The success of every business depends on its employee’s cohesiveness. The diversity of cultures and backgrounds in the modern world affects the workplace. Due to rising globalization and technological advancements in recent years, the diversity of the workforce has taken on a crucial role in the operation of businesses. Age, gender, culture, education, and a host of other variables can all have an impact on diversity (Chang et al., 2019). It is commonly known that a diverse staff may provide a business with a competitive edge and improve the organization’s capacity to react to market changes. Diversity is included in effective business mentorship, leadership development, and performance-based management initiatives (Devine & Ash, 2022). Diversity education ought to be mandatory in workplaces because it lessens harassment and discrimination, produces safer employment, boosts organizational efficiency, and lowers employee turnover.
Diversity training is regarded as specialized professional development geared toward fostering the development of the abilities required to facilitate working and engaging with individuals from various cultural backgrounds. Different education programs in diversity seek to improve participants’ understanding of many forms of diversity. They include the differences among coworkers and giving knowledge and tactics to improve employees’ interpersonal skills in a varied context to assist in building a healthy work environment (Zhang & McGuire, 2021). At the corporate level, diversity training fosters better cooperation, encourages greater involvement of other identity groups, reduces the risk of civil rights abuses, and fosters a more welcoming workplace.
For a company to achieve success in the workplace, it is crucial that its employees function as a cohesive team. To operate effectively, the workplace must adjust to the increasing diversity in the workplace. It is critical to realize that diverse education does not produce diversity; rather, it concentrates on how an organization and its staff handle a constantly expanding variety. The best method to conduct diversity training is to make it targeted rather than mandatory so that staff members learn to appreciate one another (Devine & Ash, 2022). Diversity education encourages beneficial diversity in the workplace when it is goal-oriented or keeps staff members responsible for achieving those goals.
Another benefit is that the danger of workplace discrimination and harassment claims can be decreased by implementing diversity education training. Diversity education places a strong emphasis on the value of respecting the beliefs and viewpoints of others. This encourages cooperation to produce outcomes more quickly and productively and improves collaboration among employees in carrying out job responsibilities (Chang et al., 2019). In order for each team member to understand their worth and contribution to the organization, leaders are also educated to appreciate each member of their company. The culture of the workplace becomes inclusive when people recognize and accept one another’s talents via diversity in viewpoints, ideas, and contributions.
Diversity and inclusion work together to establish a positive work environment in any firm. Inclusion is making sure that individuals from underrepresented groups are respected and have access to managerial-level positions in the workplace (Devine & Ash, 2022). Diversity education encourages inclusive thinking inside the company, creating a more conducive and helpful work environment for everyone. Employees are also given training on workplace sensitivities, which educates them to be considerate of others’ comfort zones in order to avoid accidentally offending anybody (Zhang & McGuire, 2021). Sometimes, people are unfamiliar with the behavioural changes that might result from offensive remarks. As a result, managers and staff members must learn how to read such circumstances and encourage respectful and safe collaboration. Being aware of one’s mindset helps to avoid pointless disputes and prejudice.
The attitude impact is one of the crucial components of creating a diverse working culture within the context of diversity in education. The division of labour training boosts employees’ readiness to recognize bias and support mitigation measures, which has a favourable effect on attitudes toward women and minorities (Chang et al., 2019). Additionally, the training had a favourable effect on how the employees felt about minority groups. They supported laws to eradicate bias in the workplace and admitted to having biases and that there was discrimination against women (Chang et al., 2019). Employees who have received cultural competence training at their workplaces are more equipped to bridge the cultural divide between themselves and their clients.
Several people oppose the inclusion of education in the study of diversity at the same time. Numerous studies have sought to indicate that this is an expensive and ineffective activity that businesses undertake in an effort to stay out of legal trouble and enhance their reputation. If not, they have no beneficial effects on how staff members interact with or view members of minority groups. Additionally, defences against diversity training typically centre on the notion that people do not typically change as a result of brief educational interventions (Dobbin & Kalev, 2018). Another counterargument is that while diversity training may alter employees’ thoughts and feelings, it does not cause them to behave differently (Dobbin & Kalev, 2018). The majority of people’s views and behaviours and prejudice and discrimination have nothing in common. These characteristics highlight the current criticism that diversity training is experiencing.
There are several grounds in opposition to diversity education and training, notwithstanding the present criticism. Numerous studies have demonstrated that diverse education is effective in a wide range of settings, including educational institutions, workplaces, and the social services industry (Devine & Ash, 2022). An advantageous part of boosting corporate diversity is anti-bias training, which lowers harassment and discrimination, produces safer jobs, boosts productivity, and lowers employee turnover (Chang et al., 2019). At the same time, the majority of research on the detrimental consequences of diversity training focuses on studies that offer proof that diversity training is ineffective. They appear to be neglecting the countless studies that have demonstrated the efficiency and beneficial effects of this kind of training in the workplace. The arguments have numerous flaws overall, while some of them may have some valid points, including that short-term educational initiatives are not always effective.
Concluding, every company, including those in the public and private sectors, should provide diversity training and make it mandatory. Each employee must esteem and respect their coworkers in order to foster a cooperative workplace culture. The correct processes, rules, and goals may be actively spoken about by employees and management with the aid of diversity training. Companies that provide diversity training do so in an effort to reduce the liabilities, risks, and effects of sexual harassment, discrimination, or any other issue that could develop at work. In any business, embracing diversity entails developing a culture that values and welcomes every individual, fosters the potential of every worker, or fosters a sense of belonging for every worker.
References
Chang, E. H., Milkman, K. L., Gromet, D. M., & Grant, A. M. (2019). The mixed effects of online diversity training. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(16), 7778-7783. Web.
Chang, E., Milkman, K. L., Zarrow, L. J., Brabaw, K., Gromet, D. M., Rebele, R., Massey, C., Duckworth, A. L., & Grant, A. (2019). Does diversity training work the way it is supposed to? Harvard Business Reviews. Web.
Devine, P. G., & Ash, T. L. (2022). Diversity training goals, limitations, and promise: A review of the multidisciplinary literature. Annual Review of Psychology, 73(1), 403–429. Web.
Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2018). Why doesn’t diversity training work? The challenge for industry and academia. Anthropology Now, 10(2), 48–55. Web.
Zhang, Y., & McGuire, S. J. (2021). Exploring the mechanism of diversity training through on-the-job embeddedness in a diverse workplace. International Journal of Training Research, 20(1), 14–25. Web.