Analyzing Diversity Challenges & Solutions at Aetna Healthcare

This presentation examines the diversity issues within Aetna, a leading health benefit company with a large and diverse workforce. It identifies key challenges such as gender inequality, generational gaps, ethnic and cultural differences, conflict, and communication issues. The presentation then proposes solutions and recommendations for Aetna's management to enhance diversity and inclusion, including providing education on stereotypes, focusing on similarities, promoting appreciation of cultural differences, utilizing negotiation to resolve conflicts, and improving communication flow. The ultimate goal is to foster a more inclusive and effective workplace culture at Aetna, leading to improved employee motivation, performance, and overall organizational success. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and resources for students.

MANAGING IN COMPLEX
ENVIRONMENT

Table of Contents
■ Introduction
■ Main Diversity Issues at Aetna
■ Solutions and Recommendations to Diversity issues
■ Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
■ Aetna is one of the leading diversified health benefit company
incorporating in United States. The company serves around 37.2 million
people in America. There are around 35000 employees out which 31 per
cent of employees comes from different background, colour and religion.
■ In this presentation, the issues will be discovered and recommendations
will be provided in order to overcome them.

Diversity
Diversity in past was an employee relation issue which revolves largely around
race and gender. In present scenario, diversity at workplace became important and
essential part of the organisation. Aetna is one of the leading and largest health care
organisation incorporating in United States of America and its health care network
consists of 4919 hospitals, 84300 healthcare professionals and more than 490000
primary care doctors and specialists.

Main Diversity Issues
At Aetna, more than 35000 employees are currently employed out of which
approximately 11000 employees are of different backgrounds, culture and colour. Out
of total workforce 26600 are female employees from which 64 per cent holds
management and supervisory positions. In order to enhance the effectiveness within
the work culture, management of Aetna formulated precise strategies and utilise
appropriate framework so that diversity within workplace can be boost up.

Gender Issue
■ Gender issue were observed within the
healthcare were female employees were
not treated appropriately. Many female
employees complains about the unfair
treatment of senior employees and
managers within the Aetna healthcare

Cont.
This is considered to be severe issue as it can tarnished the reputation and goodwill
of the organisation. Gender inequality are common but serious offence in the
organisation as they have to follow the Equality and Civil Rights Act where it is the
responsibility and duty of top management to monitor the unfair and prejudiced
behaviour and take actions so that workplace effectiveness and culture can be
enhanced effectively and efficiently. As majority of workforce at Aetna composed
of female employees, management must consider the gender inequality issues and
makes necessary policies and changes so that these issues can be obliterated.

Generation Gaps
■ In large organisation like Aetna,
employees of different age employed
in the organisation which inevitably
creates generation gaps in the
organisation. Disagreement between
senior and juniors, superiors and
subordinates are common in Aetna.

Cont.…
It was observed that discrepancies occurred due to dominance behaviour of
superiors on subordinates. Diversified people are more likely to be the target of
superiors and managers in the organisation. It reduces the motivation of juniors
which affect on the corporate culture of the organisation. Generation gap can be
observed in any large organisation where large number of employees are
employed. Bridging the gap between multiple generations of workers can
sometimes become an issue for employers attempting to establish teamwork.

Ethnic And Cultural Differences
■ Ethical and cultural differences can be occurred in large scale corporations
where different types of employees working together to share benefits. Aetna,
employees coming from different background and culture such as African-
American, Asians and Hispanic works together for accomplishing the
common goals and objectives of the organisation. Management observes that
ethical and cultural differences has been occurring in the organisation which
affects the corporate culture of the company.

Cont.
■ In the survey conducted within the organisation it was asked to employees
whether Aetna enables people from diverse backgrounds to contribute to their
fullest or not. The responses were beyond expectations as majority of
employees disagreed with the statement. Ethical and cultural differences
affects the overall performance of diversified employees within the
organisation. Employees remained dissatisfied and demotivated which reduces
their determination to carry out specific task.

Conflict
■ Conflicts in the workplace can be due to prejudice, racism, discrepancies,
discrimination and lack of respect. If not distinguished, such animosity in the
workplace can turn explosive or even violent. There were times that due to
discrepancies employees at Aetna found in conflicts with each other.
■ Conflicts at workplace are not considered reduces the motivation and loyalty of
employees and their quality of doing work ultimately reduces. With large
number of workforce in the organisation, the management Aetna have observed
frequent conflicts between diversified and local employees in the organisation.