Diversity for continued success

Diversity is something that was always a top priority in human resources.  When individuals are brought together from various backgrounds, it can create an environment where differing perspectives can be explored to help the company stay ahead of the competition.  Diversity is the characteristics or values possessed that made individuals different from others (PSU WC, L.3, p.2).  A big part of human resources is attracting the right people for the right jobs and then assisting them with assimilating in the company’s culture.   One article stated that is was human resource’s responsibility to ensure that the diversity was properly utilized (Noor, Khalid & Rashid, 2014).  This is a task that is easier said than done, but essential in order for the organization to move forward.

A diverse workforce is a melting pot of people from various walks of life that hold differing values.  The necessity of diversity can come in many forms, such as global competition, idea generation, and problem-solving.  In order to be competitive within the global market, the organization needs to be able to offer a product or service that will be desirable to people within the target markets.  It becomes the responsibility of human resources to procure individuals who can best identify with the target groups in order to understand how to best market in the region.  When it comes to new products or services, organizations need to explore all avenues, such as who the target consumer would be and if any cultures may find the product (or marketing tactics) offensive.  When issues arise, it is best to have people from all backgrounds on the team to problem-solve.  One person may have a technical background, while another takes a more common-sense approach.  In all, it’s important for all ideas to be fully explored in order to find the best solution.

During my tenure in human resources, the company began thinking about marketing our capacitors to Middle Eastern countries.  Air conditioning is a huge market in those countries, so leaders saw an opportunity for growth.  We did not have anyone within the company who was familiar with the cultural norms or business practices in any of the countries, so we picked one country and began searching for a potential distributor to form a partnership with.  We found someone to put on the payroll as a sales representative for us within Saudi Arabia.  By finding someone who lived and worked within the country, we were able to gain insight about what our target market found to be desirable, as well as common business practices.  Further, we had an employee with intimate knowledge of cultural norms who could help us develop a marketing strategy that would work within the constraints.  We were able to recruit and properly utilize an employee to expand our global market.

This example is one of many that highlights the importance of having employees from various backgrounds within an organization.  My employer couldn’t have effectively entered into the Saudi Arabian market without having an employee with intimate knowledge of the business environment and cultural norms.  Although this is an extreme example, it serves true for any market.  There are so many different groups, even within the United States, that have their own thoughts about what is and is not acceptable.  It is the organization’s (and human resources’) responsibility to ensure that as many of the groups are represented as possible in order to ensure continued success.

References:

Noor, A. N. M., Khalid, S. A. & Rashid, N. R. N. A. (2014). Clarifying the effects of human resource diversity management practices on organizational citizenship behavior: the mediating role of diversity receptiveness. Journal of Arts & Humanities, 3(5), p. 25-38. Retrieved from http://theartsjournal.org/index.php/site/article/view/455/266

Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (n.d.). OLEAD 410: Lesson 3: Diversity. PSU WC.