Analysis of Equality and Diversity in Egyptian Workplaces: A Report

This report examines workplace equality and diversity practices within two Egyptian organizations: Orange Egypt, a mobile networking company, and the SEKEM Development Foundation, a non-profit organization. The report details the specific policies and initiatives each organization employs to foster diversity and inclusion, such as Orange Egypt's Essentials2020 plan and SEKEM's commitment to equal opportunities and support for women and people with disabilities. The report highlights the benefits of these practices, including improved employee satisfaction, enhanced company reputation, and increased financial performance for Orange Egypt. For SEKEM, the report emphasizes how these practices contribute to its mission of sustainable development and foster a more positive and innovative work environment. The conclusion underscores the significance of workplace equality and diversity and its positive impact on business culture in Egypt and globally, emphasizing the importance of treating all stakeholders equally.

Equality and Diversity
7/3/2019
Student’s Name

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Introduction
Employees, as well as other stakeholders, have a significant role in any organization. In
such a situation, it becomes the duty of the management to respect all stakeholders, specifically
employees for their gender, career experiences, age and more (Brighthr.com, 2019). The practice
where an organization hires employees and deal with customers and suppliers from different
social groups is known as workplace diversity. With the development of economy and
globalization, this term became more relevant and significant. The reason behind the same is that
multinational corporations have to develop an association with people from different countries
and cultures. However, this would be wrongful to state that subjective practice is of no use for
national and domestic corporations. The practice comes under the legal and ethical category and
an organization can attain many advantages by pursuing the same. In the presented report, the
focus will be made on workplace equality and diversity practices adopted by one corporation and
one non-profit organization of Egypt. Further, the benefits of such practices to the overall
organization will also be made.
Discussion
The very first organization selected here is Orange Egypt. It is the first mobile
networking company of the company and founded in 1998 (Egypttoday.com, 2018). The
company believes in workplace equality and diversity. The company has developed its
Essentials2020 plan, which is a part of its vision. Creation of caring and digital employer model
is one of the drivers of the stated plan. During the process of recruitment, the company makes
equality and diversity. In this manner, the company ensures attractiveness and innovation. The

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company has a set of guidelines and rules to ensure equality, as well as diversity and the same, is
known as diversity and workplace equality policy. This policy has a dual approach. Firstly, the
overall approach is based on adopting talent and inspiring the inclusion of all workers
irrespective of their difference such as gender, race, religion or any other characteristics apart
from knowledge and skills. Another approach is known as thematic approach. This approach
especially focuses on the involvement of young people from a deprived background, gender
equality at the workplace, the involvement of disabled people and anti-discrimination measure of
the company. In order to discuss the roadmap of this policy, this is to state that company is
providing high-level roles to female employees as the same has a mission to enhance the
involvement and proportion of female employees to 35% by the year 2020. Company is
encouraging the role of woman in technical areas and is continuously making an effort to make
an equal balance between a number of male and female employees (Orange.com, 2019).
To discuss the success of this policy, this is to inform that the company has hired 27% of
the total number of women in 2016 in France. The employment rate of disabled people in
Orange, France is 6.8%. if to talk about the benefits of such practices, the very first advantage
seems to be goodwill or a good reputation of company in society as well as economy. The
company is recently been satisfied as Top employer of 2019 in Egypt as well as of Africa by the
global Top Employers Institute (Orange.eg, 2018). Before this too, the company has received
this award in 2015. It shows the satisfaction of employees with this organization. Further ethical
practices such as workplace equality and diversity enhance employee satisfaction and develop
their faith in an organization. It is well known that happy and satisfied employees become more
engaged in business operations and gives high return. The same goes for Orange Egypt.
Company has earned 3227687023 Egyptian Dollars during the third quarter of the financial year

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2017 as its operating revenues. On the other side, the operating revenue of the company during
the third quarter of the financial year 2018 was 3586866388 Egyptian Dollars (Orange.eg,
2019b). By having a look, up to above-mentioned data it is far clear that diversification and
equality practices adopted by the company led many economic as well as non-economic benefits
for the same. Further to say that the subjective practices improve hiring results and also increased
creativity.
As mentioned in the introduction part, the second organization selected for this
assignment is the SEKEM Development Foundation. It is a non-profit organization found and
established in Egypt in 1984. SEKEM holding is the lead company of the group that has been
established in 2000 (Sekem.com, 2019a). Sustainable development can be treated as a lead vision
of the organization. Now to discuss, workplace equality and diversification, this is to mention
that similar to Orange Egypt, this company also believes and support such practices. The
significance, which this organization gives to equality and diversity, can be assumed by the fact
that the organization has developed a different section on this topic over its website. As per the
practices adopted by this organization, the same treats all its employees in an equal manner at
different SEKEM premises irrespective of characteristics such as disability, health, gender, age
and so on. To ensure equality at the workplace, SEKEM as well as it's all companies provides
equal opportunities to all the persons during the recruitment process and do not follow any
separate policy for local hiring. The organization supports women empowerment and ensures
workplace equality. Here social worker of the organization helps female employees to resolve
professional as well as personal issues. With the help of education and microcredit program
organization, strengthen the women’s position. On the other side, to manage diversity effectively
organization provides employment to people from the different social background. Particularly to

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maintain the relationship between Christian and Muslim rituals, organization plan and arranges
lectures at the head office at each Monday. Most of the employees of the organization belong to
Islamic background as it the total population of Egypt consist 90 of Muslim, 9% copts and only
1% Christian. In such a manner, maintaining equality and diversity becomes more crucial. Apart
from the people of different religion, or gender, people with disability are also important to
discuss. Nearly 30 people are there that are disabled and is be a part of an organization’s
workforce (Sekem.com, 2019b). The continual educational process of organization helps
in such involvement. In this way, it is clear that for SEKEM, subjective practices take
high significance.
Many benefits of such a policy can be counted here. First of all, it improves the
relationship between workers. When they are being informed regarding practices of quality, they
feel positively motivated. This further improves the overall performance of the organization.
Further as mentioned earlier, this is a nonprofit organization and sustainable development is its
core mission, such policies supports the same. Further, to know the impact of such policies on
overall organization, this is to state that employee of the company seems to be happier and they
take more part in innovative actions. As it is a non-profit organization, it is far clear that
organization earned massive respect of public as well as of employees. Not only within the
organization equality and within diversity practices adopted by the same also has influence
outside of the entity as people get lessons from the same. By adoption of such practices, SEKEM
sets an example before society and also contribute the efforts towards sustainability.
Conclusion

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In order to conclude this report, this is to mention that workplace equality and diversity
are one of the most significant aspects of organizations these days. It carries many benefits such
as lower employee turnover ratio, increment in production and employee performance and many
others. Not because of these benefits only but in general too, it becomes the responsibility of
business to treat every employee as well as another stakeholder in an equal manner. In the
presented report, such benefits have been understood with the help of the example of two
companies of Egypt that orange Egypt and SEKEM foundation. Both the entities are doing well
in their sectors and have achieved financial as well as non-financial benefits. Orange Egypt has
been announced as the best employer of 2019 in Egypt. The reason behind the same is workplace
diversity practices. On the other side, SEKEM is doing well in the area of sustainability and there
too, the reason is somewhere equality practices. These are just two examples but there are many
other entities and business nationally as well as internationally who are adopting these practices.
In this manner, it is clear that subjective practice often seems to be positive for business culture.

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References
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https://www.orange.com/en/content/download/41993/1309689/version/12/file/
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Reports/orange-egypt-consolidated-financial-statements-review-report-en.pdf
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Sekem.com. (2019b). Everyone’s Got Individual Skills. Everyone Deserves a Chance. Retrieved
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