![]() Shobhit Goyal
Founder, SEEDS
Education
Goyal is a new generation entrepreneur. An engineer from Bharti Vidyapeeth, Pune and MBA from Sym...
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Diversity refers to the differences between individuals. From internal dimensions like gender, age, race, ethnicity, values to external dimensions like religion, income, appearance, educational background, marital status, personal and recreational habits to organizational dimensions like work location, seniority, union affiliation, management status, department and functional level; diversity goes beyond the visible differences. We find these differences in every workplace, though not all differences are always recognized or seen as relevant. Differences between people influence how they behave, feel, do and are perceived and has a direct impact on the way they work. Taking them into account helps organizations to make optimal use of all capacities and capabilities in their people, affecting the quality and amount of work that gets done. Ensuring that diversity is made visible and fruitful remains a central concern of diversity management. In doing so, individual and structural representation of perception and appreciation may be reflected upon. The underlying principle of diversity management has to do with acceptance and managing. While individuals retain their own sense of values and ethics, diversity management encourages people to recognize that not everyone is alike. Rather than being intimidated or prejudiced by those differences, employees are encouraged to accept the fact that there are diverse interests, diverse values, and diverse physical and emotional characteristics present within the office environment. In todays new workplace, diversity management is a time-sensitive business imperative. It can no longer just be about making the numbers, but rather how an organization treats its people authentically down to the roots of its business model. Every good manager should be able to assess his/her diversity awareness, recognize stereotypes, and understand the ingredients of diversity. Building a diversity management culture and Leadership style is essential to embrace and manage workplace diversity. At School of Excellence, Entrepreneurship and Development Studies (SEEDS), Diversity Management is a competency based topic facilitating managers to develop an environment that works for all employees. It encourages them to enable, empower and influence employees to reach their full potential and ensure that organizational systems, policies and practices do not benefit one group more than another. The idea of inclusiveness is central to Diversity Management and it addresses workplace behaviors and understanding differences while focusing on an organizations culture and climate. Managing diversity in the workplace enables organizations to better serve their customers and clients in a country that symbolizes unity in diversity; this competency takes prime importance for smooth and optimum functioning of an organization. If managed properly, diversity is a boon for the corporate world as it brings people from different talent pools under the same roof. When left unattended it can hamper productivity and create conflict but can otherwise be strategically leveraged to strengthen the department and meet collective goals and objectives. Experts on CEO
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