Introduction
Increased trends of globalization allow people from diverse cultural background to work in the same organization. As a result, the role of human resource management is increasingly incorporating the issues of cultural diversity within institutional management. According to Kirton and Greene (2010, p.33), a healthy organization focuses its efforts to acquiring people from with different abilities, skills and background to function as a whole towards the same goal of the organization. An effective and culturally diverse enterprise has an organizational culture that integrates people from diverse background (Sullivan and Mainiero, 2007, p.240). Therefore, this essay critically analyzes the need for achieving a diverse culture in organizations by making a valid distinction between the concepts of Equal Opportunity and Managing Diversity, as well as including, underlying major diversity issues.
The Need for Achieving a Diverse Culture: Equal Opportunity Vs Managing Diversity
People are no longer working and living in the insular marketplace; however, they are part of the global economy with a lot of competition from all parts of the earth (Sullivan and Mainiero, 2007, p.245). Therefore, organizations require diversity to embrace change and are open to creativity. Therefore, cultural diversity has increasingly become a significant aspect in human resource management. In addition, this still remains an organizational challenge that managers should learn how to manage diversity and the implementation of the concept of equal opportunity (Heery and Noon, 2008, p.14). Cultural diversity means representation, in a social system, of individuals with different cultural affiliations. Diverse group comes with different skills, knowledge and experience, which enhances organizational effectiveness and productivity.
Liberal theorist, Dessler (2006, p.51) notes that equal opportunity is also called prospect-relating to equal opportunities, which is achieved by focusing on supplementary resources that are underdeveloped. As an area-based positive discrimination, Taylor (2010, p.17) argues that managers employing this system of management aims at converting unused resources to enhance organizational competence. As a form of positive action, this method involves establishing the goal and target, using media to advertise so as to access target population, and training people who are already in those positions. Managing diversity if a recent approaches that is used as an alternative to conventional method of equal opportunity (Barak, 2011, p.44). Therefore, managing diversity is awareness of thee existences of differences among workers and maximizing the utility of these differences as assets to the organization (Ehrhart and Makransky, 2007, p.211). Factors of diversity include work experience, disability, age, gender, ethnicity, culture and race. There are two unique features that distinguish equal opportunity and managing diversity. First, as opposed to equal opportunity, it converts the significance of positive interpretation into organizational utility. Secondly, it involves other additional factors of diversity that are not covered under the definition of equal opportunity. Therefore, approaches of managing diversity emphasizes on an individual person but a minority group, which assists everyone in addition to underprivileged group.
Approaches of Managing Diversity Vs Equal Opportunity Approaches
The force of change is the key difference between equal opportunity and managing diversity (Boon and Den, 2011, p.107). Whereas external forces, such as human and ethical rights, social fairness, and government legislation tend to spearhead equal opportunity approach, managing diversity is enhanced by internal factors. According to the theory of bottom line, managing diversity is closely linked to organizational structure. Therefore, the structure of an organization plays a significant role in determining how diversity is managed within an organization.
Another difference between these approaches relates to their roles; for equal opportunity approach, the focus is placed on seeking social justice by correcting the mistake that was made in the past. In other words, it aims at correcting a mistake, an injustice or imbalance that exists with a social set-up (Evans, 2001, p.67). On the other hand, the objective of managing diversity has been discussed above as handling workers as individuals, being aware that each employee has unique requirements and instituting different treatments to facilitate them towards achievement of organizational target (Boon and Den, 2011, p.119). The main drive behind the framework of equal opportunity at organizational and governmental level is the passion to restore equality. For instance, as explained in the Adam Smith theory development, equal opportunity approach seeks to establish a community where men and women are treated equally regardless of gender stereotypes. On the other hand, the concept of managing diversity points the importance of the differences and establishes a framework to integrate the differences and to convert them into meaningful assets (Barak, 2011, p.47). Therefore, whereas equal opportunity approach seeks to ignore the differences by establishing a just society, managing diversity acknowledges these differences and converts them into useful assets.
In practical, business and economic cases are the key forces behind managing diversity as key items for identifying and evaluating the utility of the employee differences (Andrews et al., 2011, p.9). This is in contrast to the ethical case that pursues equal treatment for everyone as illustrated by equal opportunity approach (Strachan et al., 2004, p.199). The approach of equal opportunity aims at enhancing behavior change by instituting legislations that eliminate discrimination. Managing diversity is the responsibility of managers that is achieved through the exercising of equality. However, equal opportunity approach is implemented by the human resource manager.
Problems with Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunity Approaches
Though managing diversity approach was viewed as a new alternative and strategy for greater progress in promoting equality, it has had little impact on human resource management. Strachan et al. (2004, p.200) note that changing this concept from equal opportunity managing diversity was meant to make it more attractive in the current world with similar agenda as coined in the equal opportunity. In addition, Hays-Thomas (2004, p.4) notes that there are few organizations that appear to implement the approach of managing diversity, and those who claim to implement it do not have diverse workforce. Another critique is based on individualistic approach used in the managing diversity, which narrows down the consciousness on marginalized group (Jones et al., 2000, p.374). In this case, diversity management can be viewed as introspective because it focuses on people who are already within the organization. Rather than expanding diversity, this concept focuses on managing, which starts by acquiring a diverse workforce.
On the other hand, equal opportunity has also been challenged as not protecting all minority groups, which provide room for discrimination (Jones et al., 2000, p.380). In addition, this approach does not receive adequate support from organizations because the core objectives of equality are not established solely for businesses, which create incompatibility with the objectives of an organization. In addition, equal opportunity focuses on formal processes yet it is not easy to formalize all processes in an organization. A study done by Hays-Thomas (2004, p.7) reveals that equal opportunity has the potential to isolate a big number of the workforce because it dies not considers them as minority or disadvantaged groups. Therefore, these isolated workers perceive that their opportunities are undermined by equal opportunity approaches. Therefore, this study indicates how this approach can divide the workforce, resulting into demonstration that undermines the organizational productivity, profits and growth. For instance, the traditional perception of the equal opportunity views women as having a problem that should be solved through social justice (Lorbiecki and Jack, 2000, p.24). In essence, equal opportunity approaches are perceived to be oversimplified methods that seek to solve complicated problems. Therefore, these approaches are significant in dealing with symptoms but not the sources of discrimination in the workplace.
Managing Diversity Approach for HR Managers
Based on the above analysis of both approaches, the best approach for human resource management is managing diversity because the limits associated with equal opportunities are far much more(Lorbiecki and Jack, 2000, p.30). Though managing diversity approach has its limitations, they are not severe as those witnessed in equal opportunity approach. For instance, rather than reducing cultural differences, managing diversity focuses on utilizing these differences for organizational productivity. It focuses on individual employee to enhance the productivity of an organization as a whole. Its achievement occurs because it is results oriented rather than formalizing the process (Jones et al., 2000, p.365). It focus on individual differences enhances social inclusion of all employee despite of the gender, race, color, religion, ability and experience. In contrast, organizations that use equal opportunity approach does not recognize individual differences among their employees, hence they fail to fulfill their needs.
Conclusion
In this age of globalization, managers are faced with challenging task of establishing a working environment that recognizes the requirements and responds to the capabilities of a diverse workforce. However, the success of an organization is hinged on the ability to embrace a diverse workforce by encouraging effective cross-cultural integration and establishing a cultural synergy in the organization. Therefore, organizational leaders should recognize the productivity potential within the diverse workforce. Therefore, this can be achieved by using either of the two approaches, managing diversity or equal opportunity. Despite its dominance in the early years, the effectiveness of equal opportunity has been blurred by rapid changes in organizational management. To eliminate the deficits caused by the former approach, managing diversity is an emerging trend that seeks to establish individual differences and maximize on the productivity for the benefit of the organization. Therefore, managing diversity is the most effective approach for human resource management in the current world.
References
Andrews, M. C., Baker, T., & Hunt, T. G. (2011). Values and Person–organization Fit: Moral Intensity to Strengthen Outcomes. Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 32(1), pp 5-19.
Barak, M. M. E. (2011) Managing Diversity: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace. CA: Sage
Boon, C., & Den Hartog, D. N. (2011). Human resource management, person–environment fit, and trust. Trust and human resource management, 17(9), 109-121
Dessler, G., (2006). A framework for human resource management. 4th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Ehrhart, K. H., & Makransky, G. (2007). Testing vocational interests and personality as predictors person-vocation and person-job fit. Jnl of Career Assessment. 15(7) 206-226.
Evans, M., (2001), Employing people with disabilities. London: CIPD.
Hays-Thomas, R. (2004). Why now? The contemporary focus on managing diversity. The psychology and management of workplace diversity, 13(2), 3-30.
Heery, E. and Noon, M., (2008). A dictionary of human resource management. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Jones, D., Pringle, J., & Shepherd, D. (2000). “Managing Diversity” meets Aotearoa/New Zealand. Personnel Review, 29(3), 364-380.
Kirton, G. and Greene, A., (2010). The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach. 3rd ed. Elsevier: Oxford.
Lorbiecki, A., & Jack, G. (2000). Critical turns in the evolution of diversity management. British Journal of Management, 11(s1), S17-S31.
Strachan, G., Burgess, J., & Sullivan, A. (2004). Affirmative action or managing diversity: what is the future of equal opportunity policies in organisations?. Women in Management Review, 19(4), 196-204.
Sullivan, S.E. and Mainiero, L. (2007). The Changing Nature of Gender Roles, Alpha/Beta Careers and Work-Life Issues: Theory-Driven Implications for Human Resource Management. Career Development International. 12( 3), 238-263
Taylor, S., (2010). Resourcing and talent management. London: CIPD.
