HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH PROJECT:

DIVERSITY AND DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

Made By:
ESHA GOEL
MBA 2nd SEM
Roll No: 0271333907
HMR Institute of Technology and Management
Table of Contents:
1. Overview
2. Present Scenario
3. Critical analysis
4. Recommendation
5. Conclusion

Bibliography
OVERVIEW:
One of the greatest challenges facing
organizations today is managing
workforce diversity in a way that both
respects the employees' unique attitudes
and promotes a shared sense of corporate
identity.
But what do we mean by DIVERSITY?
Diversity simply refers to human
characteristics that make people
different. Any perceived difference
among people: age, functional specialty,
profession, sexual orientation,
geographic origin, life style, tenure with
the organization, or position. The
sources of individual variations are
complex, but they can generally be
grouped into two categories: those over
which individuals have little or no
control and those over which individuals
have more control. Unless effectively
managed, diversity among employees
may have a negative impact on
productive teamwork. Diversity is more
than equal employment and affirmative
action.
Diversity management, simply speaking,
refers to valuing differing perspectives
of people in organizations. In a broad
sense, diversity management is seen as a
process to develop an environment that
facilitates maximization of the potential
of all employees involved in the working
of an organization; thus implying focus
on valuing qualities that are different
between groups and individuals.
Diversity Management can, in a way, be
said to be a modern form of ensuring
equal opportunity, though some consider
these terms to be very different. The
concept is rooted in the thinking that
society is not a melting pot but, rather, a
salad bowl where each unique ingredient
that is included in it contributes
something to produce a "delicious"
outcome. Life and work today are
significantly changed by the diversity
profile of the employees who have been
woven into the fabric of organizations in
many countries. Valuing diversity
implies, to the extent possible, treating
the individual employee the way he/she
wants.
PRESENT SCENARIO:
ISSUES IN INDIA
India is one of the countries which have
been beneficiary of the globalization
process.
This is evident from the considerable
rise since the adoption of globalization
policies in its gross domestic product,
foreign direct investment, share in world
trade, and the contribution of service
sector to the economy. These indicators
are also reflective of a higher degree of
integration of the Indian economy in the
global village. Since more and more
multinational companies (MNCs) have
started their operations in India, they
want to know the peculiarities and
idiosyncrasies of the Indian workforce
and how it could be motivated to
contribute its best to the organizational
goals. Thus, Diversity Management and
organizational justice issues are bound to
become more critical than before.
Freedom of speech and willingness to
disagree are essential for fostering
creativity and innovation. Since Indian
human capital is known to be of high-
caliber, Indian companies have to
eventually realize the importance of
investing in diversity management and
thus go beyond legal compliance.
strong feeling for regionalism and
casteism and stereotypes based on these
beliefs.

As of today, much of the Diversity

Management discourse in India is at the
stage of equal opportunity. Here too, the
gap between the legal promise and actual
implementation is very wide. Since India
has had caste system in operation for
many years, there is still a high degree of
overt and covert caste -based
discrimination in social as well as
employment matters. The position of
women's rights too, is not as clearly
defined as it should be and therefore
women experience various forms of
unfavorable discrimination from society,
employers and superiors. There is little
social protection against discrimination
against the disabled too, who often have
to face societal indifference to their
peculiar needs and susceptibilities.
Discrimination based on regionalism is
also an important issue that needs to be
attended. Diversity of different religious
groups is yet another angle of looking at
the issues involved. Close to 17 per cent
of Indian people are religious minority,
many of whom have to face various
forms of discrimination that are rooted in
stereotypes about people from different
religions. Often in business in India,
Diversity Management is viewed as
looking primarily at religious and state
of origin issues and not the broader
Diversity Management context. India is
a large country and comprises 29 states
and 6 union territories. Linguistically
speaking, it has a variety of languages,
dialects, and cultures. Interestingly, one
of the key hurdles in the way of
managing diversity in plural India is
Sources of Diversity
Diversity in Indian Organization
The global integration of economies
wrought by the fast-paced growth,
adoption and commercialization of
communication technologies and the
internet has changed the contours of
corporate structures, workplace
hierarchies and people assimilation in
different markets. There is a greater
diffusion of knowledge, processes and
indeed people across borders in recent
times.
It is not uncommon any longer to see
people of different nationalities and
cultures working together at one location
or division of a company. In the case of
India, IT and ITeS companies have been
at the forefront of changing workplace
equations where workplace diversity is
no longer a one-off fad. So whether it is
one of the hottest performing Indian IT
companies like Hexaware Technologies
(according to a recent survey by
Business Week), or proven A-league
companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS or
even a player like marketRx which
provides analytic product-enabled
services to customers in pharmaceutical
and life sciences industry, all of them
have understood the importance of hiring
professionals, irrespective of their
nationalities. These companies with their
global conquest and proven benchmarks
are now the sought after ‘working
grounds’ for foreign professionals to
seek exciting career opportunities and
learning experiences.
Many such professionals are coming to
India and working in different cities like
Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore,
Delhi, Chennai, Gurgaon etc, key hubs
of IT-ITeS industries. But it is pertinent
to point out that these experienced
professionals are seeking out only those
companies with acknowledged
competencies and best work practices to
work and explore careers in. Moreover,
these companies are also best-placed to
offer some of the best compensation
packages, learning experiences and
fulfilling work environments. Further,
the “extended campus” working
environment, world-class facilities, state-
of-the-art process and functional
technologies in these companies are
making it easy for these foreign
professionals to get acclimatized in these
Indian companies.
With adjustments and acclimatization
becoming an integral part of the
‘ushering in’ period for the foreign
professionals, even the Indian
counterparts have to do the same. A
congenial and cohesive work culture
without conflicts and cultural pressures
is highly essential so as to not affect the
productivity or the performance of a
company as a whole. It is in this context
that HR heads and divisional managers
with excellent man management skills
and outward orientation need to be
playmakers in order to smoothen this
process.
Clearly, it does not matter if you are
black or white or brown as long as you
can get together to create a great
working environment and lead fulfilling
career and enriching lives.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Benefits of Workplace Diversity
An organization’s success and
competitiveness depends upon its ability
to embrace diversity and realize the
benefits. When organizations actively
assess their handling of workplace
diversity issues, develop and implement
diversity plans, multiple benefits are
reported such as:
Increased adaptability - Organizations
employing a diverse workforce can
supply a greater variety of solutions to
problems in service, sourcing, and
allocation of resources. Employees from
diverse backgrounds bring individual
talents and experiences in suggesting
ideas that are flexible in adapting to
fluctuating markets and customer
demands.
Broader service range - A diverse
collection of skills and experiences (e.g.
languages, cultural understanding)
allows a company to provide service to
customers on a global basis.
Variety of viewpoints - A diverse
workforce that feels comfortable
communicating varying points of view
provides a larger pool of ideas and
experiences. The organization can draw
from that pool to meet business strategy
needs and the needs of customers more
effectively.
More effective execution - Companies
that encourage diversity in the workplace
inspire all of their employees to perform
to their highest ability. Company-wide
strategies can then be executed; resulting
in higher productivity, profit, and return
on investment.
Challenges of Diversity in the
Workplace
Taking full advantage of the benefits of
diversity in the workplace is not without
its challenges. Some of those challenges
are:
Communication - Perceptual, cultural
and language barriers need to be
overcome for diversity programs to
succeed. Ineffective communication of
key objectives results in confusion, lack
of teamwork, and low morale.
Resistance to change - There are always
employees who will refuse to accept the
fact that the social and cultural makeup
of their workplace is changing. The
“we’ve always done it this way”
mentality silences new ideas and inhibits
progress.
Implementation of diversity in the
workplace policies - This can be the
overriding challenge to all diversity
advocates. Armed with the results of
employee assessments and research data,
they must build and implement a
customized strategy to maximize the
effects of diversity in the workplace for
their particular organization.
Successful Management of Diversity
in the Workplace - Diversity training
alone is not sufficient for your
organization’s diversity management
plan. A strategy must be created and
implemented to create a culture of
diversity that permeates every
department and function of the
organization.
Diversity also increases errors and
misunderstandings - Group members
may assume they interpret things
similarly when in fact they do not, or
they may disagree because of their
different frames of references.
Mistrust and tension - People prefer to
associate with others who are like
themselves. This tendency often leads to
mistrust and misunderstanding of those
who are different because of lack of
contact and low familiarity. it also causes
stress and tension ,and reaching
agreement on problems can be difficult.
Stereotyping - We learn to see the world
in a certain way based on our
backgrounds and experiences. Our
interests, values and cultures act as
filters and distort, block and select what
we see and hear. We see and hear what
we expect to see and hear. Group
members often inappropriately
stereotype their “different” colleagues
rather than accurately perceiving and
evaluating those individual’s
contributions, capabilities aspirations
and motivations. Such stereotypes inurn
affect how people employee stereotyped
as unmotivated or emotional will be
given less -stress – provoking jobs than
their coworkers. Those job assignments
will create frustrated employees, perhaps
resulting in low commitment, higher
turnover, and underused skills.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommended steps that have been
proven successful in world-class
organizations are:
Assessment of diversity in the
workplace - Top companies make
assessing and evaluating their diversity
process an integral part of their
management system. A customizable
employee satisfaction survey can
accomplish this assessment for your
company efficiently and conveniently. It
can help your management team
determine which challenges and
obstacles to diversity are present in your
workplace and which policies need to be
added or eliminated. Reassessment can
then determine the success of you
diversity in the workplace plan
implementation.
Development of diversity in the
workplace plan - Choosing a survey
provider that provides comprehensive
reporting is a key decision. That report
will be the beginning structure of your
diversity in the workplace plan. The plan
must be comprehensive, attainable and
measurable. An organization must decide
what changes need to be made and a
timeline for that change to be attained.
Implementation of diversity in the
workplace plan - The personal
commitment of executive and
managerial teams is a must. Leaders and
managers within organizations must
incorporate diversity policies into every
aspect of the organization’s function and
purpose. Attitudes toward diversity
originate at the top and filter downward.
Management cooperation and
participation is required to create a
culture conducive to the success of your
organization’s plan.
Recommended diversity in the
workplace solutions include:
Ward off change resistance with
inclusion. - Involve every employee
possible in formulating and executing
diversity initiatives in your workplace.
Foster an attitude of openness in your
organization. - Encourage employees to
express their ideas and opinions and
attribute a sense of equal value to all.
Promote diversity in leadership
positions. - This practice provides
visibility and realizes the benefits of
diversity in the workplace.
Utilize diversity training. - Use it as a
tool to shape your diversity policy.
Launch a customizable employee
satisfaction survey that provides
comprehensive reporting. - Use the
results to build and implement successful
diversity in the workplace policies.
As the economy becomes increasingly
global, our workforce becomes
increasingly diverse. Organizational
success and competitiveness will depend
on the ability to manage diversity in the
workplace effectively. Evaluate your
organization’s diversity policies and plan
for the future, starting today.
CONCLUSION
A diverse workforce is a reflection of a
changing world and marketplace.
Diverse work teams bring high value to
organizations. Respecting individual
differences will benefit the workplace by
creating a competitive edge and
increasing work productivity. Diversity
management benefits associates by
creating a fair and safe environment
where everyone has access to
opportunities and challenges.
Management tools in a diverse
workforce should be used to educate
everyone about diversity and its issues,
including laws and regulations. Most
workplaces are made up of diverse
cultures, so organizations need to learn
how to adapt to be successful practices.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 R. Mondy and Robert M. Noe, Human Resource Management, 9th edition,
Pearson Education, Delhi, 2006

 K. Aswathappa, Human Resource and Personnel Management, 4th edition, Tata

McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2006

 Black Enterprise. (2001). Managing a multicultural workforce. Black Enterprise

Magazine (July).
 Devoe, Deborah. (1999). Managing a diverse workforce. San Mateo, CA:
InfoWorld Media Group.
 Times Ascent
 Schuler, R. and S. Jackson 1999. Strategic Human Resource Management.
London: Blackwell.