C/M/354. Organisational Behaviour, Workforce Diversity & Culture

Global diversity is changing the way we view the world. Whether a global corporation or not, global diversity is here and it impacts us all-directly or indirectly. Cross-cultural teamwork and collaboration are essential for an organization's success (Phillips & Sackmann 2002). Never in history has migration and globalization of diverse populations changed the face of human resource management as it is today. As Western demographics continue to reflect increasing numbers of women and minorities in the workforce, honing the best out of employees may prove challenging and sometimes defined the mindscape of successful or unsuccessful businesses. Because the workforce would continue to be diverse, our current organisation in pursuit of the most productive employees have to put aside old definitions of "corporate fit" and employ people of different colours and cultures. It cannot afford to miss out on the opportunities our diverse workforce presents. Our large and diverse customer base, for instant demands that we also employ individuals who interact effectively with people of different backgrounds. The development of diversity capabilities may lead to diversity-based competitive advantages. Therefore, it is a business imperative to create the climate for the maximum contributions of cultural diversity be attained. Though no single initiative is comprehensive enough to solve all diversity issues or to successfully manage diversity in organizations; however, diversity training is one of the primary and most widely used initiatives to address diversity issues. Hence, offering managers an opportunity to learn new skills.