Introduction
These days, tolerance in the context of gender, nation, culture, and other aspects has become an integral part of a developed community. Therefore, it is gradually penetrating the sphere of business and employment. It is crucial to find the correct approach for promoting workplace diversity in order to overcome all its challenges and befits from its opportunities. Another pressing problem regards stresses associated with professional activity, as they significantly affect the operation of a company. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to discuss workplace diversity and the connection between work stresses and job performance and supply sufficient solutions to these issues.
Workplace Diversity
In case the business is intended to be involved in the global market, the importance of adherence to workplace diversity cannot be underestimated. The promotion of this value is associated with numerous benefits. The first one implies the fact that diversity stimulates creativity and innovativeness, which definitely contributes to fulfilling the needs of customers of different countries and cultures (Riggio, 2017). According to Fernandes (2018), “cosmetic giant L’Oréal gives the credit for its impressive success in emerging markets to its multicultural product development team” (para. 6). Workplace diversity also is helpful for attracting the most competent and talented employees. Glassdoor Survey revealed that “two-thirds of job seekers indicated that diversity was an important criterion for them to evaluate companies and job offers” (as cited in Fernandes, 2018, para. 8). Therefore, the positive impact of diversity on the operation of a company is apparent.
However, while promoting diversity, businesses are highly likely to encounter some challenges. First of all, representatives of some countries may feel confused about expressing their opinion (Riggio, 2017). For instance, due to cultural and mental specialties, Asians have problems participating in working negotiations (Fernandes, 2018). For this reason, it is essential to create a friendly and open working environment, which ensures the employees that their contribution is highly appreciated. A perfect recommendation in this regard could be inquiring about the opinion of each worker during meetings and encouraging all the beneficial ideas. Another hardship, which may arise in diverse personnel, addresses prejudices and stereotypes against particular cultures and nationalities (Riggio, 2017). Occasionally, it is vital to foster cooperation between employees of different countries and explain the necessity to abandon their prejudices. A sufficient solution could be offering a common project in order not to admit the isolation of particular employees. Working in a team will stimulate them to communicate and share their knowledge, which is helpful for obtaining mutual respect.
Thus, workplace diversity gains special importance in the context of present-day developments. Although it is associated with some difficulties in its implementation, the fact that the benefits outweigh the challenges is undeniable. In order to minimize the possible problems and achieve success, businesses should adhere to the aforementioned methods. They should create an open working environment, encourage expressing ideas, and establish appropriate measures in order to abandon cultural prejudices.
The Relationship between Worker Stress and Performance
The relationship between work stress and job performance exists, and the impact of mental state on the outcomes is considerable. This thesis may be proved by the research conducted by Kumari, Bajwa, & Priya (2016), who explore this issue in the bank sector. The participants comprised “A sample of 300 respondents, 75 each from the entry-level and middle-level officers employed in the public sector and private sector banks of Uttarakhand” (Kumari et al., 2016, p. 91). The study revealed that bank employees encounter a significant amount of stress, which is connected both to their professional and private activities. After analyzing all the participants, the author divided them into two groups, using the criteria of stresses workers face (Kumari et al., 2016). It was concluded that the individuals from the group, which has a low level of stress, have better job performance indicators than the officers from another group (Kumari et al., 2016). In addition, it is proved that a high level of stress leads to negative consequences in the context of job performance (Kumari et al., 2016). Therefore, the link between the mental state of an employee and the outcomes is apparent.
It is essential to address this issue and provide employees with a decent and comfortable working environment in order to supply a stable and profitable operation of a company. Today, managers should contribute to the reduction of stress, which is associated with fulfilling work duties. For instance, they should not overload workers with numerous tasks. Moreover, the schedule should be regulated, and extra working hours and shifts, which lead to burnout, should be abandoned. All the employees should receive paid holidays and day-offs in case of illnesses. These measures are necessary to minimize the stress at the workplace, and they will be beneficial for the operation of a company in the long run.
Conclusion
The modern world and its innovations advance new requirements for employees, and, occasionally, it is challenging to adhere to them. However, the benefits of modern tendencies outweigh their disadvantages. In addition, it is possible to find sufficient solutions to them. Thus, workplace diversity is worth promoting, and it is beneficial for the entire society in the long run. Moreover, managers should not forget about the mental state of their workers in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
References
Fernandes, L. (2018). Workplace diversity: Benefits and challenges. Web.
Kumari, P., Bajwa, A., & Priya, B. (2016). Relationship between stress and job performance: a study of banking sector. International Journal of Quantitative Economics and Applied Management Research, 2(12), 91-106.
Riggio, R. E. (2017). Introduction to industrial-organizational psychology, 7th edition. Routledge.