The modern workplace, like other places, has become very fluid, accommodating people of all races and ethnicities. This article will examine various aspects of bias and inclusiveness in institutions, focusing on their impact on employees’ working environments. It incorporates what bias means, cultural centrism, why workplace inclusion is vital, workplace diversity from a C W view, and the implications of all these components on inclusion in organizations.
Bias means having particular views or sentiments about an issue beforehand, influencing it when making choices (Zheng et al., 2021). Conversely, cultural centrism implies that one culture supersedes others. Cultural centrism and bias have a tremendous effect on organizations. Decision-makingDecision-making becomes unfair when bias sets in; people get to view employees differently and thus treat them differently, denying them equal opportunities. However, cultural centrism may fail to represent different cultures, thelimitingzation, and limited views, leading to poor innovations. Cultural centrism or biased organizations can result in cultures dominating others, thereby causing unrepresented others. This result may affect employee morale and motivation as well as decision-making based on discrimination by discriminative acts and thus create an antagonistic work environment unsuitable for teamwork and productivity.
Recent Case
Coca-Cola has made headlines because of accusations of racism. The lawsuit was filed by one of the ex-employees in January 2021, who accused the management of discrimination in hiring and promoting white persons more than black ones (Amnesty International, 2019). Furthermore, the case was also based on the claims that the corporation used a so-called scheme of quotas when dealing with African-American workers. Such allegations have caused much apprehension, even inside the organization, not to mention the public. It has drawn discontent from rights advocates and public commentators who want the firm to publish hiring policies. This has resulted in a negative perception of the company’s practices, which may also affect its reputation.
To encourage an inclusive work environment about issues related to race and ethnicity, Coca-Cola will have to undertake some of these approaches. For example, this would require frequent employee diversity and inclusion training, setting explicit recruitment and elevation rules, and establishing a new multicultural leadership body. These steps contribute to dealing with the root causes of discrimination and creating an inclusive culture at work (Amnesty International, 2019).
Characteristics of an Inclusive Workplace
Organizations need certain traits that support diversity and equality to create a culture of inclusiveness within their workplaces. In this respect, three essential features include diversity, employee voice, and cooperation. These elements help create an inclusive workplace where there is mutual respect and people from diverse origins feel appreciated, listened to, and valued.
Diversity
In addition to visible differences like race, gender, and ethnicity, diversity refers to an inclusive work environment. It also covers all types of diversity in the work environment involving individuals’ points of view, cultures, and lifestyles. This implies that understanding and appreciating these differences is an obligation and a strategic tool for business. Beyond tokenism or merely meeting diversity quotas, it is about genuine interest in cultivating a climate wherein people with different thinking, communication modes, and methods for resolving matters succeed. Diversity fosters creativity, adaptation, and innovation; embracing diversity is necessary. Coming together with people from different standpoints is always brimming with ideas to help resolve issues. Thought diversity adds to effective problem-solving and encourages a culture of constant improvement and learning. Companies should ensure variety among their employees because such organizations can manage international business difficulties.
Employee Voice
Providing people with a voice in an organization is essential to including or making them feel part of it. It is more than a simple request for feedback; it creates a workplace where everyone can voice their views and ideas without being victimized or discriminated against. Openness is essential in creating an environment of shared identity among employees. People who feel like their opinions are taken seriously and have a purpose in their work are highly likely to be productive employees. It is integral to ensuring a good workplace environment that inspires all employees to give their utmost. In addition, the presence of employee voice cultivates a transparent and responsible atmosphere. More importantly, such active listening leaders can make informed decisions that will match different employees’ diverse demands and expectations. This further fosters a fair and diverse working environment.
Collaboration
The third significant virtue that contributes to promoting inclusivity in the workplace is collaboration. Creating an effective workplace where people with different abilities and views can collaborate will be vital to developing a wholesome organization that brings joy to each member. Individual strengths are identified in a shared workplace, enabling one to capitalize on others’ unique features. Skills, experiences, and different opinions become a tremendous strong force instead of a cause of conflict. The employees are motivated to achieve common objectives, thus creating a culture characterized by respect and gratitude. Collaboration helps remove barriers between groups and departments, contributing to team building. However, diverse teams working on projects or solving problems have great potential to produce innovative solutions because they combine a wealth of ideas. This is not just inter-team collaboration but also the organization as one unit becoming one cohesive force and encouraging each other in one way or another.
Recommendations for an Inclusive Workplace Culture
Two recommendations are proposed to support an inclusive workplace culture better:
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Implement Diversity and Inclusion Training:
Introduce broad-based diversity and inclusion training for all employees to raise knowledge of biases, creating a culturally sensitive workforce.
Communication Strategy: Internal communications entail diversity training as part of employee orientation, whereas external communication is through the company’s press releases and various statements.
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Establish a Diverse and Inclusive Leadership Team:
Try to promote diverse leadership positions in the organization that include different experiences and ethnic groups.
Communication Strategy: Convey the organization’s commitment towards diversity in its leadership internally via memo, e-mail, or update. Emphasize a variety of leaders externally in public relations or communications campaigns.
Effective Communication Among Multicultural Team Members
Practical suggestions Forbes suggests will enable an organization to enhance communication among multicultural teams. Some essential tips include developing a multicultural communication strategy, fostering cultural awareness, and encouraging active listening. There is a need for a unique approach to see that communication practices incorporate and acknowledge multicultural perspectives. For instance, cultural awareness initiatives lead to understanding what may be misconstrued by both parties, enhancing an inclusive work environment. In addition, it highlights that one should listen actively and understand other people’s points of view. Together, these strategies help foster collaboration and effective communication, which is integral to working within a diverse setting.
Christian Worldview Perspective on Workplace Diversity
In a Christian way of thinking, it should be understood that everyone is made in God’s image; from this point, one can appreciate the essence of workplace diversity. This fundamental view undergirds a Christian stance on diversity and inclusion in deep and profound ways. By emphasizing biblical concepts of love, justice, and equality, all employees are considered to have some inherent values that need to be respected. Christianity highlights that people should be treated humanely regardless of their cultural orientation. This is consistent with the biblical injunction – thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Diversity embracement is not only a cultural/organizational issue but a representation of Christianity’s essence to enacting Jesus’ teaching into the flesh at all levels (Brown, 2022). Apart from this, a Christian worldview also underscores the importance of unity in society despite differences. A body of different parts works best when it does so in conjunction. Each part has its gifts and talents to contribute. This means appreciating in the workplace place each person’s talents, skills, viewpoints, and experiences. Lastly, the Christian view makes space for workers who do not share the same religious beliefs but operate within the Christian principles that promote love, justice, and harmony, essential aspects of the Christian faith practiced at work.
Conclusion
Designing an equitable work environment necessitates various strategies such as de-biasing, eliminating cultural centrism, fostering diversity, promoting employee voice, and encouraging collaboration. Reviewing recent events like the article published in the Wall Street Journal showcases how institutions struggle to promote diversity in practice. The practices that emanate from research-based approaches and efficient communication measures will help organizations’ organizational workplace cultures. Furthermore, diversity is also biblical in that it is consistent with Christian principles, which emphasize love, equity, and fairness, thus making it necessary for organizations to embrace it. Through this approach, organizations can develop inclusive workplaces where every individual has a strong voice and has his or her interests catered to, irrespective of their background.
References
Amnesty International. (2019). Discrimination. Amnesty.org. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/discrimination
Brown, K. (2022). Creating an Action Plan to Increase Diversity and Inclusion at Northwest Church of Christ. Doctor of Ministry Theses. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/dmin_theses/46/
Etherington, M. (2019). Religion as a Workplace Issue: A Narrative Inquiry of Two People—One Muslim and the Other Christian. SAGE Open, 9(3), 215824401986272. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019862729
Zheng, T., Wu, F., Law, R., Qiu, Q., & Wu, R. (2021). Identifying unreliable online hospitality reviews with biased user-given ratings: A deep learning forecasting approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, 102658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102658
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