Managing Diversity in the Workplace: Challenges, Benefits, and Solutions - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal Name Institution Research Proposal Research Title: Managing Diversity in the Workplace: Challenges, Benefits, and Solutions Introduction Workplace diversity relates to the variety of different among people in the business entity or organization. Diversity integrates race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, cultural background, and education. Diversity not only relates to how individuals perceive themselves, but how they tend to perceive others. This is because of the influence of such perceptions on interactions among the employees. For the wide assortment of employees or workers to operate effectively and efficiently, there is need for the human resource professionals to deal with the issues in relation to communication, change, and adaptability. In the coming years, there is potentiality of the rapid increase of diversity in different organizations because of the influence and growth of globalization. Some of the benefits of diversity relate to increased adaptability, broader service range, effective execution, diverse perceptions, and increased profitability levels. On the other hand, there are limitations to diversity such as resistance to change, implementation of policies, ineffective communication, and inappropriate management techniques in the course of handling diversity among the employees. Human resources are vital in the realization of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. It is critical for the business entities to focus on assessment of the most effective and ideal attributes in the course of handling the demands and expectations of the diverse workforce for increased profitability levels. The purpose of the research will be to examine ways in which business entities and organizations can curb the implications of diversity for the realization of the competitive advantage in the industry of engagement. This is through identifying and assessing the benefits, costs, and appropriate mechanisms to handle the issue to aid the ability of the organization to compete effectively and efficiently in the industry of transaction. Background Employers in all sectors of the global economy are focused on attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. This is because of the implications of diversity and inclusion in different organizations. Some of the benefits of diversity in workplace include elimination or minimization of recruitment challenges and skills shortages, improvement of the satisfaction and retention of the employees while providing better client service. In addition, diversity is vital in the promotion of organizational values, as well as fostering innovation and problem-solving skills prior to broadening the community engagement (Aguinis, Boyd, Pierce, & Short, 2011). Diversity is one of the core strengths of the global economy in the modern context. According to the existing economic data, different nations and workplaces will continue to become increasingly more diverse, as racial and ethnic minorities make up a larger portion of the population (Okoro, 2012). In addition, women continue to enter the workforce, and as transgender, individuals and persons with disabilities continue to play a vital role in the growing global economy. In the future contexts, business entities should continue to capitalize on and embrace diversity, as the workforce itself becomes more diverse (Shin et al, 2012; De Wit, Greer, & Jehn, 2012). The society and the economy depend on the issue of diversity at the workplace with the intention of improving effectiveness and efficiency at the end of the fiscal period. Human resource management continues to be one of the critical issues in relation to improvement of efficiency in handling the demands and expectations of the customers. It is ideal to note that HRM focuses on the exploitation of diversity at the workplace (Robbins & Judge, 2012). The purpose of this research is to assess the implications of diversity at workforce with the intention of understanding benefits and challenges prior to demonstration of the mechanisms to manage such issues resistance to change and implementation of diversity policies for realization of competitive advantage in the market and industry of transaction. Purpose/Rationale The purpose of the study is to identify, assess, and illustrate management of diversity among the business workplaces through evaluation of the benefits, challenges, and mechanisms to exploit the differences among employees for the realization of the goals and targets of the business entity. The rationale for development of the study is the rapid diversity of the modern workplaces under the influence of globalization. In addition, the research seeks to illustrate the importance and significance of diversity in improving the efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of products and services in accordance with the demands and expectations of the customers in the market and industry of transaction. Research Questions The study will focus on the following research questions: i. What are the benefits and costs of diversity in a modern business workplace? ii. What is the relationship between diversity and profitability, performance, and satisfaction of the needs of the shareholders and stakeholders? iii. How can business entities exploit diversity among the employees or workers? iv. Is diversity training an effective approach towards handling differences among employees? Objectives The study will focus on execution and achievement of the following objectives: i. To determine the benefits and costs of diversity among employees or workers in successful business entities ii. To assess the relationship between diversity and profitability, performance, and satisfaction of the needs and demands of the shareholders and stakeholders iii. To discuss mechanisms towards handling differences among the employees or workers iv. To determine the implications of training and development of employees on the issues of diversity towards increasing the performance of the organizations in the markets and industries of operation Conceptual Framework and Literature Review Various researchers and research platforms have been on the forefront in the course of assessing and examining the implications or influences of diversity on the performance of the business entities and organizations. One of the areas of interest is the illustration of how organization theories explain the dynamic of the diverse workplace. Organization theory are vital in explaining how diverse populations work together for the realization of the collective gains (Barak, 2013). These theories are critical in describing the benefits and challenges faced by global business entities in the course of employing an increasingly diverse workforce in terms of cultural and ethnic background, experience level, and age. Needs Hierarchy vs. Diversity Abraham Maslow focused on developing a theory of motivation with the intention of explaining how people in diverse entities behaved in accordance with the demands and expectations of the customers in the market and industry of engagement. According to this theory, humans are never completely satisfied, but crave for satisfaction of the needs classified into a hierarchy based on importance. At the lowest level of this satisfaction, rank is the need to satisfy physical demands. There is need for the individuals to satisfy their need for basic security and stability prior to the need to belong to a group with meaningful relationships. In addition, individuals strive to satisfy self-confidence and personal achievement prior to realization of the potentiality of the persons. The theoretical perspective is vital in enabling managers to motivate subordinates in diverse workplaces through ensuring satisfaction of the low-level needs. An effective manager tends to motivate workers or employees through creation or generation of a safe work environment through provision of ideal tools and resources. Moreover, managers need to adopt and implement appropriate mechanisms with the intention of involving employees in the decision-making process. Organizational Culture vs. Diversity According to Michael Pacanowsky, organizations are extremely diverse and complex. In order to understand the functioning of the organizations or business entities, it is critical to observe how employees in the institutions act, how, and contribute through their background differences in pursuit of the collective gain rather than individualistic benefits. Managers have the potentiality to exploit this information to maximize the talents of the employees and teams with the intention of achieving strategic goals effectively and efficiently (Yang & Konrad, 2011). Diverse workforce is vital in improving the profitability of the business entity or organization through utilization of the vast knowledge pool while ignoring the cultural and geographical diversities. Organizational Communication vs. Diversity According to this theoretical perspective, communication flowed from the bottom of the company to the top in the case of successful entities. This is an indication that employees have substantial understanding their roles and expectations in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. Dynamics of a diverse workplace is the best way different employees accept authority. Employees or workers need to understand the essence of communications from managers. It is critical to note that the communications must reflect the mission, core values, and strategic goals and targets to eliminate resistance or distrust from the employees in the implementation of the content. Moreover, diverse workplace must be safe for the qualified employees to facilitate their abilities to complete the jobs effectively and efficiently (McMahon, 2011; Jackson & Joshi, 2011). Successful companies communicate effectively with employees with the intention of eliminating absenteeism while increasing satisfaction, as well as massive reduction to the overhead costs. Scientific Management vs. Diversity In the early years of the 20th century, Frederick Winslow Taylor focused on examining the concept of worker productivity. In the course of this experiment, he focused on theorizing that managers had to identify the best way of performing operational tasks while teaching employees how to complete work in the most effective and efficient manner possible. It is critical to note that managers need to be responsible for their efforts in recruiting, hiring, and training workers (Rao, 2012; Wolfson, Kraiger, & Finkelstein, 2011)). According to this theoretical perspective, divergent or creative approaches to solving problems reduced productivity. In addition, successful business entities now realize that without innovation, companies cannot improve processes and productivity. Benefits of Diversity Another interesting area of research in relation to understanding the issue of diverse workplace is the identification of the benefits or advantages in pursuit of competitive advantage in the market and industry of operation. The success and competitiveness of an organization depends upon its ability to embrace the diversity while realizing its benefits or advantages. When organizations examine their handling of workplace diversity issues actively, as well as develop and implement substantive diversity plans, they have the opportunity to realize adequate benefits (Loeb, 2014; LaVergne, Larke, Elbert, & Jones, 2011). One of the benefits of workplace diversity is the increased level of adaptability. Organizations employing diverse workplace tend to supply greater variety of solutions to problems in relation to service, sourcing, and allocation of resources (Madera et al, 2011). Employees from diverse backgrounds have the technique and expertise to generate and contribute individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas, which are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands. In addition, diverse workplace provides a broader service range because of the collective skills and experiences to enable business entities to provide service to customers on the global context. Moreover, the context enables business entities to exploit variety of viewpoints. A diverse workforce feels comfortable in communicating varying points to offer a larger pool of ideas and experiences (Martinez, 2014). The organization can utilize this situation through drawing from the pool in order to meet business strategy needs and the needs of customers more effectively. There is also the opportunity for the business entities to realize execution that is more effective (Garces & Jayakumar, 2014). This is through encouraging diversity in the workplace with the intention of inspiring all employees to perform to their highest ability. The outcome of the approach is increase in the productivity levels and improved return on investment. Limitations or Costs of Diversity Certain scholars and researchers have been on the forefront in assessment and illustration of the challenges of diversity in the workplace. One of the major challenges is evident in the essence of communication. It is essential to note that perceptual, cultural, and language barriers might hinder the realization of successful organization in accordance with the demands and expectations of the customers in the market and industry of transaction. Ineffective communication of the key objectives might generate confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale among the employees in pursuit of competitive advantage and satisfaction of the needs of the customers (Piekkari, Oxelheim, & Randøy, 2011; Murphy, 2013; Angeline, 2011; Okoro & Washington, 2012). Another challenge arises in relation to resistance to change. There are always employees who will refuse to subscribe to the social and cultural make-up of the changing organizational platform. Diversity in the workplace tends to offer substantial opportunity for the employees to resist any potential change in accordance with the policies and mission of the business entity (Chang, 2013). There might be problems or challenges in relation to implementation of the diversity in the workplace (Zhu, 2013; Ilmakunnas & Ilmakunnas, 2011). Business entities need to build and implement customized strategy to maximize the effects of diversity in the workplace with the intention of enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in accordance with demands and expectations of the customers. Training and development of the employees on the issue of diversity are insufficient for your organization’s diversity management plan (Greenberg, 2014; Djabi & Shimada, 2013; Allen & Eby, 2011). This makes it critical for the business to create and implement a culture of diversity with the ability to enable each department to function and operate effectively and efficiently. Research Methods and Methodological Processes In accordance with the existing objectives and research questions, the study will focus on utilizing descriptive, as well as explanatory research types. In the first instance, the study will incorporate descriptive research method to focus on describing the essence of diversity, which is a critical feature in realization of the goals and targets of the business entity. Moreover, the study will focus on illustrating or describing the existing and emerging theoretical perceptions in relation to assessment of diversity in different workplaces. Similarly, the study will integrate explanatory research method to determine the relationship between the level of performance, profitability, and diversity among the employees in accordance with the expectations and demands of the customers. These research methods are crucial in understanding the research questions, aims, and objectives for the provision of the perfect platform for adequate and substantive analysis of the existing and emerging theoretical perceptions concerning diversity in the workplace. It is critical to determine the philosophical platform prior to the development of the research design. The choice of the research paradigm or theory focuses on the illustration of different assumptions and implications essential in the determination of the mechanisms for executing research and data collection approaches. The study will focus on incorporation of the positivism and phenomenological research philosophies with the intention of studying and understanding the research questions and objectives effectively and efficiently. The nature of the research questions and objectives demands integration of both qualitative and quantitative research methods with the intention of facilitating effective investigation of the research questions. The research questions focus on assessing the implications of diversity at the workplace in both private and public sectors. The usage of both qualitative and quantitative research methods will improve the accuracy of the data of the study while strengthening the research strategy. On the other hand, the implementation of one method is more vulnerable to errors with reference to the particular research method in comparison to the utilization of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. There are diverse research strategies in the collection of data. Some of the research strategies include case study, experiment, grounded theory, archival research, action research, survey, and ethnography. These strategies are applicable for descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory research during the analysis and collection of data. In the course of choosing the research strategies, it is critical to assess the research objectives, research questions, research philosophy approach, existing form of knowledge, and the time or source of the available data. Since the questions, and objectives focus on questions such as ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’, it was vital for the research or study to incorporate a survey approach, which was essential in the execution of interviews and administration of questionnaires as research instruments. It is critical for the study to consider integration of the survey as the strategy for the collection of substantive data in relation to the research questions and objectives. The research methodology has substantive potential to facilitate effective collection of qualitative research under the influence of interviews and quantitative data through the usage of the research questionnaires while adhering to the research questions and objectives, as well as aims and the scope of the study. Integration of the survey is critical in the collection of oral and written data, which makes it ideal for the implementation and utilization of the interviews and questionnaires. Some of the benefits of the survey include efficiency in the collection of large amount of data from large groups in a short time, easy understanding, and collection of both qualitative and quantitative. Conversely, there are diverse shortcomings in relation to adoption and implementation of the research strategy. Some of these negative implications relate to the potentiality of low response rate, increased risk of biasness, and inability of the research to detect any misunderstandings and ambiguities in the survey questions under the influence of the questionnaires. The research population will incorporate 10 respectable business entities with the intention of examining the impact of diversity among the employees and performance of the business entity. In addition, the study will focus on administration of research questionnaires and execution of interviews to 150 research participants consisting of the business practitioners and students with the intention of increasing understanding of the concept and implications. Methods of Data Analysis In the course of analyzing the data, the study will focus on incorporation of diverse quantitative analysis techniques. One of the crucial data analysis techniques will be the usage of the Chi-square test in the determination of the significance of differences between the collected data and expected information in relation to the issue of diversities among the employees or workers in the modern business entities. The study will also focus on the usage of the t-test technique in the assessment of the level of significance, which is critical in the investigation of the ability of the existing factors to influence diversity in the workplace. The study will focus on incorporation of the frequency of data distribution through measures of central tendency. Measurement of central tendency and dispersion are vital in the provision of the feeling for data, as well as how participants respond to questionnaire items. The measurement of the central tendency is vital in the analysis and interpretation of data in relation to the characteristics of the service excellence within the public sector. The central tendency measure is critical in the assessment of continuous data from the interval scales while minimization the skewed results. Some of the aspects of the central tendency measures include media, standard deviation, mean, and variance. Research Timetable Duration Expected Tasks Week 1 Receive clearance from supervisor to proceed Week 2 Literature search/location Week 3 Review literature and start work on first draft Week 3 Design questionnaire Week 3 Submission of the draft of the questionnaire and chapter 1 Week 4 Work on first draft of the remaining chapters Week 5 Submission of the first draft/receiving feedback previous work Week 6 Chase questionnaire and begin tabulation of results Week 7 Receive feedback on first draft main chapters Week 8 Analyse results of questionnaire Week 9 Write up final draft of dissertation/begin with the drafting of the conclusion Week 10 Complete the final version/main chapters Week 11 Receive feedback conclusion and write up Week 12 Final revisions after proofreading Week 13 Print/Bind/Submit References Loeb, A. (2014). Benefits of diversity. Nature Physics, 10(9), 616-617. LaVergne, D. D., Larke Jr, A., Elbert, C. D., & Jones, W. A. (2011). 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