advancement has eased work to many people among the researchers who
conduct studies in different fields. A high number of have given a wide attention to the
social media platform as a center of data gathering. The online sites have been used by
many scholars to conduct studies on the impact of diversity and conflict on employee

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 10
performance in organizations (Pettigrew, 2014). Most companies prime themselves on
having a diversified workforce comprised of persons with a wide range of experiences
and characteristics. The key characteristics that these organizations consider are
gender, age, ability, sexual orientation, religion among others.
Management prefers a diversified workforce which unlimited to race, background,
geographical location, political beliefs, and others. Conflict is a state of discord brought
about by the real or perceived as an opposition to the needs, interests, and values
among parties working together (Tjosvold, Wong & Feng, 2014). The performance
impacts that are caused by an organization by conflicts and diversity can either be
positive or negative (Patrick & Kumar, 2012). The parties experiencing conflicts react in
different ways. Studies carried out by other researchers base their arguments on a
number of the impacts that the two experience on the organization's performance. They
include improved decision making, improved company performance, poor cooperation,
poor communication and cohesion building with the organization. The literature on the
below impacts was gathered using the online social media indicate by preceding
researchers.
Improved decision making (Facebook)
Decision making is a process of choosing a logical option from the present
choices. When intending to make a good decision, an individual should weigh both the
merits and demerits of each option and put all the alternatives in consideration (Lovan &
Davis, 2017). A person or an organization should be able to predict the result of each
option for effective decision making as well as a base all the items to come up with a
decision on which option is suitable for the certain problem. People have different views

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 11
and opinions on the different situation (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). This is because they all
have different abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and other characteristics. Therefore,
bringing together a diversified workforce within an organization is beneficial as there will
be sharing of ideas amongst themselves. When people share ideas, there is a
possibility that the decision which will reach at the end will be the best option for a
solution to an underlying problem (Carlton & Perloff, 2015). People tend to reason better
and agree with a common a most suitable decision in unison. Before diversifying the
workforce in an organization, management should think about what its organization
does and more so better than its rivals.
Large firms are likely to have a diversified workforce due to their numerous
activities that bring together people from different departments. It is from this view that
the organizations make informed decisions as people are skilled in their areas of
specialization hence good decisions are reached (Burg, 2014). However, though the
decisions made are highly informed, the process is criticized for being slow due to many
processes involved. Before a decision is approved, there will be many stages within the
organization that it is taken through for confirmation (Ford & Richardson, 2013). Also,
conflicts within company's contributions to the improvement of the decision making the
process as the individuals involved intend to work well to perfect their areas of duty
(Barak, 2016). The manager tries to avoid conflicts at all cost because it brings about
persons pushing for their interests. The management should only back conflicts that are
likely to bring advantage to the organization. They should discourage conflicts such as
competing for resources to ensure that they achieve the set common goals.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 12
Company performance (Twitter)
Diversification of employees has become an inevitable option for many
organizations that aim to be in line with the future economic and social changes. This
has forced many systems to come up with an established a program that allows
diversified working styles (Dipboye & Colella, 2013). According to a study conducted in
Japan, if employees are presented with a chance to expertise the abilities fully, despite
the working patterns, according to their will, it would possibly result in improved
performance and hence productivity (Nica, 2013). This would in turn help in revitalizing
the economy of Japan and other parts of the world as well. When an economy is
diversified, people engage in undertaking their activities in areas that they are well
suited and this creates more chances for employees as well as widening the economy.
Organizations should embrace certain conditions to achieve diversification of
their operational processes. To attain economic change and improved performance
from the workforce, businesses should diversify working styles to correspond with the
social and economic changes in the current market. Most feedbacks from respondents
through the social media online platform show that employees prefer diversified working
conditions. Through the online information obtained in previous studies, employees
suggest that they should be presented with fair treatment and preferred that
performance appraisal. It is necessary to ensure that workers are treated according to
their real performance and can be satisfied with the roles they play and expertise their
willingness and abilities. It is important to employ a diversified workforce that will
conduct its activities with the common objective set by the organization.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 13
Organizations that clarify roles that employees perform. This will help the good
general performance as employees will perform willingly and avoid conflicts amongst
themselves. When employees have their interests, they are likely to perform better as
they would be looking for recognition from the management. The management
encourages this types of conflict because it is likely to result in an increased quality
productivity (Nica, 2013). This will, in turn, improve the overall company performance.
Diversity gives a chance for employees who used to deal with hard tasks alone share
them with their fellow workmates. Through sharing of ideas, tasks that seemed
complicated are solved with less effect.
Poor cooperation (LinkedIn)
Within any organization, numerous issues result in conflicts. Other conflicts may
also be personal. For example, if someone is not sure about the tasks they are
supposed to do. According to data gathered through LinkedIn, employees develop
conflicts with their selves if they do not get the duties assigned to them are not properly
defined to them. Moreover, it is likely for conflicts to arise between characters who work
as a group (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015). The presence of a certain group in a company
leads to poor cooperation since there will be no unity. When this event occurs, is
possible that the goals will not be specified as for the group but people will take them
personally. Handling tasks that were designed for a group personally will adversely
affect the outcome of an organization as there will be no unity. Failure to cooperate as a
group is specifically designed for a team is resulted by disagreement that occurs due
failure of employees to recognize the diversification among themselves. Employees
should be able to balance their personal lives when at work to ensure a smooth run of

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 14
activities. It is crucial for an organization to maintain mental and physical health for all
staff uniformly to ensure that there is fair treatment across the organization.
The problem of cooperation can be resolved by employing people on a short-
term basis. It helps in ensuring that people do not stay within an organization for a long
time until they start developing their motives and hatred (Slaikeu & Hasson, 2012).
Conflicts that arise between employees affect their performance as they will be not
happy when performing their duties and they may underperform. Diversification of
employees in organizations should be seen as a point of unison rather than people
tending to feel like their background, political beliefs, the ethnic race among other
factors are more important than those of their fellow staff.
Poor communication (Instagram)
People who develop conflicts between themselves see their workmate as their
enemies which is not the actual picture (Weber, Rachman & Tarba, 2012). Thus, they
tend to avoid them if they were leading a task within the organization. The avoidance
may probably lead to poor communication channels with a company as those conflicting
will not be ready to listen to what others say. Also, those tasked with the dissemination
of certain information may opt to hold the information made for other characters to see
them not do what their seniors directed them to do. The may also give the wrong
information to employees they had conflicts with the view that the seniors will be upset
with them and terminate their employment (Katzenbach & Smith, 2015).
The poor communication cost the organization a lot of time in redoing tasks that could
have been easily managed in the first attempt. Also, resources that could have been

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 15
allocated for other tasks end up being used for replacing the spoilt ones due to poor
communication articulated to conflicts.
On the other hand, diversification brings the difference between employees who
have different backgrounds, beliefs, ethnic races among other factors. Employees within
different organizations tend to favor those that are from the same geographical regions,
speak the same language and share other numerous characteristics (Rummler &
Brache, 2012). This makes them develop a certain perspective to others. The result of
the distinguished diversifications within an organization exert adverse effects in its
performance as people will be performing according to their common characteristics
(Voegtlin, Patzer & Scherer, 2012). Those who share similar character tend to be open
to each other more than those who are from different background and possess other
characteristics as well as sharing information in the same perspective (Ferrell &
Fraedrich, 2015). The level of poor communication caused by conflicts and diversity of
employees greatly affect the overall productivity of the company.
Building cohesion (YouTube)
Not all conflicts result to negative impacts within an organization. There are some
positive effects that conflicts and diversity can bring to an organization. When
employees collide with their fellows on a certain issue in the activities, it is possible for
them to come together and try to establish a common rightful solution to the problem
(Madapusi & D'Souza, 2012). Through sharing of ideas and respecting the views of
others within the organization, people can establish a strong common base for the
smooth operation. When this is the case, the organization is the chief beneficial
because employees will perform best if they feel that their views are acknowledged and

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 16
respected by other people including the seniors. If employees establish a common
solution to their conflicts, it strengthens their friendship and unity in the organization
(Slaikeu & Hasson, 2012).
Similarly, when employees within an organization are employed from different
regions, ethnicity, political beliefs, religion, etc. they tend to share their different views
from their point of view. Through this, they get to learn new ideas from their fellow
workmates (Bezrukova, Thatcher, Jehn & Spell, 2012). The sharing of ideas regardless
of a person's background makes them feel like part of the organization and thus are
likely to perform best.
Summary of the literature review
From work done by other researchers, it is clear that diversity and conflicts have
effects on the general performance of an organization. However, as perceived by many
people that the impacts of the two factor are negative, this is not the case. Conflicts and
diversity within an organization have both positive and negative impact. Though the
negatives seem to outweigh the positives, it is important to have this kind of scenarios in
the organization to perform accordingly (Sharma, Chrisman & Chua, 2012).
Conclusion
The research question; what impacts do conflicts and diversity of employee have
on the general organization performance has been addressed by the discussed four
effects. It has been seen that conflict and diversity have both positive and negative
effect. The discussed positive impacts that the factors bring in a firm are improved
decision making and cohesion among the employees whereas the negatives are poor

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 17
cooperation and poor communication. The factors can be of advantage and at the same
time demerit to an organization. However, with keen management, an organization can
reap maximum benefits from diversity and conflicts by ensuring that employees see
them from the right perspective.
Recommendations
i. Organizations should educate employees on the benefits of diversification
ii. Organizations should put measures in place to train employees on how to solve
conflicts whenever they arise between themselves.

IMPACTS OF DIVERSITY AND CONFLICTS 18
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