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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 the organization’s plan. Strategies for managing Diversity in the Work Place Ward off change resistance with inclusion: involve every employee possible in formulating and executing diversity initiatives in the 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 the 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. Avoid allowing tenure, ethnic background or any other kind of category into the human resources policies. Managing a diverse workplace begins with strong policies of equality from the company. Rate the qualifications of the candidate based on the quality of his experience, not age or any other category, when hiring. Hold quarterly trainings for the entire staff on the benefits of diversity in the workplace. Encourage discussions at these meetings on how the company can better manage workplace diversity. Gain senior leadership commitment. Support local/community diversity groups. Promote open communication and dialogue to overcome behavioral resistance, improve understanding and gain acceptance of diversity as a cultural norm Encourage diversity when creating teams and special work groups within the company. If a manager creates a work group that does not utilize the skills of the most qualified employees, then the group should be changed to include all qualified staff members. Treat complaints of favoritism or discrimination seriously. Encourage employees to report all instances of discriminatory behavior, and have a definitive process in place for investigating and dealing with these issues. As economies become increasingly global, our workforce becomes increasingly diverse. Organizational success and competitiveness will depend on the ability to manage diversity in the workplace effectively. Dr. Kellen Kiambati holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Kenya Methodist University and a PhD in Business Administration with a focus in Strategic Management from JKUAT. She is a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management of Kenya. She can be reached via: [email protected].