martes, 9 de marzo de 2010

MANAGING DIVERSITY


Managing diversity is about ensuring that all employees have the opportunity to maximize their potential and enhance their self-development and their contribution to the organization. It recognizes that people from different backgrounds can bring new ideas and perceptions, which can make the work be done more efficient and make products and services better.

It is also believed that companies employing a diverse workforce would be in a better position to understand the demographics of the customers they serve much better making them better able to thrive in the marketplace than companies that hire only a limited group of employee demographics. Also, a company that supports diversity of workforce is better able to address employee satisfaction and retention issues.

Managing diversity successfully will help organizations to look after creativity and innovation and thereby to use hidden capacity for growth and improved competitiveness in resource acquisition, cost, marketing, problem solving, among others.

As a result the company would find potential benefits like higher creativity in decision-making, better understanding and serving of customers, more satisfied workforce, higher stock prices, lower litigation expenses, higher company performance. As well the organizations would have to face with three challenges that are the similarity attraction phenomenon, fault lines and stereotypes.
QUESTIONS:

1. ¿Is diversity management at IBM a source of competitive advantage? ¿why?

Yes, diversity management brings competitive advantage to IBM, mostly because new voices and perspectives can get into their strategy, helping managers understand and concentrate on the needs of different kinds of customers. It also motivates their managers to come up with creative decision alternatives.

2. ¿Do you think the IBM case reflects a strong organizational commitment to diversity? Why?

In the IMB case I do think that it reflects a strong organizational commitment to diversity. This company has implemented a diversity strategy (eight diversity task forces in which included different kinds of groups conformed by Asians, Blacks, People with Disabilities, White Men, Women, Gays/Lesbians/Bisexuals/Transgender Individuals, Hispanics, and Native Americans. IBM's strategy had the purpose of gathering data on personnel trends as well as labor and customer markets for their respective groups. Interpreting that information led each group to a list of issues called "vital few". The task force members then used the vital few to shape their thinking about possible business and development opportunities.
Sources:
www.leaderbrighton-hove.org/index.php%3Fpage%3Dstreamed-video+definition+diversity&cd=6&hl=es&ct=clnk&gl=co

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