Diversity
Does workplace diversity result in a more productive firm?
Are firms that embrace workplace diversity more productive than firms that resist diversifying their mix of employees, That was question addressed by the two articles comprising this issue. Mary Salomon and Joan Schork thought that there is a business case for diversity. During the course of their article, the authors consider several commonly accepted arguments supportive of workplace diversity. It is because talent shortages can be addressed by embracing a willingness to actively recruit, hire, train minorities and females. Another argument in support workplace diversity is based on the notion that wide range of cultural and personal differences characteristic of diverse groups results in improved decision making and increases in creativity that result in higher level of productivity. And lastly, the fact is that in today’s business environment, firms are practically required to diversify their workforce. Legal mandates and strong social pressures virtually condemn to failure those organizations that fail to engage in at least some minimal level of diversity-based initiatives.
On the other hand, Thomas Kochan and his colleagues reported findings from their complex, sophisticated research project. There are no support for the view that diversity leads to increases in productivity. The first concerns the ease and effectiveness of communications among diverse members. Research on group communications has consistently shown that homogenous groups communicate more effectively and more efficiently than do heterogeneous groups. The second factor involves decision-making processes. In fact, some research suggests that the additional costs incurred by diverse groups trying to reach consensus outweigh the benefits provided by their membership diversity. The final factor involves the overall complexity of conducting research on the relationship between diversity and productivity.
The two articles shown that both point out the firms willing to embrace diversity open themselves up to a much larger pool of talent than those firms that resist diversifying their labor composition. Both papers note that there are important non-economic considerations arguing for the acceptance of workplace diversity. The current social, political, and cultural environment in America celebrates and encourages the acceptance of cultural, racial, and sexual differences and strongly discourages discriminatory mindsets, philosophies, and practices. Therefore, I agree that diverse workforce is a business necessity in the sense that adopting such a policy reduces corporate to legal action and allows the firm to align itself with socially desirable values and expectations.
Reference:
1. Mary F. Salomon and Joan M. Schork, from “Turn Diversity to Your Advantage,” Research Technology Management (July/August 2003)
2. Thomas Kochan et al., from “The Effects of Diversity on Business Performance: Report of the Diversity Research Network,” Human Resource Management (Spring 2003)
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