Native Americans
The article discusses the potential problems of labour, which the United States of America is likely to face due to the shortage of labour due to the receding workforce, with senior older workers retiring and the diminishing younger workers. Researchers confirm that among the workforce which is likely to take over the United States, only a small minority would be Native Americans, while the majority of them would be from the ethnic and minority communities, half of which is likely to be women.
This dramatic shift in the demographics of the future workforce has invited attention from researchers, scholars and writers, who have focussed on race, gender, ethnicity and the need for diversity in their studies and reports. There is greater emphasis now, more than ever, on the accommodation and management of diversity at the newly altered workplace and the determining factors which will enable organizations to succeed in the rapidly changing business scenarios.
This radical change necessitates not only expert knowledge of how business enterprises would be effectively managed but also the psychological factors which would be crucial in attracting and retaining workforce of institutes and organizations. The contribution of psychologists and business studies by researchers have been particularly impactful and facilitate the psychological processes which are involved in the running of businesses which include a diverse workforce, including individuals from distinct cultures and communities.
Since diversity at the workplace is now a commonly expected aspect of institutions, it is necessary for studies and intervention pertaining to diversity so that businesses are prepared to tackle issues and workforce concerning diversity, cultural, gender and racial. Some of the key learning points of the article are as follows: ? Management programs related to diversity must be designed and implemented in accordance with the climate, culture and willingness of organizations to diversity (Schneider, 1990).
? For the development and implementation of a diversity management training program, it is essential to assess the purpose of the program, the delivery methods and the estimated results, which necessitates distinct programs for different clients. ? State of Readiness refers to the ability of the client’s system to face the issues related to diversity. This includes taking into consideration the primary values of the leaders in addition to the importance which the HR policies lay on issues related to people.
• Delusional client system refers to organizations which are bureaucratic in nature and lack awareness of any differences concerning race, gender or ethnicity at the place of work. Such organizations do not consider diversity related programs necessary. • No Affect system refers to organizations which simply talk and discuss about diversity and related issues but are not actually concerned about “affirmative action and equal employment”, and consider diversity as a bother.
• Norm sensitive system refers to organizations which consider diversity essential because their competitors or peer institutions value it and commitment to diversity issues in such organizations is short lived. • Approach Avoidance conflict refers to systems which desire to address issues related to diversity but are hesitant to face them. • Self Actualized systems refer to organizations which truly value interpersonal relations and wish to improve diversity on a long term basis. ? Some practical considerations which need attention while designing diversity programs include the knowledge of culture of the organization.
? It is also essential for designers and implementers of the program to be prepared for any conflicts which may occur during the course of training with the participants and the legal ramification which may occur in case of ill-designed diversity programs. While I agree that diversity is an essential aspect for the rapidly changing workforce of America and could necessitate training programs, programmers and personnel who implement the program need to consider several crucial issues before designing the program.
Diversity is an inevitable aspect of the American society and culture with numerous races, cultures and communities becoming a part of the rapidly changing workforce. Additionally, gender constraints are reducing with more number of women joining the workforce. The rapidly augmenting immigrant demographics of America have brought about a change in the workforce and the accompanying issues which have increased with this change.
Cultural, racial and gender based diversity has therefore necessitated policies and programs to ensure the smooth functioning of organizations, which have become more complex in structure than ever before, with distinct psychological problems impeding the management of organizations and institutions. Designing and implementation of training the workforce needs to be done by considering several crucial factors such which indicate the state of readiness of corporations which indicates their approach to diversity and provide an insight regarding the usefulness of the program and its potential rate of success following the training program.
Other vital factors which need to be considered when preparing for these programs are the likely conflicts which could arise and the legal issues which have arisen during the implementation of programs in institutions. The methods of delivery need to be carefully considered and implemented by the administrator of the program so that clients will be explained the various issues and opportunities such as various policies and practices relating to employment opportunities for the diverse workforce.
The conduction of these training sessions should be devoid of any political alliances and strategies of power since these will obviously diminish the success rates. Program success augments when the program is implemented through the formation of peer groups where individuals are allowed to share with each other their concerns and problems. Such interactive sessions will facilitate the growth and development of interpersonal group relations which will result in highly positive outcomes. Administrators should demonstrate working relations by integrating different races, communities and genders into the processes.
Additionally, issues of ethnic and racial prejudice and ethnic stereotyping need to be considered by program developers and administrators. For instance, the designing of the program for an organization in UAE would necessitate several cultural considerations including the rigid and conservative Middle East culture as opposed to the modern Western World of cultural diversity. Designers ought to take into profound consideration that the culture of UAE is highly impacted by Islam, which is not only a religion but a way of life.
As such, religious customs and appropriate forms of behaviour need to be thoroughly understood. Design and implementation of cultural diversity programs will necessitate the knowledge of the high context communication style of the residents of UAE which focuses greatly on the intent and credibility of the speaker (Caproni, 2005). Administrators must also know that public criticism or corrections are considered highly offensive and should not be dealt with openly, rather privately.
There is great emphasis on relationship building rather than time and business processes. Since UAE is an Islamic Kingdom, administrators also need to be aware of any political ramifications which could occur due to ill designed programs. Culture plays a crucial role in the designing and implementation of diversity training programs especially in countries like the UAE and designers and administrators need to understand clearly the religious customs and appropriate forms of behavior before delivering such programs in UAE organizations.
Resources Caproni, P. (2005). Management skills for everyday life, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Diamante Thomas and Giglio Leo (1994). Managing a Diverse Workforce: Training as a Cultural Intervention Strategy. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 15 No. 2, 1994, pp. 13-17 Schneider, B. (1990), Organizational Climate and Culture, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
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