INTRODUCTION Rapid changes in the global economic market entail transformations affecting not only the external environment of organizations, but also its internal operations and processes (Hall, 2008; Hodgetts, 2002). One important change that has altered the nature of contemporary organization is the “acknowledgement, development and systematic use of the skills and knowledge of employees” (Ramirez et al 2007, p 496). The central role of employees’ participation in the success of the organization involves not only “high performance work systems… [but] they also involve the decentralization of decisions and work enrichment that is providing employees with opportunities for involvement in decision-making and innovation.” (Wood & de …show more content…
60). However, it should be noted that “dimensions of workplace diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience” (Thomas 1992). This reality pervades all organizations regardless of their nature. In the light of this change in the nature of contemporary workforce, the concepts of diversity and equality will be discussed vis-à-vis the reality of women in the workplace. As such, this research will address the following questions: what are diversity and equality policies? Do they work? Finally, do they open possibilities and opportunities for women?
DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY POLICIES: A CONCEPTUAL LOOK Diversity in workforce “include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience”(Thomas 1992). Diversity in the workforce is initially perceived as a response toward the increasing diversity of the consumers in the market (Agocs & Burr, 1996). From there, it has been observed that capitalizing on existing differences among the employees provide benefits to the organization. Diversity in workforce fosters and encourages
Diversity at the work place has over the years become a matter of serious discussion. This is because there is a need to stop the common stereotyping that has been in existence over the years. There has been a need to guarantee that there is diversity at the areas of work to ensure that each individual is given an opportunity to work. This is only possible if there is an end in discrimination, this is because discrimination is the major factor that affects diversity in organizations.
Our society is constantly working to become one that is completely acceptable of all people, no matter where they come from or who they are. However, as our society becomes more socially and politically aware of the discrimination that can be unfairly bestowed upon people, are the workplaces of America following suit in that level of awareness? Unfortunately, many studies prove that the American workplace is not one that is equally accepting, especially when it comes to gender. While we have truly come so far in the past century with the acceptance of women in the workplace, it seems as if we haven’t come far enough. There is still evidence of sexism in the workplace and a gender wage
This research paper addresses the importance of diversity training in the workplace. Having realized how pertinent workplace discrimination is globally, this paper will give a broad look into the various ways that diversity is displayed in the workplace. The diversity issues involving gender, sexuality, race, age, culture and religion will be explored,
In my second issue paper, I have decided to write about women in the workplace. The concept of women being an issue in the workplace may seem like a strange topic to discuss; however, there are many levels to this subject. In this paper, I will discuss rivalry in the workplace (both male vs. female and female vs. female), financial implications for companies that hire women, and finally the major issue of earnings inequality in the workplace for women.
When it comes to female leader, same scenario does not exist. Female leaders, who, with few exceptions, are either single or have partners with full-time jobs (William, J. 2000). In 2011, a study showed that In Ireland, Men working hours averaged 39.4 hours a week with only 30.6 for women, and married men worked longer hours than married women. Also, more than half a million women in 2011 were looking after home/family compared with only 9,600 men (Gender Equality In Ireland). Gender stereotypes are hard to break, and like it or not, we are all prone to engaging in stereotyping at one time or another. This is demonstrated in the work of Mahzarian Banaji here at Harvard (Gender Inequality and Woman in the Workplace). In Addition, A review of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) was conducted alongside by Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner to recognized the main barriers that prevented the growth of women representation in leadership that was due to a lack of critical figure of women due to retention and attraction difficulties, high degree of occupational discrimination with a rigid career structures; a culture with occasional poor leadership and unacceptable behaviors, and cultural perception and difficulties combining work and family (AHRC 2012).
As the American workforce continues to become more and more diverse, it is becoming even more important for organizations to recognize the diversity of their employees and adopt policies surrounding diversity issues. The US Department of Labor estimates that more than 75% of workers currently entering the workforce are women, immigrants, or people of color (Clayton, 2010). Today’s organizations are facing a more diverse workforce, and customer base, than they did even as short as five years ago and, as the American economy continues to become increasingly intertwined with the those of other countries, there is a increasing need to American organizations to understand what works, and doesn’t work, when addressing diversity (National
A workforce is diverse when there are differences between the employees of an organization. A truly diverse work environment typically includes an equal member of cultural minorities, females, and males that showcase the racial and religious composition of local communities and societies (University of Florida, 2015). However, recently a diverse
Can businesses today work without having a diverse workforce? Can job performance in teams be equally high with homogenous teams rather than diverse ones? How does diversity need to be managed so a manager can get the most out of their teams? These are just some of the questions todays leaders and managers are faced with in making their daily business decisions. Since the start of globalisation and rapid migration across countries in the last 100 years todays businesses are more diverse than ever before. But what does diversity in the workplace mean? One definition of diversity is defined as differences in relating to gender, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation or physical
women are demonstrating time after time that they can excel at positions of high power and responsibility they even demonstrate to suppress those of males. They have higher profits and are rated as better leaders. These statistics come to show to women and business that women have great potential and they shouldn’t feel intimidated by the great responsibility or stereotypes that come with the job and women respectively. Women should embrace opportunities such as these and business shouldn’t overlook women since they’re proven to be successful. But not only would this great benefit the individual and businesses but it will help benefit all women since “A critical mass of successful women, rather than just a solitary breakthrough, is needed for women to gain true equality and lasting power” is needed. Having higher percentages of women in leadership roles will help secure gender inequality within the American workplace which is currently not present.
Gender inequality is currently a hot topic in our society. From education, to the entertainment industry, and more importantly, our daily lives, gender inequality has created a powerful divide between females and males with the seemingly same qualifications and background. The same trend follows in the workplace, females are less likely to hold positions of authority compared to their equivalent male counterparts. This is a key contributor to the lack of gender equality in workplaces all across the United States.
For centuries, the role of women in the workplace has been a topic of controversy. In earlier times it was believed that women did not have any place in the workplace; that they should stay home and take care of the family and the home. As times have progressed, so have the gender roles, allowing women to— in many cases— accept jobs and work. However, while seeing women in the workplace is now more common, wage gaps and sexist values continue to be seen, values that have been seen since the earliest of times. Equality, “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities”(Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 1999), is lacking in the American workplace.
Women, the creatures who bear half the weight of the world, are subject today to the same sexist remarks and discrimination that has plagued them since their entry into the workforce a century ago. When asked to share a joke, a number of people, namely men, expect “women’s rights” to suffice as the punch line. On social media, modern culture participants casually remark, “Make me a sandwich!” in reference to the stereotype that women belong in the kitchen. Those who spoke at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, those who fought for American Suffrage through 1920, those who took to the factories when their husbands went to fight on German soil, and those who battled for reproductive rights and equality at the workplace in the 1970s would be appalled that society deems females inferior today, nearly two decades into the twenty-first century. Even with the premises of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title IX, and while attaining greater and higher education relative to men, women still encounter glass-ceilings in the workplace and earn $0.77 to the men’s dollar in the United States. This, however, is not a discussion of women’s rights. Structural microassaults such as these reinforce the idea that perhaps women and men ought not to share the same sphere. This stems from the realization that women are inherently different than men. They, in spite of increasing yet incomplete equality in the work-sphere, have and will continue to have a holistically separate relationship between work
In the world’s economy, a lot of factors other than education come into play. This includes the sex of oneself. Since the beginning of economics, women have neither not been able to get a job, nor been able to make equal sums of money compared to men. This could be due to the fact that most men feel superior to women. Although the laws of women’s rights have been instituted into the Constitution, it is still very much unequal for women in the workplace. What makes the workplace unequal for the women of today? Has anything really changed for women’s equality in the workplace?
Workforce diversity is a key element of OB and should be a priority of effective leaders and managers because "Diversity is emerging as one of the most serious issues in the workplace today, yet most employers are not prepared to deal with it" (Copeland, 2003, Erroneous
According to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright (2007) more businesses in the United States are beginning to realize they need to acknowledge and recognize the diversity of their employees and use this diversity in ways that will allow them to gain advantages over their competition (Noe et al., 2007).