Diversity Managemet

The Challenge of Managing a Diverse Team

Research has established a direct relationship between diversity and increased efficiency amongst teams, provided that the teams have been led well by their leaders (Ibarra and Hansen, 2011). Differences in backgrounds, cultures, generations can pool in and foster a great deal of creativity and fulfillment at the workplace. However, it may also cause a concern when certain clashes between individual differences arise. This is when a leader should step in, with his or her abilities to empower people to collaborate with each other (Mullins, 2010) and leverage what they have to offer (Ibarra and Hansen, 2011). In order to understand these cultural and personal differences of people, leaders should be aware of the dimensions of diversity which can be explained by the Gardenswartz and Rowe’s (2003) Diversity Wheel.

Dimensions of Diversity

There are already many studies that have successfully created simplified methods to measure an individual’s personality, the Diversity Wheel by Gardenswartz and Rowe (2003) is one of the few that illustrates the complexity of what creates and influences an individual’s unique personality (see figure 1). Understanding the internal, external and organizational dimensions shaping an employee’s personality may assist a manager in maximizing their full potential and provide with them with a feeling of fulfillment.

Figure 1: The Diversity Wheel by Gardenswartz & Rowe (2003)

 

Group Development

Llopis (2012) is amongst other researchers who emphasized the importance for leader to having the ability to build a team by learning and maneuvering his or her pupils’ unique skills and strengths to achieve overall organizational efficiency. Therefore, it is important for a manager to be familiar with stages of team formation as outlined by Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) in their Stages of Group Development (Figure 2). The model discusses the four consecutive stages that lead to team formation which are: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. To learn more about these stages, please watch this video.

Figure 2: Tuckman and Jensen’s (1965) Stages of Group Development Model

Advantages and Limitations of Diversity Management

Managing and fostering diverse teams have been researched to provide organisations with increased productivity, employee satisfaction, cross-team learning, creativity and profitability (Mullins, 2010). A good example of a company earning these benefits is Google Inc. as they have taken an enormous interest in harnessing the creativity and collaborations of diverse programmers across the globe. Google Inc. is utilizing their interest in workforce diversity as an opportunity and strategy to gain competitive advantage over their competitors and there is research (Hunt et al., 2014) that has proven that higher workforce diversity provides companies with competitive advantage.

However, if managers are unable to manage culturally diverse teams, it will be problematic to almost all stakeholders of an organisation. Firstly, misunderstanding the differences in cultural values may lead to low morale levels as managers are not able to apply the right motivation techniques for the right person (Majlergaard, 2012). Secondly, if a firm does not invest in workforce diversity, such as diversity training programs, then the firm will forgo the opportunity in noticing overachieving minorities or diverse employees that should be earning an opportunity to be promoted or at least rewarded. Finally, the main challenge that may occur during diversity management is discrimination amongst employees. Research (Conner, 2015) suggest that over 30 % of women still feel that men are offered better work opportunities and promotions than them. It is important factor to consider as discrimination and stereotyping have been found to cause direct harm to a firm’s reputation, working relationships, productivity and overall employee satisfaction and morale (Green et al., 2015).

Managing a Diverse Team as a Skill

Since I am aiming to enter the entertainment industry, managing a diverse team is one of the most significant skills. In the entertainment industry, advertising projects are done in a regular basis in order to attract viewers from across the world. A small film studio based in the US can advertise a film that is almost guaranteed to be watched by an individual from a different continent. Therefore, it is required to hire and pool in ideas from diverse individuals in order to stay creative as well as to stay globally aware of cultural differences when designing marketing communication tactics. A practical example is CBS Entertainment, an entertainment firm that has designated a sole department to hire diverse talents (see figure 3) across the US (Porter, 2017).

Figure 3- CBS Diverse Talent Search (Source: CBSCorporation.com)

NORTH HOLLYWOOD CA. JAN. 18, 2012. The entire cast greeting the audience before the performances at the CBS Diversity Showcase at the El Portal Theatre on Jan. 18, 2012. CBS hosts their annual diversity showcase, designed to spotlight young performers of color. The showcase has attracted numerous top casting agents. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times)

In order to my team work together effectively I would follow the steps illustrated in the picture below.

 

References

Bales, R. F. (1965) ‘The equilibrium problem in small groups’ in A. P. Hare, E. F. Borgatta and R. F.

Clements, P. and Jones, J. (2008). The Diversity Training Handbook. 1st ed. London [u.a.]: Kogan Page.

Conor, L. (2015) A Third Of Working Women Say They’re Discriminated Against [online] available from <https://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2015/jun/03/third-of-working-women-discriminated-against&gt; [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]

Gardenswartz, L. & Rowe, A. (2003). Four layers of diversity. Retrieved from http://www.gardenswartzrowe.com/why-g-r

Green, K., Clark, J., Lopez, M., Farnsworth, D., Kepner, A. and Wysocki, J. (2016)Diversity In The Workplace: Bene Ts, Challenges, And The Required Managerial Tools [online] 1st edn. Florida: University of Florida. available from <https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HR/HR02200.pdf&gt; [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]

Hunt V., Layton D. and Prince S. (2014) ‘Why Diversity Matters’ [online] available from:<http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters> [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]

Kemper L. E., Bader A. K. and Froese F. J. (2015) ‘Diversity Management in AgeingSocieties. A comparative study of Germany and Japan’, Management Revue. 27(1-2), 29-49 [online] available from: <http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.inti.edu.my:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b05d97b9-53a0-4e6e-9f8c-321cb21275c2%40sessionmgr4009&vid=1&hid=4204> [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].

Llopis G. (2011) ‘Diversity Management Is the Key to Growth: Make It Authentic’Forbes Leadership [online] available from: <http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2011/06/13/diversity-management-is-the-key-to-growth-make-it-authentic/2/#32a84c8d6646> [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].

Majlergaard, F. (2012) The Top 5 Challenges Managers Of Cultural Diverse TeamsAre Facing – Gugin [online] available from <http://gugin.com/the-top-5-challenges-managers-of-cultural-diverse-teams-are-facing/&gt; [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017]

Mullins L. J. (2010:157-162) ‘Management and Organizational Behaviour’. Ninth Edn. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education Ltd.

Porter, J. (2017). Meet the CBS Executive Who’s Bringing Diversity to TV. [online] TIME.com. Available at: http://time.com/collection-post/4596947/tiffany-smith-anoai-american-voices/ [Accessed 5 Mar. 2017].

Tuckman, B. W. and Jensen, M. A. (1977) Stages in small group development revisited. Group and Organisation Studies 2; pp. 419-427.