Equality, Diversity, and Discrimination - Report Example

Since the dawn of time, communication in any form has been eminent in any cultural growth. Even during the various parts of the Stone Age, man used paintings as a means of communicating his thoughts to another of the same era and the future generations. Hence, we consider communication as one of the most important and sought after sphere of study in modern times. With the passage of time and the rapidly growing need for globalization and it’s material effects on the world in general, interpersonal skills amongst people of different cultural backgrounds has become more of a need than a want. A few decades ago, learning another language was considered useful following survival in different countries and owing to the soaring eruption of the travel industry all around the world. Now, it is a fad that people hold on to with dear life knowing that they cannot possibly do without it (Hargie, 1994). This is especially true in the business arena where globalization has taken its toll the most. Companies from the third world sell merchandize made by other third world countries to the first world who sells it back to residents of these third world countries as made in the first world (Hargie, 1994). At the background runs a very difficult and intricate web of negotiations and dialogue which the ordinary consumer knows nothing about. As the world grows more connected following the amazing technological advances, the need for communication amongst cultures is increasing with rapidity. As the need for globalizing is increasing with time, so are the demands on how to manage this globalization. Working across cultures requires people to acquire skills which are not on par with ordinary business skills but above it. This is where conflict arises which may pose death to a project or business in question (Daniels & Lynda, 2005). With more and more first world companies outsourcing their work to third world countries, this predicament is getting much more serious than it would have been otherwise. Although English is an international language and the language of the Internet, the essence of this kind of verbal communication is lost to many non English speaking countries to which work is delegated (Daniels & Lynda, 2005). Also technically speaking, cultural diversity at the work place is not necessarily a negative thing but is most definitely difficult to manage despite set guidelines. With more and more countries outsourcing their work to other countries this is becoming especially difficult. Non English speaking countries are prone to using the language carelessly especially where help lines are concerned and this might affect a customer or a potential one adversely. Racial issue may become a major issue here as some part of the population from the west may not take too kindly to an operator from another ethnic background (Harris & Nelson, 2007). On the other hand, helpline operators may not be too kind to their counterparts at the other end of the line. All this confusion is equally possible in other modes of communication like the email. More often than not, helpline personnel in third world countries are given pseudo names in order to make their customers more comfortable about who they are talking to. Similarly, a lot of training and effort is put into selecting the right individuals and working on their accent reduction and correcting pronunciations in order to ward off any type of conflict and ensure smooth business sailing (Harris & Nelson, 2007). Moreover, these operators are taught both the geography and the history of the country from which they are about to receive calls. Needless to say, all this is done in order to accomplish conflict minimization and resolution if required. Imagine if all this is not done. Many religious setbacks will come about following cultural and language barriers. Many people travel all around the world looking for their definition of a dream job. While English is an international language used all over the world, there are certain countries where knowing the local language is essential if an individual wants to hold down a job. For instance, for an American or a British to go to China or India to work and not knowing the local language will be a nightmare due to the fact that all Chinese and Indians will not necessarily know English not being their first language. Enter confusion and mayhem (Harris & Nelson, 2007). On the other side of the board, a Chinese or Indian working in an American or British environment will definitely have problems with communicating in exceptional English unless they have learnt it as a second language. So the training goes both ways in order to ensure smooth sailing. People with different cultural and religious backgrounds will always give wind to some kind of conflict. This conflict could be eminent in their way of performing a task or even dealing with each other. Language is just one barrier though. People from different backgrounds tend to work in different manners and also have different paces on which to perform different tasks. If statistics are to be believed, Europeans are believed to want information in detail with a lot of supporting documents and Japanese are famed to do the same (Greene & Burleson, 2003). Americans and Canadians on the other hand are reputed to be faster paced and bottom line oriented. Can you imagine a cultural diversity so immense in an organizational environment and the corresponding differences? While some managers tend to believe that cultural diversity within workplaces can help to eliminate crisis, this may not always be true. With more and more business owners wanting to compete in the global area and the competition being fierce as it is, business owners do whatever they can to compete. Due to the fact that different cultural groups have diverse personalities and styles of working, they have a substantial effect on the way they work. While this can prove to be beneficial to businesses, it may help conflict arise. Communication is a key to healthy work environments and following dissimilar backgrounds, this can pose immensely difficult to business owners because work is affected in a negative manner (Greene & Burleson, 2003). Organizations try to assure that no person is discriminated against due to race, gender, religion or disability and almost all businesses are equal employment opportunity workplaces. However, problems do not occur solely due to employees but also due to trainers whose own values are used as templates. It is especially difficult when the trainer himself has political agendas or supports some interest group or other. During training sessions, an individual’s private feelings may be invaded and discontented feelings may arise which make a worker do less in a work environment than he or she can. If handled improperly, diversity management can easily turn into a losing battle and an out of control work situation for all those involved. Workers involved might not take too kindly to a solution provider who is different from him or herself culturally (Harris & Nelson, 2007). Actually, culture is more than just language and dress code. There is socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, religious and political membership and even gender to a wide extent to this about. It will be safe to say here that conflict arises in all human relationship because all humans are made differently. Essentially, where there are different kinds of people, there is always conflict. This is more evident between people of different backgrounds especially where customs or way of living is involved. What might be right for me may not be for you (Greene & Burleson, 2003). As discussed above, communication is a colossal barrier amongst people with different backgrounds. In an example of a company outsourcing its projects to another, despite English being the main language, misunderstanding may arise. Mr. A wants Mr. B to do X, Y and Z but Mr. B hasn’t understood the Z part in all honestly and has done just X and Y. Needless to say Mr. A will be very mad and not without a reason. The reason Mr. B did not perform could be the fact that he never fully realized that there were three tasks to be done and not two and if he did realize it was too embarrassed to ask for an explanation. Here we see a very obvious case of an inferiority complex eminent in a person not a local of a western country. Hence, the misunderstandings. It could also work the other way around. Mr. A has taken offence to something Mr. B said not meaning it in that particular context (Greene & Burleson, 2003). Language aside, many conflicts come about by sheer beliefs in what is right and what is not. A woman from a conservative background may take offence to her colleagues wearing what she thinks is distasteful attire even though the other will be very well within her rights to do so because it is the most natural thing for her to do. A hint of disapproval dropped carelessly may upset another individual and cause a reaction which may end up in disagreement (Hargie, 1994). Discrimination where religious beliefs are concerned is prominent in almost all work environments. Minorities are looked down upon even though what these minority groups believe in has no consequence on their work abilities. Religious discussions can give fire to major disputes about who is right and who isn’t. Even discussion about cultural differences about what to wear and how to behave in society can bring about major arguments (Hargie, 1994). Years of employee surveys continue to show that communication skills, or lack of interpersonal communication skills, up and down the organization are a source of dissatisfaction and low morale. Improving these interpersonal communication skills has shown improvement in organization performance. Conclusion: speaking with respect, listening, handling conflict and being heard in meetings has a positive impact on the business. Click on the left menu to see the reports of success with one-on-one coaching of individuals particularity Subject Matter Expert professionals that need to be part of a team oriented project or initiative (Daniels & Lynda, 2005). With today's global challenges, leadership skills have taken on a new meaning. We focus on business leadership skills that truly establish one as a leader through: Knowing when to be a follower, Facilitating a Win-Win solution with interpersonal negotiating skills, Emotional intelligence, Business acumen Trust and integrity, Empowerment. The manager, supervisor, team leader's job is one of the hardest to master and one with usually the least amount of skills training. Positioned between the demands of upper management and workers the manager, supervisor, team leader must juggle the various priorities (Daniels & Lynda, 2005). Our manager, supervisory and team leader skills training modules provides the tools to: Create the environment where someone takes action Establish expectations negotiating skills to persuade and influence s Effective coaching skills, Counseling skills when expectations are not met, Conflict resolution, conducting effective team meetings, Interviewing skills Harassment and disciplinary tools to counsel the employee while keeping legal exposure to a minimum. We also offer targeted, one-on-one coaching for managers, supervisors and team leaders that can be a cost effective way to learn how to use all the tools. Problem Solving, Error Prevention Skills - Business The current focus is for corporations to reduce management levels and create a lean organization where there are fewer people making the decisions. In this environment it makes sense to give employees technology, tools, and techniques that will help them be as efficient and effective as possible. We would like to believe that employees have critical thinking skills that allow them to make good decisions, solve problems, and think preventively. Instead, most people use personal preference, "good instinct," and hearsay to replace critical thinking. Training in critical thinking skills gives employees tools to improve personal productivity, process to support the improvement of teamwork, and accurate, effective outcomes when looking for root cause, making decisions, or preventing future problems. Interpersonal communication competence and intercultural communication competence are both multidimensional, multi-theoretical concepts which have been defined in many ways. In the different definitions and conceptualizations similar characteristics are, however, often emphasized. To start the synthesis, accomplishing goals, outcomes or objectives in interaction is explicated in many of the definitions many researchers associates goal-achievement in social interaction with personal control. He sees that when pursuing their goals, competent communicators exert control in social interaction in ways that are both adaptive and collaborative. Adaptation and collaboration are suggested as the key to the examination of intercultural communication competence as well (Daniels & Lynda, 2005). Lakey and Canary’s (2002) stated in Hargie (1994), definition of interpersonal communication competence Interpersonal communication competence and intercultural communication competence are both multidimensional, multi-theoretical concepts which have been defined in many ways. In the different definitions and conceptualizations similar characteristics are, however, often emphasized. To start the synthesis, accomplishing goals, outcomes or objectives in interaction is explicated in many of the definitions. Parks associates goal-achievement in social interaction with personal control. He sees that when pursuing their goals, competent communicators exert control in social interaction in ways that are both adaptive and collaborative. Adaptation and collaboration are suggested as the key to the examination of intercultural communication competence as well. Another definition of interpersonal communication competence emphasizes the collaborative nature of interpersonal communication competence. Researchers argue that attention to partners in interaction helps actors achieve their own goals". Possessing knowledge of the partner’s goals can help the interacting to plan behaviors that contribute to perceptions of competence and, on the other hand, to recognize the existence of incompatible goals. As Parks puts it, many of the goals in interaction are social by nature and cannot be achieved without the aid of others. This relational nature of interpersonal communication competence refers also to the relational outcomes of social interaction, such as satisfying interpersonal relationships. In accordance with the definition of relational competence proposed by many researchers, interpersonal communication competence can be viewed as competence both in social interaction and in the creation and management of interpersonal relationships (Harris & Nelson, 2007). Emphasizes the collaborative nature of interpersonal communication competence. Lakey and Canary in Harris and Nelson (2007) argue that attention to partners in interaction helps actors achieve their own goals. Possessing knowledge of the partner’s goals can help the interacting to plan behaviors that contribute to perceptions of competence and, on the other hand, to recognize the existence of incompatible goals. As Hargie (1994) puts it, many of the goals in interaction are social by nature and cannot be achieved without the aid of others. This relational nature of interpersonal communication competence refers also to the relational outcomes of social interaction, such as satisfying interpersonal relationships. In accordance with the definition of relational competence proposed by Spitzberg & Cupach (1984), interpersonal communication competence can be viewed as competence both in social interaction and in the creation and management of interpersonal relationships. The challenge posed by the increasing cultural diversity of the workforce is perhaps the most pressing challenge of our times. Scholarship on this increasing diversity has produced general overviews on diversity and related issues, essays that offer a theoretical perspective and suggest research directions for studying diversity in organizations, and few actual research studies of diversity in organizations. The research studies that have been done examine differences in organizational communication in different (particularly national) cultures, examine organizational communication in multicultural contexts, and explore cultural voices in the workplace. Researchers of cultural diversity in organizations must look to alternative theoretical perspectives, such as feminist theories, critical theories, and sociological paradigms to identify the problematic and methodologies appropriate to future diversity studies. This research needs to document different voices in the workforce, especially those that have been marginalized. Multicultural discourses that incorporate the diverse voices of all workers will not only transform our public and private economic organizations; they will also reinvigorate our public discourses and political institutions, strengthening our social, political, and economic well-being. There have been numerous challenges issued to academics to become more involved in the pressing social issues of the day and to demonstrate, in the public arena, the worth of their studies. The study of cultural diversity and of multicultural discourses in organizations offers an opportunity for scholars to do that (Hargie, 1994). Cultural diversity in the workplace is currently a hot topic. Only ten years ago, virtually no books were available on the topic, and journal articles were just as rare. Today, hardly a day goes by that a national newspaper or magazine doesn't run a story on some aspect of the increasing diversity of the U.S. workforce, such as the changing demographics of the U.S. population, immigration policy, and the debate over affirmative action programs. Diversity also seems ubiquitous in academic circles. During the last few years, numerous books on workforce diversity have been published. Discrimination where religious beliefs are concerned is prominent in almost all work environments. Minorities are looked down upon even though what these minority groups believe in has no consequence on their work abilities. Religious discussions can give fire to major disputes about who is right and who isn’t. Even discussion about cultural differences about what to wear and how to behave in society can bring about major arguments. Works Cited: Daniels, Kathy and Lynda A. C. Equality, Diversity and Discrimination. Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2005. Harris, Thomas and Mark Nelson. Applied Organizational Communication: Theory and Practice in a Global Environment. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2007 Hargie, Owen. Social Skills in Interpersonal Communication. Routledge, 1994 Cushman, Donald and Dudley Cahn. Communication in Interpersonal Relationships. State Univ of New York,1985 Greene, John and Brant Burleson. Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003 Read More