Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Managing Diversity - Essay Example Center of discussion in this paper is diversity management that has attracted not only a lot of interest but also debates all over the world. Many countries are now making improvements in their diversity management strategies in order to accommodate the increasingly diverse labour market. Diversity management entails various actions by organisations aimed at maximising the inclusion of workers from a diverse background. These employees are recruited into not only formal but also the informal structures of the various organisations by use of deliberate policies. The recruitment may also be done through deliberate programs, specifically designed for promoting diversity management. As a way of countering the increasingly diverse working population all over the world, many organisations have put in place particular measures aimed at appropriate recruitment of employees, their inclusion, as well as the retention of these employees. Focus has been put on those employees from underprivilege d or minority groups within various societies. Various organisations in Europe have instituted laws that promote equal right, as well as policies aimed at enhancing affirmative action, so as to assist the less privileged groups to get jobs in both familiar and unfamiliar labour territories. It has been discovered that the exclusion of such workers from influential positions has seriously contributed to their limited contribution to the well being of their respective organisations. This has in turn given them very little chances to gain from these organisations maximally. (Subeliani and Tsogas 2005, p. 838). The various policies and initiatives for diversity management have been proven to have created conducive working environment in these organisations, especially to the underprivileged groups. It has indeed worked positively in recruiting individuals who are getting jobs for the first time, and those that are occupying higher positions for the first time too (Mathis and Jackson 201 0, p.200). The emergence of a global economy and that of multinational organisations has taken diversity management considerations beyond just the dynamic nature of labour market in a specific nation, but that across nations. The management of diversity of labour force in a national context is known as â€Å"intra-national diversity management. On the other hand, managing labour in an organisation with citizens from different nations is referred to as cross-national diversity management. In this sense, a company may be operating in different countries and as such, needs policies and programs, for diversity management, to be applied not only in its headquarters but also in its branches in the various countries. Moreover, cross-national diversity management policies work better when organisations put into consideration laws and culture of the countries in which they operate (Arredondo and Arredondo 1996, p. 178). According to Thomas (2005), diversity management goes beyond the simple consideration of the less privileged groups. It also considers differences and similarities within a workforce. He argues that diversity management entails handling the employee dynamics within the whole workforce, and not just a particular section of the workforce (Klarsfeld 2010, p.325). The European Union has shown its almost unrivalled commitment to promote equality in its labour market through