Diversity

Diversity has taken center stage in today’s workplace. Diversity is “the condition of being composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities especially : the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization”.( Merriam-Webster online dictionary) The diversity of any organization can affect the way people operate within a business. As diversity becomes more prominent in the workplace the impact on individual behaviors is also affected. A truly diverse workforce will bring about richness to the organization. The various types of characteristics associated with diversity may include gender, age, ethnicity, personality traits, differences in skills and abilities, and value and attitude differences. Throughout this paper I will describe and analyze to some degree, diversity, and demographic characteristics with an emphasis on the following behaviors:

• Gender

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Personality traits

Gender

Gender is one factor in the consideration of a diverse workforce. “The differences between men and women in the workplace that could affect job performance are minimal”. (Schermerhon, et al.,2005). However, female workers are often under compensated when compared to a male worker doing the same job. Due to the past problems women have encountered in trying to achieve the same success as their male peers they are sometimes considered feminists and unladylike but on the other hand, a man in the same situation would be labeled successful and driven. While gender should not be an excluding factor in hiring decisions, human nature proves there will always be biases which are used to eliminate potential candidates. A truly diverse workforce can only be achieved by including all categories of potential workers. Diversity issues cut across both race and gender. In all organizations, men as women can perform the same job duties if the organization allows them. Men and Women can have the same education and they can apply for the same position if they decide. Most of the organizations do interviews between men and women to see who will be the best candidate that meet the requirements for that specific position. With these interviews, the organization is covered against discrimination.

Age

Age is another demographic characteristic which is a concern for human resource managers. The employees of today have changed a great deal from the past. Nowadays older generations of the workforce are working hand in hand with the younger generations of the workforce. By having different age groups in a workplace some potential issues can arise such as communication and maturity. Maturity varies between generations. This can affect the way employees communicate with one another to how they might observe their job. It can as well affect the ways older and younger generations address customer service issues. For example, an older employee might handle a customer related problem with patience and a reasonable manner while a less experienced younger person might get emotionally challenged. This is due to the experience and the professionalism that the older generation has acquired.

Ethnicity

The term “racial and ethnic groups” is used to define the range of employees who belong to different cultures or races that now make up the growing area of the new workforce (Schermerhon, et al., 2005). Every organization has different groups of people working for it especially if the organization is a large company that provides services around the world. Ethnicity can be divided into different groups with different cultural background. For example, there are people from the South America, Central America and North America. Every part of America has their beliefs and values when it comes to their background and their race. Ethnicity can lead to a number of individual behavior concerns such as stereotyping and discrimination. Stereotyping happens when a group defines a person and this can lead to generalized misapprehensions when appraising an individual’s abilities. In comparison, discrimination is a legal issue that bans employers from taking adverse action against someone based solely on race, color, age, religion, sex, or national origin (Schermerhon, et al., 2005). When this happens the negative affect on the entire organization is increased and could lead to a greater turnover rate, conflict between employees, and misunderstandings due to differences in beliefs and customs. Management must be educated on the proper ways to prevent stereotyping and eliminating any illegal discrimination.

Personality Traits

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