Introduction
This paper seeks to examine the case of the Baptist Hospital based on a critical evaluation of the information available on its website. The different insights, experiences, and attributes of the workforce, the community, and suppliers, among other stakeholders, will be explored to weigh their perceptions regarding diversity. The Baptist Hospital provides health services, and it runs other human care facilities around the world.
The worldwide facilities and the employees’ population at the Baptist Hospital is an image of dedication to diversity. In fact, a wide variety of photographs, customer reviews, and press release publications provide insightful evidence that the Baptist Hospital is one of the best places for diversity. This information will be shared in detail to present a clear image of what the hospital stands for concerning diversity. This report will also examine the influence of diversity on various factors that determine the prosperity of an organization, such as customer relations, employee satisfaction, outreach services, and collaborators.
Web Accessibility
The Baptist Hospital’s website is easily accessible since it has a direct link from the home page. A user does not need to have skills in database exploration or interpretation proficiency in understanding the contents of the website. The link is further redirected to other essential domains that project values of diversity and inclusion advanced by the organization. In essence, the website is self-explanatory, and it adopts a wide variety of photographic evidence demonstrating the scope of diversity embraced by the hospital. The link about diversity leads the user to the vision, mission, and strategic statements that bear a message of diversity.
The Baptist Hospital website explains and presents diversity based on gender, age, language, education, personality, race, religion, culture, and social status. These central factors are defined to ensure equality to all, regardless of their beliefs and values. Even though there can be a better reflection of diversity and equality, the Baptist Hospital seems to offer an ideal model. On culture, race composition, and class, the hospital strives to capture the potential human resource that exists all around the globe. This dynamic presentation compels the user to believe that this organization is the ideal place for diversity.
Unlike other organizations’ websites where a user has to search further to find materials related to diversity, the Baptist Hospital’s website provides clear and detailed information at speed dial upon opening the homepage. This simplicity to find such details implies that the hospital has nothing fishy to hide. Even though such accessibility might be market-oriented rather than a manifestation of reality, customer reviews, and the abundance of outreach programs connote a positive image.
Importance of diversity information
Organizations that embrace diversity are likely to develop faster through outreach facilities as well as strategic acquisitions (Fraiha, 2015). Such progress can only be achieved if everyone shares a sense of incorporation, respect, and the spirit of care. Similarly, an organization that understands that each client has unique needs, and the terms of operation are best suited for new employees, suppliers, and affiliates is likely to thrive (Mease, 2012).
However, not all potential stakeholders have firsthand experience with the organizations that they might wish to work with, partner, or use services. To reach worldwide coverage, a well-organized website is inevitable. For non-profit organizations such as the Baptist Hospital, websites might not be intended for advertisement or customer attraction. Nonetheless, this organization is a human service provider, and thus good reputation is a core value.
A diverse, competent, and dedicated staff builds a good reputation. In this light, the Baptist Hospital is obliged to communicate to the world through a website to project the image of what it believes in, its practices, and the kind of people that it might wish to incorporate via trade, employment, and services.
Powell (2011) suggests that the contemporary world exists as a global community whereby information dissemination is a major factor determining day-to-day operations regardless of the size and the agenda of a particular organization. In this light, people have created trust in what is offered online, and such reputation is a critical factor that determines the length of stay and loyalty of clients to a particular organization’s framework.
Furthermore, students seeking to develop careers rely on the expectations of the organizations that they wish to work with in the future. Similarly, potential employees from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds show special interests in diversity issues before they seek employment with a particular organization (Powell, 2011). Manufacturers and suppliers often seek to understand diversity issues before collaborating with a target organization.
For instance, a company wishing to offer catering services to the Baptist Hospital must seek to know its tastes and preferences concerning culture and traditions. If white people dominate an organization, it might be wise to provide white-related dishes. Such information can be sourced from the website before one makes the preliminary steps to approach a potential trade partner.
To broaden the image of diversity exercised by the Baptist Hospital as demonstrated, it is important to look at a specific case in the Baptist Health South Florida. Since there is no basis to express doubts about the credibility of the information provided, this website makes the user believe that the hospital embraces an inclusive workplace practices. The employee population is a mirror reflection and a representation of racial integration.
As presented on the website, the South Florida Hospital has 50% Hispanic and 20% African-American workers, a management population of about 72% females, and a leadership team of about 40% Hispanic and other minority groups (Baptist Health South Florida, 2016).
People with disabilities and additional support needs are also incorporated in various capacities. This diverse workforce combines to build a robust team that is best suited to cater to the needs of the fast integrating and growing community. According to Solomon and Schell (2009), employee diversity is the strength of any organization that seeks to prosper in a rapidly globalizing world. An organization of the cadre of the Baptist Hospital must realize that the patients’ needs go beyond health care to include belief practices, cultural issues, diet choices, language concerns, and family requirements (Solomon & Schell, 2009). The information on the website suggests that this organization values such considerations through a culture of inclusion.
Core values, vision and mission statement
The core values, vision, and mission statements of the Baptist Hospital are explicitly underlined in the diversity materials available on the website. For instance, the vision statement states that the organization values diversity and inclusion.
This statement implies that the Baptist Hospital appreciates the excellence of an integrated and vibrant workforce. The mission statement states that by facilitating a culture of diversity and integration, the Baptist Hospital will continue to appeal and sustain the topmost levels of experts from within and beyond borders. The core values seek to embrace equality, respect to all, integrity, and transparency. To elevate the Baptist Hospital to be the reckoned leader in the exercise of diversity best practices, the organization has developed a strategic intent. This intent seeks to attain employee satisfaction coupled with the delivery of credible, reachable, and safe quality medical services to a patient population of different backgrounds. This aspect and further information are self-explanatory on the website, which leaves the user with multiple reasons to choose to trust and seek services from the Baptist Hospital.
How current is the diversity information
Most of the credible and trusted sources of information ought to be updated on a daily basis to reflect the expectations of the fast-evolving needs of humanity. However, due to competition and the urge to be better, most organizations tend to update their websites to reflect future expectations rather than the real situation in place (Fraiha, 2015).
The Baptist Hospital’s website offers a different case. To show how diversity goals match the current course of action, the website offers easy-to-follow tables and photographs with recent evidence on diversity and inclusion. Besides, looking keenly at the organization’s background information, one realizes that diversity is a virtue that has been embraced for years and its present inclusion seems to have taken the front stage. This website shows that the validity of the available information on diversity can be searched from trusted sources that include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid or the Commonwealth Fund.
Effectiveness of the photograph and graphics material
Photographs and graphics are essential tools in communication since they create the first impression about an organization (Fraiha, 2015). There are photographs of the hospital complex, community outreach services, and workers on this website. The environs of the hospital seem calm and accommodative. The website does not have graphics or designs that manifest interests to a particular culture or religion. The outreach services seem to target the poor, rich, black, white, and the disabled. The image below is available on the homepage of the Baptist Health South Florida and it shows a section of the workers and outreach programs. The photos in the image underline diversity regarding age, gender, and skin color.
Photos and graphics convey a powerful message about one’s idea and brand. According to Powell (2011), the human brain synthesizes information more efficiently when it is backed by images or symbols. Clients and job seekers from diverse racial backgrounds feel attracted to a particular organization when they realize that members of their group are given opportunities (Fraiha, 2015). In most cases, simple and engaging visuals attract the interest of potential customers and suppliers.
Promoting diversity
The photographs, graphics, and the information create a positive connection with the audience. In other words, this website promotes diversity through its vision statement, goals, and the presence of a dedicated team. When job seekers access this website, they see a clear representation of their interests. Similarly, women feel attracted to an organization that is not male dominated since such aspect underscores the opportunity to grow one’s career (Mease, 2012). People from diverse backgrounds feel attracted to seek medical services in the Baptist Hospital. The organization’s strategic intent to ensure quality healthcare to a patient population of varied backgrounds is extremely attractive to different people from diverse backgrounds.
However, this website has no information regarding sexual orientation, thus leaving the user unaware of the organization’s view on homosexuality and other sexual orientations. These groups of people might feel discouraged working in an organization that does not seem to address their needs. Based on information available on the website, aged people, the disabled, women, and those from minority groups are encouraged to seek employment in the hospital. However, the LGBT community might find it hard working for this organization since it does not offer information on how such people are incorporated.
Management factors that hinder diversity
Diversity does not only entail how people perceive themselves but also how they understand the rest of the society. For a diverse population of workers to function effectively as a unit, the management team needs to address issues such as communication, responsibility, and change (Powell, 2011).
Cultural and language barriers are basic issues that are common to all organizations. Ineffective communication of critical issues leads to misunderstanding, the lack of cooperation, and diminished morale (Solomon & Schell, 2009). Resistance to change among employees may arise. A group of management might disregard the view that the racial and cultural makeup of their workplace is evolving. Moreover, ethical values and traditions of the Baptist Hospital stamp down LGBT practices. These issues might challenge the management to reevaluate its diversity goals.
Awards and recognition
The website shows that this organization has received many awards based on quality performance in the last two decades. The website shows that since 2009 to date, the organization has been listed among the best 100 companies to work for and most diverse regarding minorities by the Fortune Magazine (Baptist Health South Florida, 2016). The latest awards include Best Hospital Rankings, Consumer Choice Award, World’s Most Ethical Companies, and Top Five Nonprofit Companies for Female Executives among others (Baptist Health South Florida, 2016).
Conclusion
Medical health providers are experiencing stiff competition. They must respond appropriately to increasingly diverse clients and an enlarging multicultural consumer base. To reach many people seeking quality services and organizations that embrace a culture of inclusion, a website is important. A website answers many questions and creates an image that might determine how individuals and organizations make decisions concerning a given institution.
References
Baptist Health South Florida: home. (2016). Web.
Fraiha, S. (2015). The impact of employee diversity on its business value. International Journal of Strategic Management, 15(2), 57-68.
Mease, J. (2012). Reconsidering consultants’ strategic use of the business case for diversity. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 40(4), 384-402.
Powell, G. (2011). Managing a diverse workforce. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Solomon, C., & Schell, M. (2009). Managing across cultures. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.