Diversity management Essay

renewing is crucial and inevit equal for any service organisations to create opportunities for more mod ideas. transmutation involves individuals from different ethnic background, culture, age, gender, status and privateity characteristics to communicate and dole out set. To embolden and appliance change, managers should draw an hard-hitting recruitment strategy. Although diversity creates opportunities, it basin create contemporaneous go aways. The issues on diversity are rather complex. This is due to the ever-changing nature of social trends organisations hold to adapt.For example, in that location has been an induce of women go into in the workforce by 40 per cent since August 1961 ABS, 2013. and an cast up of employment in part-time and episodics since 1979. The percentage of full-time employees fell from 42 per cent to 39 per cent, while part-time increased from 25 per cent to 36 per cent Lawson, 2007. . There are other several trends which represent the nature of diversity in the service patience. These include the recognition of Australia characteristics as more of a multi heathenish country.The country is also known as an aging population and is skewed towards white-collar services. An increase of technology evolution creates more of a divers(a) country by dint of networking. This suggests that social attitudes, ethnic trends and values can often change. For example, Qantas had the difficulty of retaining the companys consonance in terms of performance due to the changing nature of diversity. Work-life fit positions are more in demand. Thus Qantas has responded in employing more casual and part-time employees.This change has driven Qantas to reduce be and improved its internationalist agonisticalness. There has also been an increase in participation of women in the workforce. Qantas has the heart 42 per cent of women in which but 23 per cent of women amuse senior roles Broadbridge, D. (2013 68). Thus Qantas had implemented family practices to maintain women within the airline. This reinforces that, there is a need of ongoing diversity commission to gain a full-bodied diversity. because organisations are able to gain a sustainable competitive favour.Managing diversity is defined as the challenge of meeting the needs of a ethnicly diverse workforce and of sensitizing workers and managers to differences associated with gender, race, age and nationality in test to maximise the electric potential productivity of all employees Ellis and Sonnenfield (1994 82). Tesco, a UK customer pore retailer has place the essential of diversity commission. To r for each one its maximum potential goals, Tesco has established a clean-living mission statement we make what matters better, together Tesco PLC, 2013.The retailers mission statement promotes productive diversity. Tesco has recognised the richness of cellular inclusion to ensure high employee satisfaction. The strong conversation in the midst of managers and employees encourages each employee to maximise their own potential productivity against the organisation values and its benchmark. The industry just provides flexibility to all employees where everyone is welcome to motivate employees to pass away further productive. Therefore as a result, Tesco has gained significant benefits.These benefits include an increase of diverse knowledge and skills towards customer services, innovative opportunities, positive reputation of the organisation and an increase of service productivity. Thus it reinforces the importance of effective diversity management to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. A financial company, Westpac has also incarnate diversity management strategies to ensure the company achieve its vision To be one of the humankinds great companies, helping our customers, communities and people to fly high and grow Westpac Group Ltd, 2013..Westpac has established The Westpac Group Diversity Council and div ersity insurance policy to ensure their objectives have been achieved. The policy outlines that managers should have continuous review and discussions in addressing with any emerging diversity-related organisational issues. This provides the organisation a constant strategic and effective diversity management evaluation. It also outlines engagement strategies such as effective dialogue to increase its productive diversity.Hence ensures the company reaches its vision. Westpac Ltd, 2013.has clearly identified within its industry that, 43% of employees (36% men and 48% women) work flexibly, everywhere 12% employees have disability, 61% employees are women are and 32% of employees were innate(p) outside of Australia and New Zealand. These statistics suggests Westpac have provided an inclusion of all recruited employees to promote a diverse service culture. As result, Westpac has gained positive response in managing diversity.The pay company has received recognition as one of the wor lds most ethical companies Ethisphere Institute, 2013. top ten employer for LGBTI (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex) inclusion Australian Workplace comparison Index Awards, 2013. won the Gender Equity in workforce AHRI Diversity awards, 2013. won the Employer of Choice for Women Award Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2013. and has been ranked 10th in the Global 100 list of the worlds sustainable corporations. Therefore it emphasises the need of diversity management in service industry to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.Diversity can provide organisations great benefits, but it is also the take in of contemporary issues and negates when organisations need employees to think in the same direction. For example, according to Sunday morn Herald, in 2002, TPG had a discrimination-related issue a Muslim employee had asked the organisation to have a five minute break for his prayer was rejected. The issue was brought to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. As a result, TPG had failed to recognise its need of incorporating diversity with its culture values.Thus there was a need in changing its work ethnic values. Conflict can arise due to the differences of stakeholders values and miscommunication. Hence it is difficult to measure fairness and equality between the different cultures and social and ethical values. For example social etiquette is vital in a diverse service industry. The term respect can be interpreted in different perspectives. This is due to language barriers and different cultural aspects. It is also difficult to recruit a diverse workforce that is able to parallel with the organisational culture values.For example, most recruitment is found on skills, personal traits, experience and qualifications that are fitted to the organisations value. Conflicts are also inevitable, thus, managers should implement contradict resolution strategies to decrease the amount of difference of opinions. Conflict resolution s include let outing the issue, negotiating, mediating, iniquity procedures and involvement of courts and tribunals. Thus, these strategies are a vital tool for service industries to promote productive diversity. Identifying the issue is the first step when a conflict arises.Managers who recognises the cause of the conflict are able to prevent further complex contends. To annul misunderstandings, managers should use active listening skills. This includes mirroring, paraphrasing, summarising, clarifying questions and providing the speaker motivational response. Negotiating is a bargaining process between two or more parties pursuance to dis incubate a common ground and reach an agreement to settle a matter of mutual concern or resolve a conflict Chapman, S. 2011. .Mediation is the process of using a thirdly political party to settle a dispute Samson, D.and Draft, R. 2012. . Both solutions provide an ongoing communication between stakeholders to reach a win-win situation. Griev ance procedures are used in certain conflict situations which must be handled in procedure. This method provides clear instructions on resolving a dispute. Courts and tribunals are a third individual mechanism that enforces a solution based on the conflict circumstance. Although it is used efficaciously to end a dispute, it could be argued that, this mechanism would be the causes of organisations to have further internal disputes.This is due to the contradict publicity. In 2011, Qantas had a dispute in terms of different values between chief executive officer and the union and employees. It could also be argued, that this conflict is due to poor management. The issue was based on providing employees a sense of job security measure, due to the cultural shift of outsourcing parts of its operation to Asia. The lack of flexibility and ineffective communication due to the top-down management hierarchy were also the causes of conflict. As result, the dispute had become internationally known and major costs were involved.Qantas human preference managers should have clearly communicated its vision to provide a sense of employees job security. Integrating diversity in the workplace is not only to create opportunities but it is to abide legal ethics. The jurisprudence enforced in Australia to ensure equality employment is Equal exercise Opportunity correspond 1987 (Cth). The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) outlines that all employees have equal gravel to the opportunities that are available, including promotion possibilities, overtime availability and leave entitlements Chapman, S. 2011.Thus, it could be argued, that, the rule promotes diversity. Organisations which fail to abide the legal systems would be subjected to hefty fines and gain a negative industry reputation. For example, in 2003, the phone company, TPG had discriminated a female heavy(predicate) employee under the EEO. The company did not offer a suitable part-time position after her maternity leave. As a result of this issue, TPG had to cover $75,000 of damage Sunday Morning Herald, 2003. . This suggests poor productive diversity. It is recommended, that TPG should evaluate its diversity management and its culture values.This case study also suggests the need to reform the legislation where women with pregnancy are included to avoid further conflicts. Thus, the Equal Employment Opportunity Amendment figure out 2012 (Cth) legislation further reinforced and depicts issues on conflicts based upon discrimination, harassment and racism. Westpac and Qantas have obligated to promote EEO within the workforce. Westpac has effectively promoted EEO and its values to employees. The establishment of the diversity council group had lead Westpac to manage its diversity effectively. by continuous evaluation, Westpac has created high module morale. Thus the company is able to maintain its low staff turnover and absenteeism. Qantas has established a Diversity arguing to ensure the air line industry is obligated to the EEO. The EEO provides Qantas to promote diversity through leadership, talent and development programs, flexible work arrangements and recruitment and selection processes Qantas Airways Ltd, 2013. . This management approach supports Qantas objectives, delivers competitive advantage and benefits to customers.In conclusion service industries that effectively implement diversity management allows organisations to achieve its maximum potential goal. Hence it is an essential strategy for managers maintain a sustainable competitive advantage through productive diversity. It is also an opportunity for organisations to embrace diversity to become more innovative. Although productive diversity allows positive recognition response alike(p) Westpac, it can also be the cause of contemporary issues. Unable to identify contemporary issues will lead to conflicts. Conflicts are inevitable.Therefore, there is a need for conflict resolution mechanism to maintain ethi cal practices in the workforce. go on disputes can create a disadvantage. For example, Qantas should have positive reinforcement if there is a need for change of work practices. The lack of job security has lead unions and employees to go on strike. As result, major financial costs were involved and negative publicity. The establishment of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1987 (Cth) is enforced for all organisations to abide. The legislation ensures equity and fair ethical practices in the workforce.Failure to abide the legislation results in disadvantage outcomes. This could include negative publicity, increase of costs and decrease staff morale which leads to high staff turnover and low productive diversity. Overall the importance of incorporating diversity management, conflict resolution and equal employment opportunity determines the effectiveness in achieving organisations objectives. It is powerfully recommended that, service industries should continuously evaluate its ef fectiveness of diversity management and conflict resolution to ensure an increase of productive diversity.