Introduction
Workforce diversity has not been valued in most organizations in the U.S. although most firms employ both genders. Due to diversity acknowledgement, multinational organizations are hiring people from different cultures, age, religion and professional skills. Globalization has played a great role in enhancing work force diversity in organizations. Corporate have changed their human resource management practices to accommodate diverse ideas to improve their performance (Mannix & Neale, 2005). The diversities include, race and ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion among others. Diversity of the workforce is important in any organization since it helps in improving the economic performance of such minority groups. This is through improving business performance, promoting brand and enhancing customer’s relations. Human resources managers have an obligation of promoting diversity in their work place for the success of the whole organization (Mannix & Neale, 2005). This study will focus on the importance of diversity and how human resources can improve it.
Importance of Diversity
Diversity can be used to promote cost effective relations among employees. London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games may decide to recruit, retain and promote employees until games are over. This is more cost effective than looking for discriminatory alternatives. The company’s ability to attract and retain employees from different cultures and different backgrounds makes it win a competitive advantage over its competitors in the cost structures. The company is also able to maintain high quality human resources. An organization that acknowledges different talents and skills of employees is able to improve their satisfaction in the job.
According to Shen et al. (2009), in the existence of a multicultural environment, technological development and integration of departments become easier for the organization. Diversity improves quality management systems of the organization. Since the diversity in organizations reduces the level of resistance to change in the organization, the LOCOG use of technology in the planning of the Olympics will be embraced by all the committee members. Knowledge based management systems will be integrated if the organization promotes the multinational and multicultural diversity (Shen, Chanda, D’Netto & Monga, 2009).
Enhancing Customer’s Relations
Diversity in organizations enhances customer relationship with the management and employees of the organization. London Olympics is an international event that will bring together people from different countries all over the world. The harmonization of the cultural differences of the people who will attend the event will enable LOCOG to maintain the reputation of the country. If LOCOG can match the internal work force diversity with the diversity of the people outside the organization, they can also get a clear picture of the needs of the Olympic funs. Diversity enables organizations to improve on customer’s interference and services (McCuiston, Wooldrige & Pierce, 2004).
Promotes Creativity
Diversity in any organization promotes creativity, innovation and flexibility. A learning organization is able to transform itself to fit in the market and in a changing environment. Learning is productive if employees in organizations are allowed to think broadly and present their views. Different mindsets promote innovation in organizations. It allows planning and coordination of the organization’s activities to meet objectives of a firm. Training and development can be promoted in organizations by encouraging diversity in those organizations (McCuiston, Wooldrige & Pierce, 2004). Through diversity, a committee that is organizing Olympics will be able to organize the activities that correspond to the needs of customers (Mannix & Neale, 2005).
Promotes Brand
The LOCOG responsibility of developing and organizing games in London requires different ideas in order for the organization to promote the brand in the whole world and foster any changes needed to make Olympics successful. Human resource manager has that task to ensure that recruitment process involves diversity in selection so that the firm can get new ideas and skills for the successful organization of games (McCuiston, Wooldrige, & Pierce, 2004).
Improved Business Performance
Diversity of age, gender and race of management of any organizations promotes the performance of that particular organization. The profits, revenues, market share and other performance indicators reveal that organizations that promote diversity are always on top in the market in which they operate. LOCOG human resource manager’s ability to attract employees from different professions, age, and gender will unleash creativity and it will enable them to maintain the repletion of the country. However, they must balance LOCOG objectives with the needs diverse group. Policies made by the diverse groups in LOCOG should match with their objectives (Mannix & Neale, 2005).
The cost of ignoring diversity in organizations could cost the firm its growth, development and competitiveness. Organizations are unable to attract, sustain and meet customers’ needs. For LOCOG to succeed in the promotion of games in the world, the management must embrace diverse ideas in its processes.
Human Resources Roles of Promoting Diversity
Building Contacts
Human resource managers are capable of promoting diversity in the organization through their functions of recruitment and development. LOCOG human resource manager can promote this diversity by breaking contact barriers within the organization. Creation of teams fosters interaction among team members. Teams operating in organizations should be created by people from different races, countries, age and sex so that in their process of interaction, they can share knowledge, skills and ideas and promote growth and innovation in the organization (McCuiston, Wooldrige & Pierce, 2004).
Developing Socializing Skills
Training and development are some of the many tasks entitled to human resource managers. Employees should be made free to socialize internally and externally. Management teams have the responsibility of creating a good environment where employees are able to interact and socialize internally and externally. Isolating employees from the neighborhood can lead to organizational failure. Human resources managers in LOCOG have the duty to organize programs that would enhance the socialization of employees. For example, they can arrange for social activities like games, or talent shows within the organization (Becker & Gerhart, 1996).
Rewarding
Human resources managers should know how their employees behave. They should identify motivating factors for their employees. LOCOG should strategize rewarding measures that are consistent and able to lead to employees’ development. Motivated employees are always free to share ideas and ready to learn new skills from others. Different ideas lead to good performance and organizations are enabled to meet their objectives (Shen, Chanda, D’Netto & Monga, 2009).
Formulating Strategies to which Matches Market Changes
Human resource strategies should be flexible to promote diversity in organizations. Strategies in selection, recruitment and retention strategies should be formulated in a way that diversity in an organization is promoted. Human resources managers must ensure that they recruit people from all types of races, age, gender and profession, which will enhance growth of ideas in the organizations. The LOCOG management team must have formulated strategies of recruitment that allow the organization to get employees from any part of the world (Becker & Gerhart, 1996).
Training
Employees must have adequate knowledge on the benefits of diversity in organizations. Human resource managers are required to train employees on how to accommodate each other and motivate them to share knowledge and skills in order to meet set objectives. LOCOG human resource managers have a task to ensure that the recruited employees are free to share ideas for it to meet its objectives (McCuiston, Wooldrige & Pierce, 2004).
Conclusion
Acknowledgment of people’s different ideas through innovation and diversity is a requirement for any firm to succeed. Organizations have goals and objectives to meet and therefore need diverse minds to reach their target. It is the work of human resource managers to recruit, select and retain employees who have different ideas. LOCOG human resource managers must perform their roles of promoting diversity to ensure that they promote their brand internationally and that they retain the reputation of their country. Employees should be made aware of their need for each other through training to accommodate each other and share ideas. Diversity adds competitive advantage of organizations because employees share different ideas in meeting the objectives.
List of References
Becker, B. & Gerhart, B., 1996. The impact of human resources management of organizational performance: progress and prospects. Academy of Management Journal, 39(4), pp.779-801.
Mannix, E. & Neale, M., 2005. What differences make a difference? The promise and reality of diverse teams in organizations. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 6(2), pp.31-55.
McCuiston, V., Wooldrige, B. & Pierce, C., 2004. Leading the diverse workforce: profit, prospects and progress. The Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(1), pp.73-92.
Shen, J., Chanda, A., D’Netto, B. & Monga, M., 2009. Managing diversity through human resource management: an international perspective and conceptual framework. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(2), pp.235–251.