Workplace Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities for Managers

Running head: ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
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Author Note

1ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
Topic: Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity is creating some problems in form of acceptance, respect, ethnic and
cultural issues. The problems need to be mitigated in a proper way so that effect of those issues
are not impacting over the organisation. Problems in diversity is the major problem that most of
the managers have to deal with and they have to come up with a conclusion.
Acceptance and respect is the major diversity problem of the organisation (Olsen et al.
2014). Employees are not accepted same belief and they indulge in the conflict situation.
Managers play a significant role in that matter and they mitigate the conflicts situation to nullify
the situation of struggle. While implementing workplace diversity in Johnson & Johnson, the
managers have monitored that in the initial stages the employees were apprehensive about the
process. However, as a result of the efficient monitoring and strategies the organization has been
successful in bringing organizational diversity.
Ethnic and Cultural difference is another diversity problem for the company. There are
some prejudices about the ethnic behaviour, cultural backgrounds and employees make a group
with their same community that makes difficult situation for the company (Weichselgartner and
Kelman 2015). Maybank faces the same situation in ethic and cultural difference create a barrier
for their progression. They have also faced challenges in employees’ equality and workplace
respect.
The diversity in the workforce is one of the problem situations for the organisation.
Most of the managers have to face the same situation in the organisation. As commented by
Seltzer and Mahmoudi (2013) the diverse mentality of employees and their critical thinking over
subjects are important and that encourage the conflict situation also. Innovation and talent are

2ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
there with all the employees but their approach will be productive for the company, not for the
individual supremacy. Public Bank Berhad faces diverse situation of employees and their
thoughts and decision makings are creating problem for the company (Kivuti-Bitok et al. 2013).
Leader or manager has to deliver the right attitude they are in and formulate them in an accurate
way to mitigate this challenge.
Gender equality is another major challenge that most of the organisation confronted in
modern times. 40% of people believes that companies hire men over women. Approximately,
24.2% higher base pay for the women and gender equality confronted in that situation. Managers
have to take care of that situation so that workplace influx will be revised in a proper way. In this
regard the example of Sodexo can be given where the gender equality has been exercised
effectively. The employees have shown significant resistance against the hiring process that the
company has adopted. It has been monitored that the organization has effectively created gender
balance within the organizational scenario. 40% of the total workforce are women.
Language and Communication is another major problem that organisation faces and
that comes for the diversified changes in the organisation. As stated by Patz et al. (2014)
language is the only medium to mitigate power-relation in the organisation. Through the
interaction process management know about the problem faced by employee. The managers have
monitored that language difference between employees can create some problem situation as
non-native English speakers does not understand the language so the objective of the
organisation is not clear in some cases. CIMB Group works in loans, securities, and investments,
thus direct communication with customers and employees is important in that case (Simon,
Bumpus and Mann 2012).