Multicultural Diversity Conceptual Study

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Abstract

The concept of multicultural diversity represents all actions that address societal response to existing challenges whether at national or organizational levels. Multiculturalism and diversity broadly aspects such as gender, race/ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, spiritual orientation, physical ability, knowledge, skills, socio-economic status, geographical location, and many other factors. This research paper, therefore, seeks to review the literature on several aspects associated with multicultural diversity.

These include the meaning of multicultural diversity; brief theoretical framework of diversity; the aspects of multicultural diversity; the Impacts of Multicultural Diversity on organizational Work Groups; key factors that are significant in determining how successful individuals will be in interacting with changed and changing society; and finally, challenges involved when working in a multicultural organization. Among the challenges reviewed include power dynamics within groups, merging diversity of opinion and approaches, real and perceived tokenism, the challenge of holding all individuals throughout the organization accountable for achieving a positive multicultural environment, and the challenges of communication within a multicultural organization.

Literature Review

Multiculturalism and diversity are terms used to describe an action that addresses society’s response to challenges that people are used to ignoring. The diversity concept concentrates more on the differences while multiculturalism deals with the aspects of multiple cultures. Aspects concerning religion, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, social-economic status, culture and ethnicity, and so on reflect the concept of diversity.

On the other hand, the concepts of multiculturalism reflect on the relationships that exist between groups that have similar socio-cultural heritage such as religion, history, and ancestry. Multicultural competencies within societies or organizations encompass dimensions such as individuals being; knowledgeable about their cultural differences, aware of their attitudes and beliefs, and skilful in working with diverse groups. Multicultural awareness is necessary for any organizational setup as it requires individuals to be aware of their values, assumptions, and biases embedded in their culture, experiences, heritage, and socio-political environment (Sue, 2006).

Consequently, the important aspects involved in understanding multiculturalism and diversity include gender, race/ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, spiritual orientation, physical ability, knowledge, skills, socio-economic status, geographical location, and many other factors. Societies the world over are diverse in all aspects. Therefore, multicultural competencies are necessary for the development and prosperity of societies and organizations.

Multicultural competencies deal with issues relating to awareness, knowledge, and skills (Sisaye, 2005). Multiculturalism enables people to understand that, as cultural beings, they posses’ attitudes and beliefs that influence the way they perceive and interact with individuals from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. Given that individuals have life experiences different from everyone else as cultural beings; they face lifetimes of multicultural learning (Albrecht, 2001).

Multicultural awareness for Individuals is a necessary process that requires knowledge of values, assumptions, and biases held by these individuals in their culture, experiences, socio-political environment, heritage, and so on. It also enables individuals to understand how their cultural backgrounds influence their attitudes, behavior, stereotypes, preconceived notions, and so on (Halverson, 2008).

Unless they have this self-awareness, they will find it difficult to develop an understanding of others. They need to understand their cultural backgrounds and the differences that may exist between them and people from different cultures. People need to constantly learn about other cultures and thus nurturing new skills. Modern organizations are successful today because they have adopted effective diversity training programs. These diversity training programs may include also cultural awareness initiatives (Connerley, 2005).

Individuals in organizational setups need to acquire multicultural knowledge. This requires them to learn and seek information about cultures, views, and experiences from diverse people. They also need to be knowledgeable about values, beliefs, family structure, history, heritage, and others of diverse groups. Multicultural skills, on the other hand, are necessary for applied purposes such as clinical settings (Parakh, 2000).

Theories of diversity

According to Cappoza (2000), diversity is a mixture of people with different group identities within the same social system. Several theoretical frameworks explain the concepts of diversity. This paper discusses the Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Embedded Inter-Group Relations theory. The social identity theory is one of the prominent inter-group theories that inform us about group identities in organizations.

This theory examines diversity in organizations. It is a cognitive theory that asserts that individuals tend to classify themselves and others into social classes; and that these classifications have tremendous influences on the way people interact (Sue, 2006). Social identity provides ways for people to gain a wide understanding of the effects of diversity; it does not however address the issue of the specific content of socially identified classes.

Additionally, it does not address organizational structures and systems. It also doesn’t fully account for the crowded importance of the race, gender, class, and sexual orientation so deeply rooted in history and social experience in the US and other countries as well. The assumption in this theory is that groups classified by socially marked differences will experience similar effects as nominally constituted groups (McRae, 2009).

McRae (2009) describes Embedded Inter-group Relations Theory as an important theory that explains multicultural diversity concepts. The theory was intended for organizations, which integrate identity group membership and group membership occurring from organizational classification. It posits the existence of two types of groups within organizations: identity groups, that is, those whose members have some common biological elements such as sex, equivalent historical experiences, are subjected to similar social forces, and have relatively consonant world views; and organizational groups, that is, groups whose members have common organizational positions and are involved in equivalent work experiences, leading in relatively consonant world views. While there is little choice about physical membership in identity groups, members may feel more or less identified with their various identity groups (Haslam, S. (2003).

Identity and organizational group memberships are frequently highly related even though identity group membership precedes organization group membership. For instance, certain organization groups tend to be occupied by members of particular identity groups. According to Haslam (2003), the US executive management in organizations tends to be concentrated with older white males. Embedded Inter-Group Relations Theory postulates that individuals and organizations are constantly attempting to manage potential conflicts arising from the interface between identity groups and organizational group membership. The management of tensions depends on many factors, the most significant of which is how the groups are embedded within the organization (McRae, 2009).

Aspects of Multicultural Diversity

We all live in a wonderful world where a diversity of people and cultures abounds. No one culture can be considered superior or inferior to the other. In learning institutions, for instance, educators must strive to perceive individuals from various cultures from their perspectives rather than from our perspectives. This is important as it creates classroom environments of understanding and appreciating diverse cultures, ethnicities, and races.

Teachers and students may hold attitudes such as ethnocentric, racist, or stereotypic. These attitudes serve as critical barriers to identifying sensitivity towards the various cultures and ethnic groups (Albrecht, 2001). Ethnocentricity reflects an attitude that an individual’s culture or ethnic group is better than others, or failure to accept the existence or validity of other cultural groups and their respective customs, values, beliefs, and norms (Banks, 2009).

Racism is concerned with an attitude that explains certain cultural or ethnic groups as inherently inferior to others and subject to exploitation, discrimination, and other abuses. Stereotypes involve the conscious or unconscious attribution of exaggerated attributions and/or oversimplified opinions, attitudes, or judgments regarding members of a given ethnic or cultural group. Prejudice, on the other hand, is a negative attitude exhibited toward a specific group based on comparison using the individual’s group as a positive reference point (Park-Brown, 2003).

As educators, teachers have the responsibility to not allow personal attitudes, stereotypes, and prejudices to affect their teaching. For instance, a teacher raised in one cultural group who may pose stereotypes or prejudices against other cultural groups will need to overcome these stereotypes and prejudices to be able to teach students of this cultural group successfully. Stereotypes and prejudices are not confined to ethnic or cultural groups alone; they may have these attitudes towards the physically challenged, the aged, types of people, and others (Banks, 2009).

Educators can build ethnic and cultural sensitivity in many ways. They should endeavor to exhibit appropriate personal skills, including showing respect, concern, warmth, caring, and sincerity for individuals from all cultural or ethnic groups. Over and above this, it is necessary to develop cross-cultural understanding in the communities where teachers serve and live. They should also strive to recognize viewpoints that are determined culturally, the standards of behavior, including specific knowledge and respect for differences. Educators should also provide priority in the curriculum for cross-cultural competency for students, beyond developing personal cross-cultural understanding among cultural or ethnic groups (Park-Brown, 2003).

It is also important for educators to pay close attention to culturally or ethnically desirable learning and problem-solving techniques. This should involve the recognition of a variety of strategies and approaches that can be used to complete tasks efficiently. In fact, they should encourage a variety of approaches. Lastly, they should also understand that learning is also facilitated by the appropriate style, manner, and content of the communication for a particular cultural group. This involves the application of culturally or ethnically desirable nonverbal skills such as eye contact, body language, and physical proximity (Page, 2003).

The Impacts of Multicultural Diversity on organizational Work Groups

Research on multicultural organizational work groups indicates that the impact of cultural diversity on groups is both positive and negative. This research demonstrates that whereas cultural diversity could result eventually in enhanced efficiency and higher productivity, multicultural workgroups are obliged to first overcome the problems that diversity piles to the group process. Multicultural workgroups tend to be affected from achieving the desired work process due to inability to communicate, constant disagreements on expectations, and problems of attitude such as mistrust, dislikes, and lack of cohesion (Banks, 2009).

The positive impact of diversity on multicultural groups tends to be negated by such problems. Culturally diverse groups’ efficiency and effectiveness directly associate with the extent to which these groups can defeat such problems. The difference in interactions of culturally diverse and culturally homogeneous is understood to some extent. However, studies on the effect of these challenges on the decision-making and productivity of the culturally diverse remain unclear. Group interaction of culturally diverse behaviors compared with culturally homogeneous groups demonstrates significant differences in three dimensions; expectations and integration, cohesiveness, fight, and flight (Chmiel, 2000).

Organizations need to understand these challenges and adopt strategies required to respond appropriately to avoid the risk of economic stagnation. Today, the growth and power of global trading regions have started to supersede the interests of nations. Individuals in business and education will always meet more and more challenges that are associated with this expanding diversity. Diversity of the workforce is included as well as investments especially in the US and around the world. It is necessary to determine these emerging challenges on all levels and start to respond to them before they become a permanent risk that threatens the economic stability of nations (Halverson, 2008).

The modern global economy is not located in one country or city today. A new global economy consists of a network of relationships bound together by electronic communication between computers, phones, TV, fax, electronic mail, satellite, and people. For instance, automotive parts are manufactured from different countries and transported to central assembly companies. In addition, America exports its products for manufacture under foreign nameplates abroad and also exports its brand overseas. All these imply diversity of; ownership, production, consumers, capital, and workforce. Today, the major challenge that business and education leaders encounter is managing this growing diversity in a global economic environment (Chmiel, 2000).

What are the key factors that are significant in finding how successful individuals will be tackling changed and changing society?

Various factors are important in determining how we can succeed in solving the challenges we face as a result of a changed and changing society. These factors include honesty, acknowledging complexity, recognizing reality, resisting doomsayers, acknowledging societies, organizations or nations as dynamic entities, tackling the complex nature of a country, and discouraging cheap stereotypes (McRae, 2009).

Honesty can also be described to relate to realness, congruency, genuineness, truthfulness, or authenticity. Honesty requires individuals at all levels to be able to demonstrate skills such as perception, their ability to understand their sensory perceptions; feedback, ability to provide and receive feedback that blends with the sensory perception; directness, ability to demonstrate candor and to be open; and recovery skills (Capozza, 2000).

Challenges of Working in a Multicultural Organization

The implementation of changes within organizations can take a long period, and many challenges may arise along the process. Among the most difficult challenges that organizations encounter as they attempt to implement change may include; managing the reaction of staff members of the dominant culture, who may wish to maintain the status quo; synthesizing diversity of opinions from individuals and applying them as a basis for concluding meaningful agreements on issues; and avoiding real or perceived tokenism and quota systems that can assist organizations attain goals but can be destructive in developing positive cultures (Ferreira, 2009).

Chmiel (2000) attributes differences occurring in organizations to their abilities to capitalize on diverse characteristics of a multicultural workforce and to use these diversities to develop a richer, more productive working environment. Organizations and many other entities find it hard to get past entrenched attitudes and practices in those organizations. In some inflexible organizations, legal requirements concerning the makeup of the workforce are followed, but little other effort is made to recruit or retain a multicultural workforce. Routines and employment within organizations continue to be exercised in the same manner as they have been in decades (Ferreira, 2009).

In other organizations that are marginally more interested in diversity, people from multicultural backgrounds are actively hired and employed in the daily practices and routines of the organization, but the skills and talents of these people are not utilized fully. However, few organizations embrace the concept of multiculturalism and exploit the diversity of their workforce to develop an anon-conforming, creative, and dynamic environment.

These are environments in which differences among people are not only tolerated but are also encouraged enthusiastically. The challenges of working in a multicultural environment are as many as the varied demographics and dynamics of work environments. However common challenges include: fluctuating power dynamics, merging diversity of opinions and approaches, tokenism, reality or perception, holding people throughout the organization accountable for achieving a positive multicultural environment, and communicating with the multicultural organization (Ferreira, 2009).

Fluctuating Power Dynamics

The introduction of a new, diverse workforce, who may not understand the traditions of the company, in any work environment, may make traditional staff members fear the disintegration of their institutional power or fear the shift of power throughout the organization that may harm them. As diversity and the pace of change increase within the company, the commitment and attachment of the traditional employees frequently reduce. Neely (2002, p. 110) noted that:

as power is redistributed, doubt may emerge within the veteran constituencies about how they will fit into the new organization. Uneasiness about how to navigate what was once familiar territory may arise among these long-term employees, and with it, an increasing tension may pervade the environment. Power struggles are natural consequences of competition for scarce resources and control over social structures.

Diversity dynamics interact with unstable power structures and can result in lowered individual and organizational performance. Potential negative outcomes from this instability include poor work attitudes, withdrawal behaviors such as absenteeism and turnover, and perceptions of procedural injustice. In the worst scenario, long-term employees will take the defensive and sabotage efforts that support a multicultural environment.

These instances are replete in many organizations. For instance, when a long-honored dress code is amended to accommodate people from diverse cultures, the majority of veteran employees feel either that the standards of the organization are being eroded or that the administration is bending to the interests of one particular group (Tauber, 2001).

Another example arises when an administration broadens the decision-making processes to include a wider range of employees and viewpoints; employees, especially supervisors, who are used to a more hierarchical, top-down decision-making process may feel threatened or undermined. In other instances, employees who have been raised to believe that tardiness to meetings is rude may need to recognize that arriving five minutes late to a meeting is not the cardinal sin in some societies that it is in the Anglo culture (Chmiel, 2000).

Another example comes from the academic environment when an administration amends tenure requirements to recognize the wide range of contributions that individuals from diverse backgrounds can contribute to the workplace in addition to traditional activities such as leadership positions in professional organizations and scholarships within a relatively band of appropriate subject matters. Criticisms, including declarations of the lowering of organizational standards and pandering to minority workers, are invariably lobbed at the administration from workers who have a stake in maintaining the status quo in the organization (Neely, 2002).

When people from a variety of cultures within an organization gain a significant voice and openly express their concerns, uneasiness and increased tension can occur. Veteran organizational constituencies with large blocks of power, such as departmental heads or senior management, maybe uncomfortable with accepting diverse viewpoints that are likely to challenge the status quo power, either explicitly or implicitly (McRae, 2009). In addition, if top management in the organization supports the concerns of the emerging voice, the old guard will often cry favoritism or capitulation.

Organizations that experience a rapid expansion of multiculturalism in their manpower frequently send them to the obligatory diversity training workshops. This should happen when they believe in the basic tenets of racial equality and universal opportunity in the workplace. Otherwise, sending them when they do not believe in these tenets will make the situation worse. According to Neely (2002, p. 111), employees who are required to attend diversity training against their will, and who already hold negative attitudes and stereotypes about other groups, are likely to become even more negative, rather than more positive and accepting. The workforce should be allowed to attend these programs if they believe that diversity is a positive component of any organization (Sisaye, 2005).

Diversity interventions just like organizational changes can encounter unanticipated challenges. Training programs for cultural awareness may fail if they will be viewed to reinforce stereotypes or highlight cultural differences that the workforce has tried to discard to conform to the organizational culture (Chmiel, 2000). Special programs for skill-building offered to only some subgroups in an organizational setting can also feed negative stereotyping, or may be interpreted as offering the target group an unfair advantage. Programs aimed at affirmative action may cause stigma of all members of groups targeted to benefit from them. In essence, even those individuals who were best qualified are presumed to have acquired their positions due to their demographic attributes rather than meritocracy. These challenges arise in organizations when the workforce becomes focused on their cultural differences rather than concentrating on their common goals (Ferreira, 2009).

Organizations can also apply an approach that strategically integrates veteran power wielders within the organization with new employees from diverse backgrounds through committee work, teams, and project pairings. This approach is important as it offers an opportunity for people from divergent backgrounds to become better acquainted and to learn to respect one another (Chmiel, 2000).

Merging Diversity of Opinions and approaches

According to Neely (2002, p. 111), Joplin and Daus identified the need to integrate the different opinions as one of the primary challenges of managing a diverse workforce. They stated that:

As the face of the organization changes and its workforce becomes diverse, the number and range of perspectives will increase exponentially, and the institution must synthesize a diversity of opinions driven by unique values, experiences, and cultural groundings. Two people can view the same event with very different interpretations and formulate opinions based on those perceptions and interpretations. Getting to the crux of critical issues, while respecting and maintaining the core integrity and dignity of participants, is essential for creating an accepting and productive multicultural environment.

Even in the best of circumstances, miscommunication will inevitably occur, because we all have unique frames of reference. The challenge is to identify and recognize these different frames of reference and to extract common denominators that may serve as a foundation for issue resolution. Synthesizing diverse opinions, finding shared ground, and reaching at least some modicum of agreement may be one of the most time-consuming, emotional-wrenching, and energy-draining activities any of us can undertake. Each differing perspective is likely to reflect the emotional attachments of the bearer.

The critical exercise is to separate substance from rhetoric and to determine the essential content of the message, rather than get lost in the manner of delivery or the particular characteristics of the person expressing the opinion.

There are exists organizations with relatively low tolerance of diversity of races, cultures, and viewpoints. The absence of tolerance is portrayed in terms of divergent opinions, communication patterns, work styles, dress, or personal habits (Sue, 2006). Employees from diverse backgrounds, in such environments, are likely to engage in conflict. This leads to less confrontation and in the pretense of agreement of cooperation; although it does not usually result in the best decision-making processes nor the most creative management practices (Connerley, 2005).

Real or Perceived Tokenism

Dealing with real or perceived tokenism offers a real challenge to environments attempting to develop a multicultural environment. Real tokenism is inherent in situations where an employee is hired ahead of the more qualified candidates to address the concerns or fulfill numbers. Traditionally, quota systems have been applied in circumstances when it was the only alternative to ensure that diverse individuals would be hired and provided fair consideration in the selection process. In some applications, quotas have been criteria used to achieve racial integration (McRae, 2009).

According to Neely (2009, p. 308), tokenism can be avoided by not using the quota system. Perceived tokenism occurs when an individual is hired based on his or her experience, credentials and ability, but is perceived by others to have been employed based on ethnic background, gender, race, and other criteria. Where tokenism is presumed, there is a tendency to attribute failures to an individual’s race, laziness, lack of intelligence, and similarly biased observations, and to attribute success to pure luck. These beliefs and perceptions can damage the self esteems and self-identities of employees.

The real or perceived tokenism challenge needs to be addressed from the institutional perspective. Institutions require pursuing fair and balanced recruitment procedures that examine diversity as just one of many factors in determining the development of the strongest workforce possible. The established evaluation and promotion policies must consider diverse backgrounds but not indicate a preference to any one group over others. It is necessary that all individuals are offered the same opportunity to succeed and therefore have the same probability to receive the desirable assignments, serve on important task committees, chair critical committees, and work with a senior professional who may serve as mentors, as part of addressing this challenge (Ferreira, 2009).

Organizationally, it is necessary to apply the skills and talents of the workforce from diverse backgrounds; and communicate clearly that these people are involved fully, and are valued members of the organization (Sue, 2006). Equally significant is for the administration to aggressively dispel rumors of tokenism as soon as they rise to the surface. These rumors must be directly countered with hard facts regarding the decisions of selection and promotion before these distortions are embraced as truths.

It must be noted that no matter how wrong the perception, if the lie is said repeatedly enough times it becomes, for all intents and purposes, reality. In sum, tokenism is a critical and disturbing concern not only from an institutional perspective but also from a personal perspective. For instance, in a circumstance where an employee is aware that others view her as a token hire and thereby communicate the message that he is not qualified as other staff members, the employee will feel disadvantaged in the workplace (Neely, 2002).

The Challenge of Holding all individuals throughout the Organization Accountable for Achieving a Positive Multicultural Environment

The implementation of strategies to achieve a diverse, universally supportive environment, and to withstand diatribes from naysayers who contend that the possibility of equality is a fairy tale, is the challenge. At the center of this challenge is the reality that to successfully confront this challenge everyone throughout the organization must be held accountable for ensuring a positive multicultural environment. Not many diversity initiatives in any organization succeed unless there is unconditional support from the top-level management (Neely, 2002).

This challenge can also be addressed by holding middle management accountable because these people are invariably critical to the implementation and success of programs designed to ensure equality and to promote awareness of diversity concerns. Quite often, middle-level managers are the strongest advocates of the promotion of diversity in the workplace because they are close enough to the ‘front lines’ to perceive how diversity will strengthen the organization and establish a more diverse environment. As part of the annual evaluation process, it may be advisable to require middle managers to demonstrate how they have supported and enhanced the organizations’ commitment to developing a work climate that supports diversity and multiculturalism (Neely, 2002).

Thirdly, this challenge is concerned with the need for cooperation and involvement of representatives of multicultural groups themselves. The whole workforce must assume responsibility for assisting to build a universally supportive environment and to make adjustments to their behaviors as appropriate (Sisaye, 2005). Additionally, all people within the organization must learn patience; it may last for months or even years to break down the psychological barriers that have been in place for decades. There must be considerable compromises, along with the acceptance of divergent viewpoints (Neely, 2002).

Challenge of Communicating with Multicultural Organization

Managing cultural diversity is a practical skill that is aimed at transforming organizational culture. It is an organizational development effort whose central challenge is inter-group prejudices (Gallos, 2006). It is clear that what members of an organization decide to do with diversity has a direct impact on an organization; even if it implies modifying dominant attitudes and values about differences, the central challenge is communication effectiveness. That is communication that affirms organizational members’ identities and relationships while fostering achievement of their respective goals is required most in multicultural work settings (Banks, 2000).

Conclusion

In sum, all nations globally have embraced multicultural diversity. The success of any nation at all levels depends on the policies they laid down to manage diversity in their respective multicultural spheres (Chmiel, 2000). They must also address the challenges in multicultural societal diversity institutions such as the national civil service, national and private institutions. These challenges are real and cannot be ignored if the focus of authorities is to administer effectively society’s life and to be entities that people trust and have confidence in. This paper has reviewed the literature on the key concepts of multicultural diversity.

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