Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Cultural diversity in the workplace is becoming important.
Cultural diversity, which otherwise is referred to as multiculturalism, represents a large system of beliefs that respects and encourages contributions from all the different groups making up an organization. In the world of business, cultural diversity in the workplace is an important component of implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives. In fact, you can make the point that cultural diversity should be at the top of priorities for implementing a comprehensive diversity and inclusion program.
7 Essential Actions for Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Specializing in creating initiatives for cultural diversity in the workplace, sociologist Dr. Caleb Rosado lists seven essential actions that make multiculturalism work for a wide variety of organizations.
- Recognize the presence of different cultures in the workplace
- Acknowledge the importance of different cultural perspectives
- Respect the differences offered by each culture
- Encourage the contributions from every cultural group
- Value what other cultures offer an organization
- Celebrate cultural differences
- Empower every member of an organization to achieve optimal performance
Although Dr. Caleb did not mention following the seven steps in the order listed above, the sequence of seven essential actions starting from recognition and running to empowerment follow a logical order. You cannot expect to celebrate and empower cultural diversity, without first recognizing diverse cultures and acknowledging the importance of each cultural perspective.
Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Cultural diversity initiatives should not be created simply to comply with federal guidelines that clearly stipulate discrimination based on any demographic issues is considered unlawful. There are many benefits to multiculturalism in the workplace, starting with enhancing the bottom line.
Increase in Profits
Several studies conducted by independent third party researchers have concluded that companies implementing cultural diversity in the workplace tend to generate larger profits. Because of the inclusive nature of cultural diversity, worker productivity improves to the point of reducing labor costs. In addition, companies that focus developing on cultural diversity initiatives attract more customers because the composition of the workforce reflects the customer base.
More Perspectives Equals Enhanced Creativity
A recent article in Forbes highlights the multiculturalism benefit of enhanced creativity. The writer of the article emphasized that “Research on creativity and innovation has been consistent in showing the value of exposing individuals to experiences with multiple perspectives and world views. It is the combination of these various perspectives in novel ways that result in new ideas popping up.” Enhanced creativity resulting from implementing cultural diversity initiatives is especially important for solving complex problems. The more viewpoints your organization gets regarding a complex problem, the more likely multiple perspectives will be used to solve the complex problem.
Reduce Employee Turnover
How do you think a team of professionals will react when the organization they work for welcomes different cultural perspectives? The answer is the team members will be more engaged in the operation of the organization and hence, much more likely to remain with the organization for years to come. With a tight job market leading to an increase in employee churn, making cultural diversity in the workplace a top priority should decrease costly employee turnover within your organization.
Positive Brand Reputation
Organizations that recruit a culturally diverse group of professionals typically earn a strong reputation for being outstanding employers. Earning the reputation for being an outstanding employer will improve recruiting campaigns at job fairs and business seminars. Not only will accomplished professionals recognize your lofty status as an employer, so will customer prospects that learn about your organization’s focus on implementing cultural diversity programs.
Attract a Wider Range of Professional Skills
What does recruiting a more diverse team of professionals do for your organization? It helps your organization attract a wider range of professional skills. With a broader base of professional skills, your company can introduce a wider range of products and services, as well as improve every phase of your operation if you implement cultural diversity in the workplace.
How to Support Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity is not some fad that will wane in the near future. Globalization is here to stay, and that means successful organizations must provide support for initiatives that create a culturally diverse workforce. Although the guidelines written into a company employee manual are a good start, multiculturalism is much more about mindset than guidelines written into an employee manual. The professionals you attract to your organization should also have the same mindset of supporting cultural diversity. After all, like virtually every other type of company initiative, you need the support of your team to make multiculturalism in the workplace happen.