University Business Communication Report: Workplace Diversity Argument

This report, addressing Assessment 1B for a Business Communication course, examines the critical issue of workplace diversity in contemporary organizations. It begins by acknowledging the unavoidable presence of cultural diversity in modern workplaces due to increased migration, global work opportunities, and the spread of multinational corporations. The report highlights the crucial role of leadership in managing diversity, emphasizing the importance of leaders who can effectively incorporate the similarities and differences among employees from diverse cultural backgrounds. It stresses the significance of inclusion, cultural intelligence, and a commitment to integrating all employees, including those from marginalized communities. The report then explores effective strategies for managing workplace diversity, such as open communication, social cohesion, and conflict management. It also addresses potential challenges, including leaders' own biases or inability to establish effective communication systems. The report uses references to support the arguments presented, with a focus on diversity and leadership within the modern organizational context.

Running head: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business Communication
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Diversity in workplace
According to Witcomb (2009), in contemporary workplaces, cultural diversity had
become unavoidable. Due to high migration, increase in work opportunities as well as
distribution of MNCs all over the world, people from different parts of the world can work
anywhere. In managing diversity, the role of leadership cannot be denied. Good leaders have
the ability to incorporate all the similarities and differences of people coming from different
cultures (Ghorashi & Sabelis, 2013). Successful leaders believe in inclusion and cultural
intelligence. They are also working towards including, the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and
transgender employees into the workforce. This creates a sense of fairness and justice in the
organizations (Bell et al., 2011). The communities that faced discriminations will have the
chance to contribute to the organization. Leaders use social cohesion and communication
strategies in order to integrate different cultures into the workplace and create a balance and
cooperative mentality among the employees (Triandis, 2015). Keeping open channel of
communication, mingling outside the workplace and conflict management are effective ways
to manage workplace diversity.
Intercultural management is largely dependent on leaders whereas, sometimes, the
leaders themselves might become the barrier themselves. They might be unable to find the
reason for conflict or establish a communication system among the employees. Leaders too
may be prejudiced and thus may hinder the social cohesion that is needed for different
cultures to work together (Wart, 2013). Moreover, the personality of the leader and his
leadership style also determines whether all the cultural backgrounds will feel comfortable
with communicating towards him as different cultures have different views about what a
leader should be like.

2BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

3BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
References
Bell, M. P., Özbilgin, M. F., Beauregard, T. A., & Sürgevil, O. (2011). Voice, silence, and
diversity in 21st-century organizations: Strategies for inclusion of gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender employees. Human resource management, 50(1), 131-146.
Ghorashi, H., & Sabelis, I. (2013). Juggling difference and sameness: Rethinking strategies
for diversity in organizations. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 29(1), 78-86.
Triandis, H. (2015). Cultural intelligence in organizations. Group & Organization
Management, 31(1), 20-26.
Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of
leaders. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 553-565.
Witcomb, A. (2009). Migration, social cohesion, and cultural diversity. Humanities Research,
15(2), 49.