Introduction
Diversity of culture unites all group workers in a firm at all levels. Cultural diversity necessitates a certain style of corporate culture where all employees are free to pursue their goals without being constrained by their gender, ethnicity, country, or other characteristics that do not affect their ability to succeed. One of the main factors that contribute to cultural diversity at work is economic globalization. Diverse individuals of all genders, ages, races, faiths, and nations populate today’s workforce. Employers are now aware of a diverse workforce’s concrete and intangible advantages. This paper uses a qualitative methodology to highlight the benefits of cultural diversity in organizations. Thematic analysis was used to identify and extract themes from the literature review. Cultural diversity in the workplace results in a diversified workforce and better benefits for the organization.
Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity is about gathering individuals from many different cultural origins and cultivating an atmosphere that tolerates and embraces their differences. It aids in creating an environment where individuals may be themselves. Cultural diversity is a set of attitudes and practices that welcomes and appreciates the many cultures represented in a given group and those that set them apart to foster a more productive and equitable environment for everyone involved.
Benefits of cultural diversity to an organization
Creates opportunities for learning and growth
Diversity at work offers a chance for an employee’s personal development. Employee exposure to many cultures, viewpoints, and ideas may extend each person’s intellectual range and provide a deeper understanding of their role in the world and, by extension, in their workplace. Diverse work ethics are brought by different cultures, which is likely to make it difficult for teams to execute to the best of their abilities. Different cultural approaches to problem-solving and working methods may help team members become better individuals (Østergaard et al., 2011). A company that values many cultures exposes everyone to individuals with various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Everyone can benefit from learning from one another, challenging their prejudices and preconceptions, and expanding their worldviews, which will eventually improve business outcomes. Employees are better able to comprehend and sympathize with a variety of individuals, including customers, since diversity fosters team development inside the business. This may result in improved customer service and greater levels of customer satisfaction.
Creates a more inclusive work environment
A culturally diverse business with a human resources staff made up of individuals from many backgrounds, ethnicities, and groups creates a more welcoming atmosphere for everybody. Increases in productivity, quality, innovation, customer service, job happiness, and talent retention are just some of the reasons why more and more businesses are working to foster more diverse and inclusive workplaces in the face of fierce global competition (Mazur, 2014). The most successful businesses are those whose top executives make it a point to foster an inclusive workplace and who put in place concrete mechanisms for holding managers throughout the company responsible for achieving measurable results. Companies must concentrate on developing inclusive cultures in order to effectively manage diversity since these cultures enable organizations to resolve current conflicts and adapt to changing workplace conditions.
Exchange of varieties of ideas and teamwork
When a company employs a diverse group of people, it benefits from a wider range of ideas, insights, and views that may fuel innovation and offer the business an advantage in the marketplace. A single individual juggling numerous duties is unable to work as quickly as a team. In order to efficiently find the best answer in the shortest amount of time, each team member gives a distinct viewpoint and contributes a variety of ideas to the group. Some people from different cultures are hard workers, while others like taking responsibility for their job and refuse to leave the office until everything is done (stergaard et al., 2011). These kinds of attitudes spread across a group and eventually become the norm.
A diverse workforce may spark innovation and strategic planning by sharing and adapting perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that can give a company a leg up in the marketplace. Not only will it raise the inventiveness of high-performing teams, but it will also encourage high levels of cooperation, which will boost productivity( Chavan, 2019). Furthermore, it will establish justice and equality in the workplace. Professional skills, employee knowledge, problem solving, and critical thinking all benefit from a diverse workforce. It also boosts the company’s allure to potential employees, which in turn increases output (Tamunomiebi & John-Eke, 2020). Having a variety of opinions and skills helps one to pick up knowledge from a wider range of coworkers. Additionally, it may improve one’s capacity for problem-solving and raise enjoyment and productivity. This culture of invention and encouragement to participate may fuel corporate success in a setting where all voices are heard.
Employee diversity is frequently regarded as a good thing since it may expand the pool of candidates and make the company more innovative and receptive to new ideas. The knowledge base of a company should grow as a result of variety, as should the interaction between various kinds of competencies and knowledge. Employees’ backgrounds in terms of culture, education, and race are becoming more varied, and the firm’s knowledge base is doing the same. This opens up opportunities for novel knowledge fusions.
Enhances effective Communication
Through improved communication, workplace diversity may significantly increase a business’s connection with a particular client group. Customers from the same region or location as the customer care person may be matched together, helping the consumer feel at ease with the representative and the business as a whole. As stated by stergaard et al. (2011), teams that are able to effectively communicate with one another are better able to complete their assigned tasks and meet deadlines. Words, conversations, and the written and spoken word are among the most potent resources one can use, both professionally and personally. Organizations may better understand each other and communicate truthfully if members work to improve their listening skills in addition to their other forms of communication (written and verbal). In order to effectively communicate with the wide range of people a business may hire, it must establish a unified voice and adopt a vocabulary that respects and embraces cultural variety. All workers, regardless of their cultural background, language skills, or age, will be happier, more unified, and more invested in their work if they feel that they have been heard and that they have a voice.
Improves productivity of the organization
No matter what their cultural background is, workers will feel more at home in the firm if management shows genuine concern for their well-being by providing them with competitive pay, quality health insurance, and constructive feedback on their performance. This means customers are more likely to stay with the firm and put in extra effort, all of which contribute to the bottom line. Being exposed to a new culture can be both inspiring and challenging, pushing an individual to the limits of their potential. Groups of workers with contrasting backgrounds and skill sets are more likely to come up with novel and effective solutions to problems, whereas groups with similar backgrounds and skill sets are more likely to handle problems in the same manner they always have (stergaard et al., 2011). One way to foster teamwork and morale among employees of different cultural backgrounds is to encourage them to think outside the box and come up with new and creative ways to solve problems. Team morale is boosted, and employees are more likely to work together effectively on future projects, as a result of such achievements.
Promotes ethical values in organization
Globalization and cultural diversity cause a conflict between universal morality and regional values and conventions. In addition, it seems that the present globalization and the presence of a more linked globe call for a common ground to encourage communication, peace, and a more compassionate world (Melé 2013). Cultural diversity encourages and permits continuous engagement within a wide-ranging social backdrop by recognizing and respecting ethnic differences. Racially diverse employees put pressure on the business to implement CSR-related procedures in line with institutional logic that supports identities and moral standards (Sharma et al., 2020). Through implementing a proactive Corporate social responsibility plan, businesses may learn to appreciate the importance of a diverse workforce of many different nationalities. A more ethnically diverse staff provides a sense of community to the workplace, which may have a profound effect on how a company handles its CSR initiatives.
Conclusion
Diversity is essential in every company or organization. The ethics of businesses, goods, and services may all benefit from open communication between people of diverse backgrounds. Increasing cultural tolerance has helped accelerate globalization in today’s society. Cultural diversity in an organization creates a diverse workforce and enhanced benefits for the firm. Opportunities for personal development, a more welcoming workplace, the sharing of diverse perspectives, and productive teamwork are all facilitated by cultural diversity. Additionally, it fosters efficient communication, raises organizational productivity, and supports moral principles. A company may benefit from effective diversity management at work since it fosters the development of better ideas, improves comprehension of a broader range of client segments, and facilitates the organization’s entry into international markets.
References
Chavan, V. V. (2019). Strategies To Increase Cultural Diversity In The Workplace: A Study Of Several Approaches And Their Offered Benefits. Aayushi International Interdisciplinary Research Journal (AIIRJ) . https://www.aiirjournal.com/uploads/Articles/2019/03/3654_16.Vaibhavi%20Vijay%20Chavan.pdf
Mazur, B. (2014). Building diverse and inclusive organizational culture-best practices: A case study of Cisco Co. Journal of Intercultural Management, 6(4-1), 169-179. https://doi.org/10.2478/joim-2014-0043
Melé, D., & Sánchez-Runde, C. (2013). Cultural diversity and universal ethics in a global world. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(4), 681-687.
Østergaard, C. R., Timmermans, B., & Kristinsson, K. (2011). Does a different view create something new? The effect of employee diversity on innovation. Research Policy, 40(3), 500-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.11.004
Sharma, A., Moses, A. C., Borah, S. B., & Adhikary, A. (2020). Investigating the impact of workforce racial diversity on the organizational corporate social responsibility performance: An institutional logics perspective. Journal of Business Research, 107, 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.018
Tamunomiebi, M. D., & John-Eke, E. C. (2020). Workplace diversity: Emerging issues in contemporary reviews. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i2/6926
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