Diversity in the Workplace

Diversity in the Workplace

"Diversity refers to human qualities that are different from our own and those of groups to which we belong; but that are manifested in other individuals and groups. Dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities / qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification." (Foothill-De Anza Community College District, 2006)

In a model world it would be assumed that everyone would be treated fairly when applying for a job and advancing within the field. The issue of discrimination due to diversity is still a major issue in today’s time. Discrimination still plays a dominant role in the hiring, firing, and promoting of individuals. Diversity does not just include dissimilar races, but age, gender, and religion as well. Most people do not sit and analyze the larger picture. “Valuing diversity means creating a workplace that respects and includes differences, recognizing the unique contributions that individuals with many types of differences can make, and creating a work environment that maximizes the potential of all employees.” (Foothill-De Anza Community College District, 2006)

Religion

Religion in the workplace is an area that most people try to stay away from. People are scared to address religion with the fear it may cause conflict. The truth is religion places a huge part of diversity in the workplace for the main reason that everyone has different beliefs. Organizations can not be accommodating to every small piece of religion to make every person within the company happy; in the end it would be too costly. They can however bend the rules for basic religious beliefs that many cultures possess. In the diversity training class at my organization, he or she promote to opening up everyone’s eyes to accepting people’s different beliefs. They are in no way pushing them to believe or follow in certain peoples cultures, but to allow them their beliefs and leaving them alone when they express or show part of their religious culture. For example, people may eat certain types of foods or wear certain items which are their business and must be respected. At times individuals may have very innocent errors in judgment in which most people initially would not think twice of. For example, consider the following situation from James F. Morgan:

Linda, the new division manager, sponsors a luncheon to recognize the division's members for successfully meeting strategic objectives for the month. Meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, and a cake are chosen for the event. The celebratory mood of the event quickly dissipates as various employees within the 20 member Internet sales division react to the setting. Paul, an evangelical Christian, first asks those assembled if he can offer grace to the group before they begin to eat. Sam, a devout Jew, informs Linda that he cannot partake because the mixing of meat and cheese is not kosher. Abu, a Muslim, shakes his head in disgust and leaves the gathering after informing Linda that the luncheon conflicts with his daily prayer time. Melinda, a strict Vegan, refuses to eat and tells her coworkers that it is immoral to kill or exploit animals. (Morgan, James F. 2004)

As seen above the smallest entity can cause vast consequences within the workplace. Linda tried to create a nice luncheon for each of her employees for a break in the day and in turn she did not take into consideration for everyone’s cultural differences and people became insulted by her act of adolescent kindness.

Gender

Gender in the workplace has always had some sort of conflict in the working world. There are still individuals in today’s times in which men and women are still being separated. A woman is still looked at as someone who should produce jobs such as cosmetology, librarians, receptionists, and/or assistants. Men, on the other hand are looked at as individuals, who should be construction workers, engineers and/or architectures.

Diverse occupations have become more common to see men in the cosmetology field, yet people still look at them and assume they must be “gay”. There has to be some reasonable explanation as to why a man is in a women’s career field. The same goes for a woman who is an engineer when she goes in for a corporate meeting and all eyes are on the woman who has entered the firm. Discrimination may not be intentional but it is a fact of life in which our first thought is usually what is this man or woman doing here? It is a stereotype our nation lives with everyday.

In my organization, my branch consists of two managers, one a male and one a female.