Challenges in Organizational Diversity

According to organizational diversity, individuals from diverse backgrounds, religions, communities, age groups, genders come together on a common platform to work towards a common goal - i.e. to achieve the objectives and targets of the organization within the shortest possible time frame. Organizational diversity ensures individuals with varied experiences; knowledge and expertise form a team and work together as a single unit.

Let us go through the challenges of organizational diversity:

The most common challenge of organizational diversity is lack of coordination among team members. Every individual has his/her own style of working. An individual who has just passed out of the college and started his career would be more aggressive and spontaneous than someone who is on the verge of retirement. Young professionals believe in meeting clients more often whereas the older lot believes in coordinating only through phone. They prefer sitting at office rather than going out and meeting people. That is where the problem arises.

A young professional would never understand and approve the working style of someone who is there in the system for say twenty five years and vice a versa. Difference in working style, attitude, temperament, belief lead to misunderstandings at the workplace. In such a situation, the team leader spends half of his day sorting out differences among his team members. In such organizations, the primary responsibility of a team leader is just to solve issues among individuals and motivate them to work together.

Remember, the role of a team leader is not just to motivate his team members to adjust with each other and sort out their problems. It is much more.

Female employees appointed for marketing profiles have to move out for client meetings, product demonstrations, presentations and so on. You cannot always call the client to your office. Yes, superiors need to take care of the safety of female colleagues but sometimes it does also affect the overall productivity of the team and eventually organization.

Kiara had to go out of the country for a client meeting. Her family did not approve her travelling alone as they were worried about her safety. Kiara’s Organization lost a major account and suffered huge losses.

Male employees are generally preferred over female employees especially in marketing and sales department as they do not have problems moving out or going alone even to the remotest locations. Bosses also have an additional responsibility of taking care of their female employees.

Organizational diversity also sometimes leads to cultural differences leading to stress and frustration among team members. Frustrated employees can never deliver their level best or perform as per the expectations of the seniors.

A female employee among all male employees finds it difficult to adjust with them and go out for parties or get - togethers.Male employees also do not feel comfortable with their female counterparts. They are extra careful while interacting with them. Though misbehaving at workplace is absolutely unethical and unacceptable, but if you are extra cautious while dealing with colleagues of opposite gender, you would never be able to enjoy your work. Neither would you feel like coming to work but also avoid participating in activities or taking the initiative of organizing various events or festivals at workplace.

Hindu employees show more enthusiasm during Diwali or Holi but when it comes to Christmas, it is just another holiday for them and vice a versa. Nurturing such negative feeling not only spoils the ambience of the workplace but also demotivates employees. Individuals from absolutely different backgrounds find it extremely difficult to adjust and hence the overall productivity of the organization is affected.

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