DIVERSITY INITIATIVE – A HR MANAGEMENT TOOL
-Sakshi Mehta
“An organization must use diversity as a tool to enrich itself, not as a weapon to demolish itself.”
In the country like India, the diversity initiatives hold a great importance wherein the individuals from different caste, creed or culture live together in one sphere. These initiatives not only relate to the organizational efficiency and the success, but also bring the closeness among the employees and create the culture for working together. We can say that in the current scenario if the organization had to make profits then it must concentrate on its employee work force and thus, give the stress on the diversity initiatives and the structures so as to redefine its objectives in terms of employee retention and making them efficient for the overall success of the company as whole.
The diversity initiatives in an organization help the organization to assemble the work force in one unit so as to guide it towards the company’s objectives. The stress on this particular topic is very necessary so as to determine and differentiate the image of the company with respect to the competitors. Hence we can say that the main objective of the HR firm should be to concentrate on the present work force and satisfying them and connecting them with the organizations objectives so as to redefine itself in the current market conditions in a most accepted and the technological way of doing things more effectively.
Diversity initiatives in an organization plays a vital role in boosting up the employees for giving their best and play an efficient role in maintaining themselves to a certain level in the organization. It is basically a part of employees and the organization relationship wherein both of them try to understand each other and work for each other’s benefit for the due cause. This cause and effect relationship can be a better management tool so as to understand the organization’s diversity and bring up the work force to understand the undermining level where in the synchronization can led to the accomplishment of the organizations dreams at faster pace. The internal factors contribute a lot to the success of the organization. The feeling of oneness can connect the employees and hence ultimately increase their dedication towards their work leading to the accomplishment of the organization’s dreams. Strong performance cannot necessarily be attributed to diversity programs, however. It is possible that a commitment to diversity translates into increased profitability. Another possibility is that financially successful firms are more likely to initiate diversity programs and/or make the effort to supply Fortune with the necessary data to be considered for inclusion on the list. The Diversity management, namely managing differences and similarities of individuals, managing differences and similarities within a collective, the process of managing ‘inclusion’ rather than assimilation of differences in a dominant culture, and specifying the dimensions of diversity. Race, gender and age are defined as primary dimensions of diversity, whereas secondary dimensions refer to human factors that can change, for example, religious belief or educational level. In contrast, other studies focus on the concepts of vertical and horizontal diversity. Vertical diversity evaluates difference as superior or inferior, whereas horizontal diversity treats difference as variation. Organizational paradigms of assimilation and separation are based on vertical diversity and treat diversity as a problem to be solved. Assimilation solves it by submergence of difference, and separation by isolating difference. However, research shows that assimilation does not engage diversity in ways that promote learning, creativity, and organizational effectiveness and the relational re-conceptualization of diversity as horizontal, and recommends that diversity paradigms should be integrated with diversity perspectives, levels of self-representation, and uncertainty and certainty orientations. One view of strategic human resource management acknowledges people as strategic resources and confirms that ‘the objectives of SHRM are governed by business strategy and corporate strategy is the driver of HR strategy’. In practice, this could mean that any change of organizational strategy would result in adaptation of HRM policies to ensure optimal interaction and co-ordination of knowledge and skills of people—an ‘accommodative’ linkage strategy. A second perception is that SHRM has a strong say in shaping organizational strategy, and HRM specialists can contribute information about, for example, availability of skills and competencies, abundance and redundancy of human resources and other labor market data that are of critical value in the process of strategy formulation.
The most common aspect of diversity in the Indian organizations includes the cultural aspect as of which various organization of the small scale or a large scale sector is facing a number of problems. There is the lack of coordination in these types of organizations due to the different cultural aspects, beliefs and the thinking style of the people as of which the people are not able to create a balance with the group and cope up with the organizational dreams as a whole.
Thus, we can say that in India the cultural diversity as a whole plays a key role for an organizational malfunctioning. Therefore there develops the prime need of the study regarding the Indian culture. Organizations can develop various strategies and programmes to value and manage diversity. Diversity awareness and skill-building training can create understanding of the importance and meaning of diversity and increase awareness about cross-cultural insensitivity. Employees and employers need to be informed about the cost and consequences of non-compliance with anti-discrimination rules. Visible involvement, dedicated commitment and strong support from leaders and senior management pertaining to diversity issues could impart credibility to diversity policies and practices. Finally, as globalization forces facilitate the blending of people from distinct cultures, organizations will have to more intensively address the impacts of national and organizational culture. Thus, research into the beliefs and behaviors of their employees, and evaluating their outcomes, help to set diversity benchmarks that could become management processes for future oriented multinational organizations. This concept can revitalize the environment in the organization and the day will not be far away wherein the workforce will try and associate itself with the organization and hence there will be the blossom everywhere in the minds of the people. It can help in boosting up the employees and bring them upto the level required by the organization. The links among the people and the culture can ultimately lead the organization shining in its own way. Lets join hands in this initiative an d remember that diversity is not a threat but an opportunity for an organization to add creativity and innovation in its work and ultimately add value in every respect.
