Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups

This report discusses theories related to cultural diversity and culturally competent practices in an organization, along with the skills required to work with diverse groups.

Running Head: Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups
Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups
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Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 1
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Analysis of Theories........................................................................................................................1
Discrimination.............................................................................................................................1
Prejudice and Racism..................................................................................................................2
Application of theories in Organization..........................................................................................2
Skills Required to Work with Diverse Group..................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
Reference.........................................................................................................................................5

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 2
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to enlighten the reader about the information of theories related to
cultural diversity and culturally competent practices in an organization. Diversity at workplace
refers to the activity where the company enjoys working with people who belong to different
cultural background and teachings (Al-Jenaibi, 2017). This type of practice provides advantages
as well as disadvantages to an organization. Further, below mentioned are two theories related to
culturally competent practices in the environment along with application of these theories in an
organization. Skills required to work with diverse group are also examined in the paper. More
details about the report are discussed below:
Analysis of Theories
Discrimination
Discrimination refers to the process of differentiating people on the basis of their age, color,
height, disability and gender etc. Discrimination consists of the process of treating people
differentially on the basis of their perceived membership in certain group of category. In the
process of discrimination, one section of the society or individuals make the other people feel
neglected or odd from the whole society. Resulting to which, in an organizational context, the
management discriminate people and do not provide them opportunities that they should receive
on the basis of their competence. Theories like discrimination and racism hold back to the
growth of a person in an organization (Trax, Brunow, & Suedekum, 2015).
Further, direct discrimination refers to the type of discrimination under which one person treats
someone in an unfavorable manner because of their personal characteristics that they inherit.
This type of discrimination happens because of the ability of people to make unfair assumptions
about other people. Further, indirect discrimination happens when an unreasonable condition is
imposed that provides harm to people because of their personal characteristics. Indirect
discrimination occurs when the workplace policies seems to treat all people in a fair way but still
some people are affect because of their background and characteristics. The fact should be noted
that letting people down and not giving them opportunity to showcase their talent just because

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 3
they are different is not a justified reason. Instead, management should promote diversity to
bring competence for the business (Tjosvold, 2017).
Prejudice and Racism
Racism refers to a belief that shows differences among group of people on the basis of their
individual characteristics or culture. This type of discrimination activity related to the fact that
one’s own race is superior to other and people in that race have the right to dominate other
people or that a particular racial group is inferior to other. Further, prejudice refers to have a
preconceived opinion against someone that is not based on the actual experience or reason. In the
process of prejudice, people believe in something irrespective of their personal experience or
other things, prejudice is entirely related to assumption that people make. Being racist is
basically about people differentiating other people on the basis of their color. Black people are
usually segregated from the society by justifying that they are not like white people and they do
not belong to their community (Hofhuis, van der Zee, & Otten, 2015). The white people present
at workplace do not stand a chance to provide opportunity to black people in order to grow.
Racist behavior leads the people to judge others on the basis of their complexion in the society.
Prejudice on the other hand is something that makes the people discriminate others because of
their belief in the society. Like, some of the Americans believe that Nazis are violent people who
believe in war. Irrespective of the fact that these people have never met Nazis but still, they have
their own opinion on the basis of which they are prejudiced. Racism and prejudice is also a part
of the theory of discrimination (Welbourne, Gangadharan, & Sariol, 2015).
Application of theories in Organization
The human resource management team of a company plays the lead role in making use of
culturally competent practices in the business to grow and satisfy the employees of the company.
The theories of discrimination and prejudice explain the ways in which the human resource
manager of the company should initiate actions to maintain diversity at workplace (Hopkins,
2016). The discrimination and prejudice and racism theory helps the organization to get to know
about the facts that the company should not perform in order to keep all the employees satisfied
at workplace. This type of theory helps the manager to eliminate various differential factors

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 4
coming between people like age, race, sex, religious background, disability, color etc. (Hage, &
Posner, 2015).
Further, it should also be noted that, the theory explain that it is important for the management to
hire different kinds of people in the organization so as to widen the range of their thinking skills
and initiate competence as well. Diversity in the organization brings out unique thought and
ideas for the business to grow. The above mentioned two theories explain the two activities that
the companies should not perform in their internal environment if they wants to successfully
develop benefits from diversity at workplace. It is important for an organization to expand its
scope of business in order to grow, so expanding the business from its homogenous culture and
recruiting people from different cultural background will successfully help the organization to
grow and become more profitable as well (Martin, & Nakayama, 2015).
The above mentioned theories will help the organization to understand the needs of the
employees as well as customers in a better way. Diversified workforce can help in understanding
the needs of diversified customers and providing them products accordingly. The theories also
help in resolving the language barriers and understanding that all people hold same respect and
value. It also helps in satisfying the customers and retaining them with the organization as well.
The theories of discrimination helps the company to breakdown the critical areas where the
company need to focus so as to satisfy employees. Further, these theories also promote the act of
equality and diversity in the environment. These theories support the better functioning of the
company (Triana, Jayasinghe, & Pieper, 2015).
Skills Required to Work with Diverse Group
There are numerous skills and knowledge required for the management to work with diverse
groups. These skills are discussed below:
Active Listening and Communication: It is important for the management to actively listen to the
queries of employees and resolve them efficiently. The management of the company should
initiate effective communication so as to work with diverse groups and resolve diversity
challenges as well. Communication and active listening will help the management to understand
the inert cultural situations hampering the progress of the employees and change them according.

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 5
In the process of effective communication, it is not important to speak but it is more important to
listen, so by listening to employees, the management will reach half way in attaining growth for
the company (Jyoti, & Kour, 2015).
Engagement: In order to eliminate the diversity challenges, it is important for the management to
engage the employees in the functions of the company. By engaging the employees, the
management will reduce the problem of cultural shock and will help the employees to talk to
each other informally and create a bond as well. Engagement in business activities will unite the
functions of the company. The process of engagement will help the employees to understand the
cultural of the company and adopt it as well. By adopting the organizational culture, the
employees will be able to reduce the interpersonal differences and work with equality as well
(Prause, & Mujtaba, 2015).
Understanding and Sense of Unity: The management should use the skill of understanding in
order to resolve the conflicts in the company. By attain the skill of understanding; the employees
would be able to communicate their issues with the management without hesitating. This process
will also create a sense of unity among the top and lower level management of the company
(Hsiao, Auld, & Ma, 2015).
Thus, these are the skills and knowledge that the company and its human resource management
should make use of in order to successfully eliminates the diversity challenges from workplace.
Conclusion
Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events, the fact should be noted that the above
mentioned paper highlighted information about the diversity challenges present at workplace.
The paper elaborated two theories that the companies should apply in order to eliminate diversity
issues from the environment. Further, use of these theories in an organization is also explained
along with the skills required by the business to eliminate the problem of diversity. The report
adequately satisfies the requirements of the paper.

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 6
Reference
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Emirates–A preliminary study. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 8(1).
Hage, J., & Posner, B. Z. (2015). Religion, religiosity, and leadership practices: An examination
in the Lebanese workplace. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(4),
396-412.
Hofhuis, J., van der Zee, K. I., & Otten, S. (2015). Measuring employee perception on the effects
of cultural diversity at work: development of the benefits and threats of diversity
scale. Quality & Quantity, 49(1), 177-201.
Hopkins, B. (2016). Cultural differences and improving performance: How values and beliefs
influence organizational performance. UK: Routledge.
Hsiao, A., Auld, C., & Ma, E. (2015). Perceived organizational diversity and employee
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Tjosvold, D. (2017). Cross-cultural management: foundations and future. UK: Routledge.
Trax, M., Brunow, S., & Suedekum, J. (2015). Cultural diversity and plant-level
productivity. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 53, 85-96.

Managing the Needs of Diverse Client Groups 7
Triana, M. D. C., Jayasinghe, M., & Pieper, J. R. (2015). Perceived workplace racial
discrimination and its correlates: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 36(4), 491-513.
Welbourne, J. L., Gangadharan, A., & Sariol, A. M. (2015). Ethnicity and cultural values as
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