Human Resource Management

Diversity is a challenge in any environment. With the immersion of a global business, how important is it to understand the nature of diversity? What can diversity provide to the working environment?

Diversity is not a mannerism or characteristic, it is a mixture of society, custom and traditions. Merriam Webster clearly defines diversity as “the condition of being diverse [or] composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities” (Merriam Webster, 2009, Paragraphs 1-2). With the immersion of global business and greater technology, domestic and international businesses have come to experience diverse melting pots. Within these societies, diversity traits of culture, occupation, socioeconomic status, nationality, and personality have been/become significant factors that influence the 21st century’s global economics. Understanding the nature of diversity helps businesses to understand a culture’s needs and wants, and helps to assist in merging international products with domestic products within an ethical code.

Because promoting, advertising, and marketing are the sole communicators between a business and the public, diversity in a business’ workforce can strengthen communication skills and amplifies the insight of cultural influences. As language barriers and communication are a prevalent topic when discussing diversity, when communicating international products domestically, or vice versa, using gestures or languages that another country doesn’t use or accept can pose as a fallacious effect, consequently impairing the communication effort’s distinctive intention.

For example, using sexual propaganda as a fallacy of “appeal to emotion” is a common method in the U.S. However, let’s assume a domestic U.S. business sells products of Indian origin. In a country where most women and men are influenced by faith and religion, selling or marketing Indian products using sexual propaganda determines the business’s lack of logical, moral, and ethical character. Although there should be a margin toward the communication and sale of products, there are limits businesses should not cross over, which is the unethical use of sexual propaganda to gain the local Indian’s consumer interest. Therefore, appreciating proper cultural influences, languages, and terminologies may prevent the message from being discriminatory or the wrong message being transmitted.

With probable ethical uncertainties when entertaining a broad set of consumers, any negative situation can affect an organization’s performance. A method to implementing an uncomplicated transition from culture to culture would be by teaching employees about international products (dependent on the business) and traditions. This should eliminate any communication errors that employees may misinterpret with consumers. As a manager I would: 1) familiarize myself with different cultures and understand the worldwide market to sustain a diverse and productive environment; and 2) expand my knowledge of diverse customs, train employees of a foreign culture my business would entertain, and apply this to our products/services and consumer behavior. This, not merely provides an easier method to communicate (between employees and consumers, or consumers with employees), but provides support and determines the best course of action to intermingle a domestic tactic with international tactics.

Overall, a manager operating in a global industry should be familiar of/with external cultures, should educate employees (or the organization) of external diversity, and be willing to advance throughout the global market. What do I mean by this? Personal or professional advancement with knowledge of external cultures allows a manager to be more adaptive toward global/domestic commerce.