Diversity Managing diversity and demographic al changes in the workplace presents many dilemmas. Confronted with constant change, management, business educators, and organizational consultants continue to meet the challenges of a new and diverse workforce in a number of ways. Diversity can be defined in numerous ways. Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. It is all inclusive and recognizes every individual and every group as part of the diversity that should be valued. A broad definition includes not only race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion and disability, but may include sexual orientation, values, personality, education, language, physical appearance, marital status, socioeconomic status, religion and so forth.
All these characteristics can impact an individual’s attitude and behavior toward people that evolves around him and toward the general public on a . In this paper, we will examine how ethnicity, differences in skills / abilities , occupation and personality traits impact the behavior of people in society and / or how it can impact my own behavior as well. Many people have a very shallow view of racial and ethnic diversity. They see it as simply the belief that one race is superior to another. It is much more than that. It is a fundamental (and fundamentally wrong) view of human nature.
Racism is the notion that one’s race determines one’s identity. It is the belief that one’s convictions, values, ideology, and character are determined not by the judgment of one’s mind but by one’s anatomy or ‘blood.’ This view causes people to be condemned or praised based on their racial membership. In turn, it leads them to condemn or praise others on the same basis. In fact, one can gain an authentic sense of pride only from one’s own achievements, not from inherited genetic characteristics. The spread of racism requires the destruction of an individual’s confidence in his own mind. Such an individual then enthusiastically seeks a sense of identity by clinging to some group, abandoning his authentic sense of his own ethnicity.
I, on the other hand, have much respect for the multi-ethnic groups among our society. I was born and raised as a Jewish Orthodox and am now more of a mix between a Conservative and a Modern Orthodox Jew. While growing up, I was instilled to respect and not condemn a culture of another kind even though I was constantly ridiculed throughout grade school by my fellow classmates of my ethnic background. That unceasing mockery made me feel insecure about who I was and where I came from. As I got older, my insecurity changed to a positive nature because of the sense of belonging in an environment where everyone came from the very same ethnic background at the private yeshiva for girls where I was enrolled for the duration of my high school years. I was constantly exposed to the multifarious cultures in our society due to leading a life of living in two worlds, my religious environment with my family in one and my socialization with my deaf friends who came from a variety of ethnic background in another.
For what I was exposed with growing up has brought my sense of understanding and respect for ethnicity into perspective. I love learning about others and sharing about mine as well as long as the feelings are mutual. The way I behave affects others’ behaviors towards me. This allows for an amicable and friendly relationship with my fellow peers personally and professionally. With respect to the differences in maintaining skills and abilities, an individual’s behavior can be impacted by its own capabilities or lack thereof.
Awareness of one’s physical ability and skill can enhance how one behaves. Maintaining skills is a learned power of doing something competently such as speaking fluently using proper form of language or the memory of mixing drinks. Maintaining abilities is the natural aptitude or acquired proficiency such as a positive attitude or “common sense.” Being deaf may prevent me from being able to hear or utilize my listening skills; however, it definitely does not hinder me from using my visual skills and the ability to observe. The loss of hearing has gained me that “extra” visual skill which means I am more observant of my surroundings. How does that affect my behavior? Being more observant can allow me to see things that most people miss.
I am also more observant of other people’s body language rather than the tone of their voice and behave accordingly. I can even read lips from a distance when and if people whisper! Let us now examine how the demographic characteristic of occupation affects my individual behavior as well as for many others. Having a very high level of work ethic gives the cause for my motivation in getting out of bed to go to work on a daily basis. What can possibly reverse this high motivational behavior to stoop to the lowest level is the lack of compensation, cooperation by my fellow co-workers and lack of team spirit.
Since I am people-oriented and become easily enthusiastic in working with others, the lack of these issues can hinder my spirit; therefore, affects my attitude about going to work. Without a doubt, this surely affects many other people in similar situations. Another aspect of effect that can impact behavior is the personality traits of an individual. A personality trait represents a continuous dimension and can be defined as a broad, stable and enduring characteristic which is used to explain behavior. Defining personality is the enduring characteristics of an individual that describe patterns of thinking, feelings and behavior. Some of my personality traits consist of procrastination, thriving under heavy pressure, companionable and talkative.
Knowing how I master in thriving while under stress, I tend to procrastinate to the end knowing that I will produce the best results which leads me to continue this bad habit of prolonging. My love for socialization leads me to behave in the friendliest way in order for others to enjoy my companionship. If my behavior was the other way around, people would definitely avoid me. I need to be considerate of my choices for harmonious words in order to keep people around. With all that said, we can see how various diversity and demographic characteristics has an effect on how we behave on a daily basis, unequivocally or unfavorably.
Since diversity encompasses of the various characteristics of an individual to differ from others in its own uniqueness, different behaviors are formed accordingly to make an individual a person of his own diversity. By seeing how various diversity characteristics of mine affected the way I behave, managing them effectively is vital in order to lead a successful and happy life both in the professional and personal aspects to avoid any possible dilemmas.