In: Operations Management
Case Study
As the marketplace for goods and services becomes increasingly global, businesses must understand and embrace diversity in their brands as well as in their work forces. Simply having a diverse employee population is no longer enough, according to Forbes; for a company to succeed in today’s challenging economy, it must not only meet the needs of a multifaceted marketplace, it must respect different cultures, ideas and philosophies.
Innovation
One of the biggest reasons to employ a diverse workforce is the broad base of cultural experience that will drive innovation. Whether an employee is management, mid-level or entry level, when everyone in the work force has a similar background, the creative process that drives innovation and problem solving is similar. A new perspective that does not match this ‘group think’ is more likely to improve the business in a unique way.
Attracting Talent and Customers
Premier industry business talent prefers to work for or with a company that has a diverse work force. Customers also prefer to buy goods and services from diverse companies, too. These are two reasons that Forbes says to be truly successful in the global marketplace, a business must be authentically diverse. That means a company must develop a new model that embraces diversity as a central growth enabler.
From Recruitment to Strategy
Companies that embrace this authentic diversity will find that having only the requisite number of “minorities” in the workplace is not enough. Instead, according to Forbes, companies are developing “chief diversity officer” roles that touch more than just recruitment and human resources. These officers will instead have greater control over areas such as strategy, marketing and sales. Companies that have diversity among the management staff will more easily fulfil the needs of a broad customer base.
Cultural Intelligence
Perhaps the most compelling reason to employ the diverse work force is cultural intelligence. When fellow employees and customers are diverse, the opportunities not just to learn but to appreciate what values other cultures hold sacred are limitless. Adopting these values as part of the business’ core message and product fosters understanding between the cultures. When a business operates with diversity in mind, the opportunity for shared value - both in profit and society is greatly expanded.
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QUESTIONS
Please provide the answer for the question posted above in no less than 1000 words
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QUESTION
1. How might the innovation concept apply to diversity management?
Answer:
Meaning of innovation:
Innovation means development of new ideas.
Meaning of diversity management:
Diversity Management means the process of dealing with the employees from different cultures all over the globe, into an organization’s structure.
Diversity at work place and its benefits:
When an organization employees people from all over the globe belonging to different cultures having different ideas, it helps the organization in building a great reputation in the international market, leading to increased profitability and opportunities for workers.
Innovation and diversity leads to better products and services in the global market.
When organization hires a pool of different expertise having different worldviews. They give ideas related to a product or services and the requirements of the kind of products or services at different places of the world, which in turn helps the organization to build a better product or services as per the needs of the global market. It can only happen with the diversity of team members working with an organization.
Innovation concept applying to Diversity Management.
Diversity is an essential driver of innovation and brings success to the organization on international platform. Employing people from different cultures at different levels of the organization brings different set of experience, perspectives and backgrounds which further escalates development of new ideas.
Hence, for an organization to grow and escalate on the international platform, ideas coming from the different cultures of the world are a key to success.