University Report: GMBA8104 - Diversity and Affinity in the Workplace

This report critically analyzes the concepts of diversity and affinity within a workplace setting, specifically focusing on the Australian Marketing Agency. It begins with an introduction defining diversity and affinity bias, emphasizing the importance of a diverse and inclusive workplace for maximizing human capital. The report then provides a company background, highlighting the agency's size, digital solutions, and commitment to gender balance and employee diversity. The core of the analysis explores the impact of gender diversity, age discrimination, disability, and affinity bias on workplace dynamics. It also delves into cultural diversity within the organization, describing the agency's approach to cultural representation and its positive impact on employee potential and cost reduction. Finally, the report examines the workplace approach, including affirmative action, equal opportunities, and policies promoting inclusion and diversity. The conclusion emphasizes the benefits of a diverse workforce and summarizes the key findings regarding the agency's practices and policies.

Running head: DIVERSITY AND AFFINITY
Diversity and Affinity
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2
Company Background............................................................................................................2
Diversity and the Affinity.........................................................................................................2
Cultural Diversity....................................................................................................................3
Workplace approach.............................................................................................................. 4
Conclusion............................................................................................................................. 4
References............................................................................................................................. 6

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Introduction
Diversity is inclusive of the whole spectrum of the primary dimensions of a person
which includes the race, gender, religion and the ethnicity. The organizations can create the
diverse workplace that can help in the complete utilization of the human capital. The concept
helps in encompassing the acceptance along with the respect that helps in recognizing the
individual differences of the people (Ger, 1999). It helps in the exploration of the differences
within the framework of the positive and the nurturing environment. It can help in the
understanding of the people and it helps in celebrating the rich dimensions which are
contained in each individual. Affinity bias refers to the unconscious tendency of the people of
getting along with the people who are similar to each other. The people need more amount
of effort in bridging the differences in the event of diversity being present among the people.
Australian Marketing Agency creates the innovative solutions which helps the business in
working to the full potential which helps in delivering the superior results for a company. The
company provides the digital solutions which helps the other business in achieving the
success. This report throws light on the concepts of the diversity and the affinity that can
prove to be critical for the success of a company. This report elucidates on the cultural
diversity within the organization and the approach that can be taken by a company that can
help in encouraging the aspect of the workplace diversity.
Company Background
Australian Marketing Agency is a company of large stature which have emerged to
become greatly popular in the country with the help of the digital solutions which it provides
to the clients. The company develops the brand stories that helps the business in working to
the full potential. The company provides the breakthrough insights that helps the different
business in winning the favour of the customers. The number of the staff in the company are
around 1000 who cater to the specific needs of the clients. The company lays stress on the
element of the gender balance and 40 % of the total members of the staff are the women
which speaks of the importance of the diversity policies in the company. The organization
recruits the older along with the younger employees that have helped the company in taking
the advantage of the unique skills along with the attributes of the members of various kinds
of the age groups (Dover, Major & Kaiser, 2016). The company have workers of the
indigenous origin that have been instrumental in increasing the diversity in the company.
Diversity and the Affinity
In my opinion gender diversity helps in moderating the relationship in between the
group efficacy and the group outcomes that can set the stage for the success of a company.
It has been found that group efficacy and the performance relationship have been found to

3DIVERSITY AND AFFINITY
be stronger within the framework of the mixed gender groups when compared to the same
gender groups. I think that the older workers have to face the age discrimination and the
unfair treatment is meted out to the older employees in a company. There exists the
stereotypes about the older workers that acts like a barrier in the path of their performance in
a company (Gordon & Hartman, 2009). In think that the assumptions pertaining to the age-
related declines influence the treatment of the older workers relative to that of the younger
workers in a company. The skills and the abilities of the people decline in the old age and it
has a bad effect on performance of employees. The disability of the employees are often
perceived in a negative manner by the other employees of an organization (Roberge & Van
Dick, 2010). I think that the people with the disability are looked down upon and it is held as
if they deserve the disability that makes the other employees prejudiced towards the
disabled person. The observers does not feel obligated in helping the person with the
disability as there exists negative perception about the disabled people in a company. In my
opinion, notion of the stereotyping is made use of for victimizing the gay men along with the
lesbians in the workplace (Guillaume et al., 2017). The homosexual individuals does not
conform to that of the traditional gender roles and it makes the other workers view them in a
different light.
The affinity bias refers to preference for the certain group of the people with whom
they have an affinity or the similarity. I think that it takes place when the managers of a
company show the marked preference for the candidates with whom they can relate that can
impede the flow of work in a company (Holck, 2018). In my opinion, the affinity bias is
present within the corporate culture of a company and it acts like a barrier in the path of
creation of an inclusive organization. I think that an organization should have the systematic
checks along with the balances that can help in spreading the diversity message among the
employees of company.
Cultural Diversity
Australian Marketing agency takes care of the element of the cultural diversity that
helps in the well representation of the different kinds of the population groups in the
community. The people from the various kinds of the cultural backgrounds are encouraged
in the organization that have helped in maximising the potential of employees in Australian
Marketing Agency. The corporate philosophy lays stress on the element of the diversity and
it have been integrated within the practices of Australian Marketing Agency. In my view, the
workers in the company are open-minded and they are non-judgemental pertaining to value
of the differences in a company (Wilton et al., 2019). The advertisements show the people
belonging to the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander people that have helped in raising
the cultural awareness among the employees of company. The organization can manage the

4DIVERSITY AND AFFINITY
cultural diversity and it have the company in bringing about reduction of cost of the staff
turnover. I think that it have helped in the minimisation of the legal along with the compliance
risks that have helped the company in making the profits (Fujimoto & EJ Härtel, 2017).
Workplace approach
Australian Marketing Agency takes recourse to the affirmative action which helps in
providing the equal opportunity for the people belonging to the diverse backgrounds within
the company. The employees in the company are paid fairly and they are promoted equally
that works to the benefit of the employees. The company have the representative number of
the people within company which helps in matching diverse demographics of community.
The organization have the culture of the acceptance which helps in appreciating diverse
nature of the workforce (Page, 2019). It recognizes the needs of different kinds of
employees that have helped in the creation of healthy along with a productive workplace.
The employees in the company accept the differences in between them that have helped in
the reduction of the conflict among the employees of company. It have helped in the removal
of the diversity barriers that have created the way for the success of the company. The
employees in the company are aware regarding the personal beliefs along with the bias of
the employees that have helped in the creation of the right kind of the organizational culture.
The company abides by the inclusion and the diversity policy that have helped in
encouraging the inclusion along with the diversity within the framework of a company (Syed
& Ozbilgin, 2019). It have helped in the creation of the culture which respects the
differences among the employees of company. The composition of the Board of Directors
have members of diverse kinds of backgrounds that have provided the encouragement to
the employees who are working in the lower level in the company. It have helped in ensuring
that the business practices are framed in such a manner that does not prevent the people
from the diverse backgrounds in participating in the various kinds of activities within the
company (Hajro, Gibson & Pudelko, 2017). The development of the human resources have
helped in solving the issues related to the diversity and it have acted as an effective tool that
have facilitated the culture change in the company (Gündemir et al., 2017). The diversity
training have helped in educating the workforce regarding cultural differences that have
helped in the maintenance of the effective work environment.
Conclusion
The creation of a diverse workforce can help a company in utilizing the human capital
that can prove to be advantageous for a company. Cultural diversity is encouraged by
Australian Marketing Agency that have helped in representing different kinds of population
groups in the company. The people of all kinds of cultural backgrounds are encouraged in

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the company that have helped the employees in working to full potential in the company. The
company have made use of the affirmative action that have provided the equal opportunity to
the people. The workers of company are paid in a fair manner and the promotion of the
employees takes place in the equitable manner which have proved to be advantageous for
employees. The organization possess representative number of people that have helped in
voicing the unique needs of the people.

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References
Ausmarketing.com.au. (2020). Marketing Agency | Social Media, Video, Digital, Search, TV.
Retrieved 18 January 2020, from https://www.ausmarketing.com.au/
Dover, T. L., Major, B., & Kaiser, C. R. (2016). Members of high-status groups are
threatened by pro-diversity organizational messages. Journal of Experimental Social
Psychology, 62, 58-67.
Fujimoto, Y., & EJ Härtel, C. (2017). Organizational diversity learning framework: going
beyond diversity training programs. Personnel Review, 46(6), 1120-1141.
Ger, G. (1999). Localizing in the global village: Local firms competing in global
markets. California Management Review, 41(4), 64-83.
Gordon, J., & Hartman, R. L. (2009). Affinity-seeking strategies and open communication in
peer workplace relationships. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 17(3), 115-125.
Guillaume, Y. R., Dawson, J. F., Otaye‐Ebede, L., Woods, S. A., & West, M. A. (2017).
Harnessing demographic differences in organizations: What moderates the effects of
workplace diversity?. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(2), 276-303.
Gündemir, S., Dovidio, J. F., Homan, A. C., & De Dreu, C. K. (2017). The impact of
organizational diversity policies on minority employees’ leadership self-perceptions
and goals. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 24(2), 172-188.
Hajro, A., Gibson, C. B., & Pudelko, M. (2017). Knowledge exchange processes in
multicultural teams: Linking organizational diversity climates to teams’
effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 60(1), 345-372.
Holck, L. (2018). Unequal by structure: Exploring the structural embeddedness of
organizational diversity. Organization, 25(2), 242-259.
Page, S. E. (2019). The diversity bonus: How great teams pay off in the knowledge
economy (Vol. 5). Princeton University Press.
Roberge, M. É., & Van Dick, R. (2010). Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how
does diversity increase group performance?. Human Resource management
review, 20(4), 295-308.
Syed, J., & Ozbilgin, M. (2019). Managing diversity and inclusion: An international
perspective. SAGE Publications Limited.

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Wilton, L. S., Sanchez, D. T., Unzueta, M. M., Kaiser, C., & Caluori, N. (2019). In Good
Company: When Gender Diversity Boosts a Company’s Reputation. Psychology of
Women Quarterly, 43(1), 59-72.