Informed Organizational leaders View diversity as a business imperative. But, diversity in itself does not result in a competitive edge. Diversity is likely to breed tension, conflict, misunderstanding and frustration unless an organization develops a culture that supports, honors and Values differences.
By defining diversity broadly as being everything that makes us different from others-including race, gender, values, work styles, communication styles and characteristics employees can “buy in” to the value of building a culture that supports diversity.
Some of the advantages of addressing diversity include:
- Developing greater understanding of diverse customer needs to better serve diverse markets.
- Gaining advantage by being a leader among competitors who are not capitalizing on the benefits of diversity. Attracting and retaining the best talent in the labor pool.
- Effectively using the talent of diverse associates for increased innovation and productivity by enhancing teamwork and reducing interpersonal conflicts.
- Increasing employee satisfaction, morale and Commitment to organizational goals.
- Enhancing communication and coordination.
- Eliminating or reducing lawsuits and penalties related to discrimination.