Leadership in Managing Diversity: An Analysis of Ethical Leadership Models

The report highlights the issue of diversity in the Australian community and the challenges it poses in managing conflicts. The review of literature suggests that the application of ethical leadership models, such as the deconstruction and reconstruction theory, can assist in managing diversity-related issues successfully. The report emphasizes the importance of eco-leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and community. The summary concludes that the application of ethical leadership models can assist in resolving conflicts arising due to diversity and promote a sense of cooperation and harmony among the members of the community.

Running head: LEADERSHIP
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Review of literature relating to the issue of diversity and conflicts and the leadership theory
which needs to be applied successfully...........................................................................................3
Reflection and Conclusion...............................................................................................................8
References......................................................................................................................................11
Appendix........................................................................................................................................14

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Introduction
Managing an organization and community is not an easy task and with respect to this, the
management of a community requires consistent efforts from all the members, which assists in
ensuring that the community prospers at large. The primary issue which shall be highlighted in
the particular report is the issue related to the management of the diversity as present in the
community. The Australian community comprises of people belonging to different backgrounds
and cultures, which gives rise to various conflicts which might arise due to their religious actions
or through processes. The German migration which took place in Australia thereby heightens the
conflicts and other related experienced diversity, which exists within the community (Aho &
Quaye, 2018).
As understood, these groups are mainly settled in different rural districts of the Adelaide
Hills and practice religion which is different and unique, which thereby makes it difficult for the
community to cooperate amongst themselves. In addition to this, the challenge lies that there
exists considerable generational gap, poor language and other communication factors which
leads to various conflicts (Multicultural.sa.gov.au ,2016). In the workplace, with special
reference to that of Police services this diversity and related conflicts can easily bring about
various conflicts which might have an impact on the overall development of the community at
large and can have an impact on the lives of the individuals as well. For instance, in the line of
the work of the Police services, it is difficult to manage the audience and the different members
of the society if they belong to different cultural backgrounds and for this purpose the police
services needs to start including diverse employees as well who can blend well with the
community and maintain peace as well as harmony. This will assist it to connect better with the
target audience and maintain an ethical code of conduct. In order to resolve this problem and

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bring about a sense of cooperation between the different members of the firm and the
community, the practice of deconstruction theory and the reconstruction theory, can be
successfully applied (Western , 2013).
The report will be based on the review of literature which will highlight the manner in
which the eco leadership in form of ethical leadership can be applied in the firm and in a
community, along with a discussion on the manner in which this aspect will be able to
successfully be applied in the situation, to control the conflicts which arise due to diversity.
Review of literature relating to the issue of diversity and conflicts and the leadership theory
which needs to be applied successfully
According to Kim and Brymer (2011), Australia boasts that it has a unique culture as
well as history, which has been largely successful in shaping the diversity of the different
individuals. This can be stated as living in the country along with the diversity of the different
lifestyles of the individuals as well as the contemporary culture as present in the particular
region. According to Pekerti and Sendjaya (2010), the three different elements which have
affected the diversity of the country can be stated to be the indigenous population, colonization
by the British in the past and the considerable immigration, which has resulted in the presence of
the diverse cultures
Moreover, Cranston, Ehrich and Kimber (2006) state that the country can be quite
vibrant and multicultural as the immigrants have belonged to various parts of the globe and the
main strength of the country also lies in the rich cultural diversity. In order to ensure that this
diversity is managed well and that the different individuals are provided with equal importance,
there exists various legislations like that of the racial discrimination act, which seeks to ensure

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that there are laws to ensure the same. This act is still active in the country and reflects a strong
message on collective commitment towards equality and fairness. The Australians are capable of
speaking more than 200 languages and some of the languages comprise of the Italian, Chinese,
Greek and others. The major religion as practiced in Australia is Christianity, which professes a
variety of religions (Multicultural.sa.gov.au ,2016).
Additionally, according to Kim and Brymer (2011), although Australia is considered to
be a cooperative country which has been very successfully in embracing the diversity which
takes place, it can be understood that there still exists racism and discrimination in the country.
In a survey which determined the discrimination level as present in the country, it was identified
that around 18% of the Australians have been discriminated with respect to their skin, religion,
ethnic origin and this has also resulted in the employment which takes place in the workplace.
Stating so, considerable measures are being taken by the different members of the workplace and
community in order to ensure that the different individuals feel deeply connected with the culture
of Australia, and are willing to stay in the country for a long period of time. For instance, the
Common wealth bank has comfortably embraced the diversity in its activities and has a large
number of diverse employees and has 52000 employees in more than 1000 locations and can be
stated to be culturally inclusive (Dca.org.au, 2018).
Furthermore, according to Western, S. (2013), the management of the diversity at the
workplace and at the community can be considered to be quite relevant and more as diversity has
various benefits. A diverse workforce will be successfully able to manage the changing
consumer demands and also assist in providing a view point and perspective from different
angles. In addition to this, a diverse organization is better than a limited one as the diversity
embracing firm is able to build a sound image for itself in the market. Stewart (2004), states that

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the diversity which takes place at the workplace often promotes the acceptance, respect and the
team work which is required to be present irrespective of the differences which exist in the
workplace. These differences may be with respect to the age, gender, political beliefs, race of the
people and the communication styles which are largely preferred amongst the different
employees at large. However, very often the people become intolerant of the people and have an
objection against the systems which largely administer the operations of the workplace
(Benschop, 2016). For this reason, it becomes quite critical for the business to ensure that they
are aware of the diversity issues so that they can be prepared in advance and can easily prevent
the issue from becoming a rather big escalation.
The first diversity issue which often takes place in the workplace and the general
community, is related to the issue of Acceptance and Respect. Very often as agreed by Chin and
Trimble (2014), the different individuals are often not willing to accept the cultural diversity and
rather engage in disrespecting the individuals who belong to the opposite cultural background.
There needs to exist crucial acceptance among the employees with respect for one another.
According to Western (2013), it is the ethical leadership in the form of eco- leadership which can
go a long way in ensuring that there exist considerable training programs which educate the
different employees with respect to the manner in which the different employees are required to
accept one another and appreciate the differences which take place. Sabharwal (2014) states that
the second kind of issue which may arise in the workplace is due to the accommodation of the
beliefs of the employees at large. According to Owens and Hekman (2012), when the employees
in an organization or the general members of a community share different political beliefs,
cultural beliefs and other related aspects then, it may pose a threat. According to Cranston,
Ehrich and Kimber (2006), this is where the ethical leadership comes into consideration

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whereby the different employees would be required to keep their religious beliefs and other
related beliefs to themselves, and would instead be required to adhere to the wok responsibilities
and the duties which they are assigned to. Another diversity issue which may exist in the
workplace is the issue related to the Gender Equality which takes place at the workplace
(Humanrights.gov.au, 2018).
The employers and the employees need to portray an eco- leadership which aims to tie all
the members of the community into an agreed cooperation and as agreed by Lawton and Pa´ez
(2015), they are required to prevent any kind of a generation discrimination which may exist and
ensure that there exists adequate equality in terms of salary payment, structure, opportunities of
hiring as well as the promotion at large. In this manner, the Police services as an organization
will become more inclusive in nature. According to Hubbard, Rice and Galvin (2015), the
generational gap can also be considered to be a relevant diversity issue which exists in the
workplace. In this aspect, it needs to be considered that, there are certain companies where there
exists more diverse age groups, from teenagers to the senior citizen and in this aspect, it needs to
be understood that the social circles which are formed may then lead to the isolation of certain
employees. The young police officers may often discriminate against the new ones and this may
lead to a sense of mismanagement (Humanrights.gov.au, 2018). According to Kidder (2009), the
situation might be the same in case of the discrimination which takes place in the community,
whereby a certain section of the group members may then isolate the other group members and
then this may lead to discrimination which may cause conflicts within the community. Lastly, the
barrier of Language and Communication which exists between the various members may also
lead to a sense of discrimination between the different members and may cause communication
issues which further ads up to the relevance of various problems. Hence, the leader is required to

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play a great role in this aspect and hereby assist the community as well as the organization, to
ensure that they are successfully able to resolve the different conflicts at the workplace and
community at large .
According to Heres and Lasthuizen (2012), the major leadership theory which can assist
in solving the challenge of diversity in the workplace relates to the theory of deconstruction. The
deconstruction theory will go a long way in assisting the different members of the organization
to build up and understand the factors which actually has an impact on the diversity relating to
the workplace and on the general community at large. In addition to this, ethical leadership
through eco- leadership forms the basis of forming a diversity inclusive society which can then
assist the community. Western (2013), states that the reconstruction leadership theory goes a
long way in understanding the different types of leadership theory like the controller leadership
theory, the therapist leadership, the eco-leadership and the messiah leadership. These leadership
styles greatly assists in laying down the different ways in which the diversity in a firm can be
managed easily and help in defining whether the community will be able to successfully abide by
the diversity issues or not (Benschop, 2016). This means that leadership goes a long way in
managing the community and hence, when the right kind of leadership which is the Eco-
leadership, will be adopted by the organizations like the Police services, it will assist the
community and overcome the mutual issues they face (Chin & Trimble, 2014). According to
Favoreu, Carassus and Maurel (2015), the process of reconstructing will assist in considering the
factors which might have an impact on the overall community and hence, while considering
these factors, it generally becomes quite easy to abide by the requirements of the community.
Under the reconstruction leadership style, the eco-leadership style has a greater role to play and
this way the leader is able to handle the situation in hand by considering the point of view of the

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different factors, which tends to have a strong impact on diversification and also helps in
assessing how the diversification process will take place. The therapist theory of leadership
recommends that the leader needs to apply a unique leadership style by considering the different
factors affecting the business and the community at large. In this manner, the community issues
can be resolved easily. According to Furst and Cable (2008), by the application of the leadership
theory and related models, a leader will be successfully able to ensure long term success which
will ensure that the people in the community and in the organizations are easily able to live in
cooperation. In this manner, the different communities can expand peacedully and the economy
can foster mutually (Chin & Trimble, 2014).
Reflection and Conclusion
Therefore, from the review of literature as done on the Leadership in managing diversity,
it can be largely understood that, the issue of diversity is a very huge one. As the country of
Australia, is a considerably large country with a unique history, people from all over the world
have made migrations to the given country and with respect to this, they have been able to bring
about considerably change and additions to the history as well as the culture of the country at
large. Through the literature, I have become increasingly aware of the problem of diversity and
how the particular problem is quite deep rooted into the business and the manner in which this
problem is affecting the overall welfare of the country. In this regard, it can also be stated that,
the only manner in which the problem of diversity can be solved is by the application of the
ethical leadership models which would then assist the community and the overall workplace to
perform considerably well (Day, 2000). In regard to this, I undertook a review and analysis of
the concept of the reconstruction theory of leadership can be applied in order to review the

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overall diversity related issues, and the manner in which the eco leadership and ethical leadership
may be applied to the firm at large.
According to the review of literature, I was able to understand that the role of a leader in
managing the diversity is very important because the leaders are required to manage a large
number of people together and the entire operations of the organization and the community can
be stated to be in the hands of the leaders. The leaders can make a difference by creating an
effective scheduling, looking out for volunteers, playing to the strength of the team and facing all
the problems properly. However, it becomes considerably important for the organization to
understand that they are required to see the diversity which is extends as a merit rather than as a
challenge. The major reason why this is done is because it is important to use the different talents
and achieve the overall goals so that the community can become larger (Benschop, 2016).
According to literature as witnessed in Western (2013), the management of the leadership
is one of the most important aspects of a leader and hence, in this aspect, it needs to be
understood that the leader needs to nurture the different opinions and views of the different team
members and the individuals belonging to the community at large. This becomes important to
understand that the leader needs consider the point of view of all the members as present in the
community and then take adequate steps accordingly. The leader is required to be honest with the
members and from this ,I have understood that honesty can also be taken to be an integral
measure of success and this aspect, it needs to be stated that the right action at the right place
needs to be performed (Australian Public Service Commission. ,2013). Additionally, poor
leadership skills often leads to considerable problems for the entire community and hence, it
becomes crucial that the leader is able to adhere by this issue and engage in success. For this
reason, after understanding the issues with more clarity, I have taken a plan for myself and have

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aimed to start an investigation into the responsibilities of a leader which will help me to work
well for the community as well as the general workplace. I have taken a measure whereby I have
planned to interact with the different people as present and address the aspect related to unethical
leadership which takes place at the community. The engagement with the members will also
ensure that the people feel valued and help in removal of biases.
Additionally, I would like to take considerable steps so as to see to it that I become a
stable person and that I am able to become a good leader and that I will be able to easily improve
my knowledge. I have understood that the eco-leadership theory will help me to perform my
responsibilities effectively, and help me in fostering qualities like human spirit, ethics, network
and ability to face the challenges. When I will apply these issues in real life, I will engage in
ensuring that I am able to become a better leader. Hence, through the review of literature, it
could be understood that diversity is a common issue and that in order to ensure success, ethical
dimensions of leadership will be required to be applied and face this issue.

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References
Aho, R. E., & Quaye, S. J. (2018). Applied Critical Leadership: Centering Racial Justice and
Decolonization in Professional Associations. Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher
Education and Student Affairs, 3(3), 2.
Australian Public Service Commission. (2013). Leadership and ethical behaviour. Retrieved
December 26, 2017, from State of the Service 2012-13: http://www.apsc.gov.au/about-
the-apsc/parliamentary/state-of-the-service/sosr-2012-13/chapter-two/leadership-and-
ethical-behaviour
Benschop, Y. (2016). The dubious power of diversity management. Stefan Gröschl. Diversity in
the Workplace (pp. 35-48). Routledge. Australia: Taylor Francis, Pg. 1-14.
Chin, J. L., & Trimble, J. E. (2014). Diversity and leadership. Sage Publications.
Cranston, N., Ehrich, L. C., & Kimber, M. (2006). Ethical dilemmas: The “bread and butter” of
educational leaders' lives. Journal of Educational Administration, 44(2), 106-121.
Day, D. V. (2000). Leadership development: A review in context. The Leadership Quarterly,
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Favoreu, C., Carassus, D., & Maurel, C. (2015). Strategic management in the public sector: a
rational, political or collaborative approach? International Review of Administrative
Sciences, 1-19.

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Hubbard, G., Rice, J., & Galvin, P. (2015). Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis, Action
(5th ed.). Melbourne: Pearson Australia.
Humanrights.gov.au (2018). Australian Human Rights Commission. [online]. Available at:
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Management, 21(5), 754-780.

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Sabharwal, M. (2014). Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further
performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), 197-217.
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Appendix
Media used
https://www.themandarin.com.au/80473-john-lloyd-expounds-on-public-sector-leadership-and-
the-face-of-constant-change/
https://www.themandarin.com.au/65983-five-traits-ethical-leader/
http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/speeches/2017/guiding-principles
http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/ethical-decision-making
https://www.themandarin.com.au/83830-ethical-leadership-effective-leadership/
https://www.ifac.org/global-knowledge-gateway/ethics/discussion/ethical-leadership-and-
developing-code-conduct
http://www.ethicsmonitor.co.za/Articles/Ethical-leadership.pdf
https://etraining.communitydoor.org.au/mod/page/view.php?id=283
http://www.culturaldiversity.net.au/
https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-services/programs-policy/a-multicultural-
australia/programs-and-publications/1995-global-cultural-diversity-conference-proceedings-
sydney/economic-aspects-of-diversity/diversity-in-the-workplace
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/about-racism/australias-cultural-diversity/
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/census-2016-five-ways-australia-is-getting-more-diverse