Value of Diversity in a Business - Assignment Example

Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Date Assessment 1: PART A Question 1 In order to ensure that relationships with customers and clients demonstrates the value of diversity in a business, the firm ought to start by the development a diversity policy. The diversity policies and guidelines should outline the conduct of the staff in relation to customers and clients. It suffices to observe that a proper organizational strategy that encourages diversity starts with a strong leadership. The diversity-centered leadership guarantees the existence of workplace diversity in the firm’s employees to enhance the relationships with clients and customers. Secondly, it is mandatory that the organization should assess the current situation in relation to workplace diversity. It is evident that the organization that exhibits tremendous performance in regard to workplace diversity values the existence of diversity relationships with its clients and customers. Apparently, the provision of diversity training is pertinent towards the success of any diversity initiative adopted by an organization. The training enables the employees to include diversity in their relationships with the customers of the organization (Wambui et al. 2010, p. 204). The firm should also change the management and culture system to meet its diversity requirements. Lastly, the firm should establish a continuous evaluation of the diversity management program. The program would ascertain that the firm meets its diversity objectives to guarantee the satisfaction of its clients and employees. Question 2 There are several diversity issues in the modern Australian society. The consideration of the indigenous Australians as an ethnic group under multiculturalism has resulted in heated arguments. According to the indigenous inhabitants, the inclusion as an ethnic group denies them their history of genocide and dispossession and the fact that they were the original inhabitants of the land. According to the Nyoongars, the federal and national governments ignore them following their decision to obliterate their status. It suffices to observe that the issue has raised uneasiness among the Aboriginal people of Australia. The issue stems from the tension between self-determination and multiculturalism. Therefore, social cohesion stands out to be one of the primary diversity issues in the modern Australian society. It is difficult to create a society characterized by a unified global orientation, a shared sense of common history and the required needed core values. The relationship between social background and economic disadvantage also reveals the other cultural diversity noted in the modern Australian society. The division of the society and schools based on gender, social background, faith, geography and wealth increases the difficulty associated with bridging the social capital gap (Jakubowicz 2009, p. 6). Question 3 a. Anti-discrimination legislation and the development of a diversity policy The anti-discrimination legislation broadens the value base of the society in respect to diversity through the incorporation of civil rights and social values in the existing values of the market. Therefore, the intervention incorporates the international conventions into the society to protect equality and fundamental rights of the diverse individuals of the society. The fact that Australia consists of individuals from diverse global backgrounds necessitates the legislation in a bid to ascertain equality. It is evident that social exclusion yields financial and human costs. Therefore, the elimination of the costs is a responsibility of the legislation (Soininen 2009, p. 2). b. Ethical principles and the development of a diversity policy It suffices to observe that ethical principles play a pivotal role in the development of a diversity policy. The principles ascertain the promotion and upholding of wellbeing and human dignity. The principles also consider self-determination as a right of all the ethnic groups. Promoting the right to inclusion/participation is the other role of the ethical standards. By so doing, the standards ascertain that all individuals in the society have an equal access to the existing opportunities. The wholesome treatment of everyone is the other contribution of the ethical standards to the diversity policy. The principles also advocate for the development and identification of strengths of all the inhabitants of a society (BASW 2012, p. 7). c. Codes of Practice and the development of a diversity policy The codes of practice subjects employees that behave in a discriminatory manner to disciplinary measures that may include dismissal from the organization. The codes of practice also forbid companies from requesting discrimination during recruitment of staffs prior to the justification of the discrimination requests. The failure of the requesting firm to justify the requests results in the termination of the supply of staff. Lastly, the codes of practice also advocate for the fair treatment of workers while executing their assignments. Therefore, dignity and due respect ought to prevail between the worker, co-workers and the employee’s clients (BASW 2012, p. 10). d. Privacy Law and the development of a diversity policy Privacy laws encompass the right to equal treatment based on sexual treatment, gender and religion. The laws advocate for the freedom of religion and expression. For instance, the Islam culture has been a threat to cultural diversity following its discrimination on the grounds of gender and religion. The privacy law encourage the assimilation perspective rather than the discriminatory and pluralistic perspectives. It is evident that the assimilation perspective exhibits tolerance for the cultural and religious pluralism (Bleijenbergh 2010, p. 194). e. Workplace health and safety and the development of a diversity policy According to the Department of Human Services in Australia (2011, p. 9), the occupational health and safety Act of 1991 requires the employees and employers to maintain a healthy, safe and secure working environment. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the employer to rid the organization of any forms of harassment. Therefore, the occupational health and safety policies form a pertinent component of the diversity policy. f. Disability Law and the development of a diversity policy The ASX listed companies and other global organizations should include disability in the definition of their diversity policies. Moreover, the supplier diversity program implemented by a company should also benefit a disabled business owner. By so doing, the firms should express their commitment to employing disabled personnel rather than simply enlisting disability and diversity. Including disability under diversity will ensure that the firm recruits disabled individuals thus enhancing workplace diversity (Ball 2005, p. 98). Assessment 1: PART B Question 1 The five major ethnic groups in Australia encompass the Australian, the Australian Aboriginal, the Australian South Sea Islander, the Torres Strait Islander and the foreign immigrants. The Aboriginal, South Sea and Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous inhabitants of Australia. The other Australians comprise of foreign immigrants that are currently Australian citizens. The last category consists of the immigrants that are not yet Australian citizens. The top five religions in Australia encompass Christianity, Islam, Jewish, Buddhist and Congregationalist (ASCCEG 2005, p. 18; Henry & Kurzak 2012, p. 1). Question 2 Diversity plays a pivotal role in workplace development. The recruitment of culturally diverse employees enhances the diverse relationships with the customers and clients. The positive relationships between the organization and its customers enhances customer satisfaction thus fostering competitive advantage on the part of the firm. It suffices to observe that diversity has also elevated the global position of Australia in relation to economic development. Diversity has yielded an increase in the available labor and skills thus increasing the productivity of the country. The enhancement of the productivity of the culturally diverse country emanates from the successful integration of second generation immigrants from different parts of the world. It is evident that Australia had insufficient labor to cater for the construction and development processes after the Second World War (CRC 2011, p. 12). The migration program that led to the enhancement of the cultural diversity of the nation yielded an accumulation of human capital that increased the innovativeness of the country. The fact that migrants are exceptional individuals explains their tremendous contribution towards innovation. The migrants are individuals characterized by the burning desire to achieve. Therefore, they ascertain that they achieve their primary objectives of departing their home countries. It is evident that the migrants were responsible for sparking economic development and the improvement in the global position of Australia by catalyzing human advancement. The migrants also relieved poverty and spread significant ideas from their countries. It is important to observe that migrants do not represent the attributes of their home or destination countries. The significance of the Australian migration program emanated from the fact that the program only permitted skilled and educated individuals to enter the country. The intake criteria also emphasized on entrepreneurial talent and level of education. Consequently, the migrants sparked economic success and boom in business in the nation. The contribution of the migrants to the nation’s productivity emanated from the fact that the introduction of more individuals in the Australian labor force increased the proportion of individuals in the labor force. It is also evident that the migration program only permitted the entry of individuals aged 25-44 years. Apparently, the age bracket encompasses productive individuals. Finally, the emphasis on skilled migration also fostered productivity in Australia. The migrants sparked diversity and social justice in the nation. Since they contributed positively to the economic development of the country, both the federal and national governments supported multiculturalism to accommodate the migrants (CRC 2011, p. 13). PART C Question 5 There are various key internal factors that have resulted to Australia post team being innovative and remaining innovative. One of the key factors is accelerated learning in teams. Innovation is as aspect that requires continuous learning in order to acquire more knowledge that can assist in coming up with new ideas and inventions (Harris, p18). Teams require continuous learning in order to remain innovative. Australia post team have therefore embraced continuous learning as an approach of enhancing the creativity of the members. The Australia post team are also encouraged to get involved in diverse projects or experiments. The potential future of innovation is directed by the ability to get involved in diversified project which assist in enhancing the innovative capabilities of an individual. Also, the existence of diversity among team members has facilitated the ability to be innovative and to remain innovative. The diversity of team members brings about a pool of ideas and different views that are significant for innovation. Works Cited Ball, Phoebe, et al. "Disability as diversity in Fortune 100 companies." Behavioral sciences & the law 23.1 (2005): 97-121. Bleijenbergh, Inge, Marloes van Engen, and Ashley Terlouw. "Laws, policies and practices of diversity management in the Netherlands." International handbook on diversity management at work: Country perspectives on diversity and equal treatment (2010): 179-197. Henry, Nicola. “The Australian Collaboration: Religion in Australia.” A Collaboration of National Community Organizations (2009). Harris, Chris. Building Innovative Teams Palgrave Macmillan. (2003). Jakubowicz, Andrew. Cultural diversity, cosmopolitan citizenship and education: issues, options and implications for Australia. Australian Education Union, 2009. Salway, Sarah, et al. "Ethnic diversity and inequality: ethical and scientific rigor in social research." New York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2011). Soininen, Marita. “Institutions Matter-Governance makes Difference: Making of Diversity and Antidiscrimination Policy.” REMESO Institute of Research, Migration and Society (2009). The Australian Bureau of Statistics. “Australian Standard Classification of Cultural and Ethnic Groups (ASCCEG). (2005)” The Community Relations Commission. “The Economic Advantages of Cultural Diversity in Australia.” NSW Government (2011). The Department of Human Services. “Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2011-15 (2011).” The Policy, Ethics and Human Rights Committee. “The Code of Ethics for Social Work-Statement of principles.” The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) (2011). Wambui, Tabitha Wangare, Wangombe, James Gachahi, and Muthura, Margaret Wanjiku. “Managing Workplace Diversity: A Kenyan Perspective.” International Journal of Business and Social Science (2013). Read More