University of the People (2021) defines Cultural diversity as the existence of a variety of cultural groups within a society.
According to Purdue Global (2020), cultural diversity refers to a set of heterogenous people who are different in terms of geographical, educational and demographic references, but have come together to achieve a common goal which serves as a point of convergence.
The success or failure of any organisations depends on the skills and expertise of management in managing the diverse workforce, which is the deciding factor for customer satisfaction and loyalty towards the organisation Cultural groups in an organisation share many different characteristics which include, culture, religion, ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, class, gender, disability, geographic location among other things.
South Africa as a country is often referred to as a Rainbow nation due to different races, namely, Blacks, Whites, Asians/ Indians and Coloureds. Blacks alone fall into various ethnic groups, with different cultures, traditions, customs, languages, etc. Culture is a strong part of people’s lives since it influences their views, their values, their hopes, their fears and their worries.
Why is cultural Diversity Important?Culture draws people with the same culture to each other and find comfort in one another whereas people from diverse cultures and diverse backgrounds have a tendency of indulging in interpersonal conflicts. Cultural diversity is important because people from different cultures can learn from one another but before they do, they must first have a level of understanding about each other in order to respect one another and to facilitate collaboration and co-operation.
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Managing Cultural Diversity in the WorkplaceThe management in any organisation needs to acknowledge the fact that the staff are the organisation’s customers and asset, therefore, its success and/or failure depends on how satisfied the staff is with the management’s skills in dealing with diversity in general and their style of dealing with the different aspects of diversity.
It is the management’s responsibility to manage diversity such that it creates unity. Again, it lies in the hands of management to create division amongst the staff through the way they manage diversity. Applying consistency and impartiality, as well as avoiding favouritism in their treatment of staff could result to unity.
The staff in the workplace go through challenges, life happens, there are diseases, staff members also go through life changing circumstances like divorce, sickness and death in their families, and they might confide about these circumstances to the management, which should ensure that confidentiality is the norm.
Management in any organisation can be classified into various levels of management according to hierarchy, ranging from management at the bottom of the hierarchy to those in Senior management, and it is the responsibility of management at every level to work towards achieving unity in the organisation by ensuring that all the parties involved are guided by the effective exercise of universally recognised human rights, social cohesion and democratic governance which creates equal opportunities for all.
As diverse as we are and as diverse as our cultures are, however, there is a need to move focus beyond differences that are a source of conflict, ignorance and misunderstanding to a sincere acknowledgement that every person can make a unique and positive contribution to the organisation by capitalising on what they have in common beyond those differences.
Department of Cultural and Heritage Tourism
University of KwaZulu-Natal
College of Humanities Durban, South Africa
Email: [email protected]
