Abstract
The question of diversity is important to be addressed in organizations in order to propose effective development and learning activities. To respect diverse learners means to address their needs in the policy and procedure statement used to declare the requirements for the inclusive policy. The diversity model represents the concepts and steps followed in a certain health care facility in order to support the inclusive policy.
Diversity Model
Diversity is one of the main characteristics of modern organizations. That is why leaders pay much attention to promote the inclusive policy in organizations in order to create the production team and respond to the needs of all the employees (Pless & Maak, 2004, p. 129). Leaders in learning organizations focus on the concept of diversity more frequently because it is necessary to adhere to the followed learning and development activities to the requirements of inclusive policies and strategies. In health care facilities, the level of the workforce diversity is high, and the learning activities are frequent; as a result, much attention should be paid to developing a specific model in order to concentrate on respecting the needs of diverse learners and on implementing the effective inclusive policy.
Need for the Model
Such organizations as health care facilities need effective solutions to their diversity question observed in the context of the employees’ learning and development. In order to complete the organization’s goals effectively, promote diversity, and support the active learning activities, leaders need to act according to the perfectly developed strategy. Diversity should be discussed as a potential for the facility’s progress as a learning organization (Deiser, 2009, p. 54).
Specific learning activities should be developed for diverse learners who can receive a chance to increase their productivity and improve performance significantly. Health care facilities hire a lot of diverse personnel in order to provide care for all the groups of patients and support equality in the social and cultural contexts. As a result, the need for the specific model to discuss the interests and expectations of diverse learners can be considered as obvious.
Concepts of Diversity and Learning in Organizations
The diversity, which is represented in differences in culture, age, gender, and social characteristics, can be discussed by the leaders in health care facilities and other organizations as the first step to improving the quality of the provided services. Learning in organizations is often realized in the form of action learning (Pless & Maak, 2004, p. 130). As a result, diverse learners can share their unique knowledge and experience in the learning environment in order to develop their skills. From this point, leaders should discuss the concepts of diversity and learning in organizations as interconnected.
Purpose of the Inclusive Policy in Relation to Diverse Learners
The inclusive policy is an effective choice in the environment of the learning organization because learners receive many opportunities to share their knowledge and experience. The purpose of the inclusive policy in such organizations as health care facilities is to support diversity and respond to the individual needs of all the diverse employees who come from different ethnic and social backgrounds. In order to promote the principles of inclusive policies in the organization, it is necessary to pay much attention to building teams, empowering employees, and supporting their active communication.
Requirements and Activities to Support Diverse Learners
Learning organizations can be discussed as following the inclusive policy effectively when they choose all the opportunities to support diverse learners. The organization respects the needs of diverse learners in health care facilities when the following requirements are met: (1) diverse learners are provided with different levels of training and development programs according to their needs and interests; (2) the rights and interests of all the diverse learners are addressed while proposing the specific learning activities; (3) diverse learners are treated equally, but much attention is paid to their individual needs (Elkeles & Phillips, 2007, p. 24; Pless & Maak, 2004, p. 130).
The diversity model can be discussed as effective when it proposes concrete actions to perform in order to promote diversity in the learning environment. Health care facilities can utilize a range of approaches and methods in order to support their employees to learn effectively form each other, supervisors, and trainers.
Knowledge management systems and information technologies can be used to support the learning of employees who are characterized by different levels of skills, abilities, needs, and cultures (Battor, Zairi, & Francis, 2008, p. 47; Halawi, McCarthy, & Aronson, 2006, p. 384). Diverse learners should be provided with simulations, resources, reading materials, and tests that are appropriate for their needs. In spite of the fact that the idea of diversity is closely connected in the organizational context with team building activities, the individual approach is also necessary to support diverse learners.
Conclusion
While respecting diverse learners, leaders try to address their specific needs and reflect them in the policy and procedure statement, which is usually used to declare the requirements for the inclusive policy. The diversity model is necessary to reflect the needs of diverse learners in many organizations. The proposed requirements to value the inclusive policy and approaches to diversity in the chosen health care facility are important to ensure that the organization recognizes the diversity of the workforce completely. Furthermore, the discussed points of the model are effective in directing the leaders in order to create positive conditions for diverse learners and in order to contribute to the organization’s progress.
References
Battor, M., Zairi, M., & Francis, A. (2008). Knowledge-based capabilities and their impact on performance: A best practice management evaluation. Business Strategy Series, 9(2), 47-56.
Deiser, R. (2009). Designing the smart organization. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Elkeles, T., & Phillips, J. (2007). The chief learning officer: Driving value within a changing organization through learning and development. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Halawi, L.A., McCarthy, R.V. & Aronson, J.E. (2006). Knowledge management and the competitive strategy of the firm. The Learning Organization, 13(4), 384-397.
Pless, N., & Maak, T. (2004). Building an inclusive diversity culture: Principles, processes and practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 54(2), 129-147.