Why Is Diversity Important In the Workplace?
Clearly, law makers and other officials believe that diversity is key to a successful workplace, since numerous laws have been passed to protect diversity. Many companies also believe that diversity is the key to success.
Diversity is important because people from different backgrounds can have different ideas. If everyone has grown up in the same way, with the same education and culture paradigms and world views, then many of those people tend to think alike and to approach the world in similar ways. This isn't necessarily wrong or a bad thing, it just means that limitations exist.
People who have experienced different racial backgrounds, or who grew up in different religions or different cultures or even as different sexes can have a different way of looking at the world. A woman, for example, might approach a problem differently than a man. A person who grew up experiencing racial discrimination might have a different perspective on a situation than someone who has been in the majority race his whole life.
All of these different perspectives and ways of looking at the world can make a business more successful. With an increasingly global economy, businesses have to compete on a different level. A business now has to compete with companies on the Internet and companies in far-away places. More and more businesses have become international and more people are buying and selling across state lines.
As a result, having a diverse work force can be the key to success in business.
Defining Diversity
The dictionary defines diversity as:
- quality, state, fact, or instance of being diverse; difference
- variety
Since no two people are created equal, technically this means everyone is diverse. However, when people speak of diversity in the workplace, they are usually referring to a specific type of diversity.
Diversity in this context normally means people from different races, religions, cultural backgrounds or genders. For example, diversity in the workplace may refer to the importance of having people from many different races, and even from different countries, all working together.
Laws Protecting Diversity
Although many businesses recognize the importance of a diverse workplace and voluntarily hire workers from many walks of life, some unfortunately do not. Because the government has recognized the importance of diversity in the work force- and the importance of providing equal opportunities for all citizens- various pieces of anti-discrimination legislation have passed which all but guarantee that possibility of diversity in the work force.
For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates that employers cannot discriminate in hiring, firing or terms of employment on the basis of race, national origin, gender or religion. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers not to discriminate against disabled individuals and to make reasonable accommodations so a disabled individual can do a job. Finally, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits discrimination against workers aged 40 and over.
All of this legislation demonstrates that here is a public policy interest in insuring a diverse work force. When a work force is diverse, anyone can get a job based on his or her qualifications alone, instead of based on race or other such characteristics. Thus, diversity allows the maxim that "All men are created equal" to be more true.
Diversity Problems
While diversity can be a great thing, problems can arise if people do not understand how to work with each other or communicate. Simple misunderstandings can escalate if people of different cultures do not understand an exchange, or if workers do not show sensitivity to the cultural needs of others.
Open communication, clear policies in regards to how workers should interact and sensitivity training may all go a long way towards ensuring that a diverse workplace is a successful workplace.