Diversity in Workplace

Diversity in Workplace

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Diversity in Workplace

Harassment at Work:

Workers are usually prone to experiences of violence and harassment in the workplace. There are various behaviors in the workplace that induce violence and harassment in the workplace. The Occupational Health and Safety Act provide the definition of workplace violence as the use of physical force by an individual against another worker, which could result in physical injury to the individual (Brizzell, 2009).

In addition, workplace violence also amounts to the attempts to exercise any form of physical force against an individual within the workplace with the potential of resulting in physical injuries. Furthermore, statements and behavior that could be interpreted as threats to exercise physical force on a worker in the place that could also lead to physical injuries are also interpreted as workplace violence (Brizzell, 2009).

On the other hand, The Occupational Health and Safety Act provides the definition of workplace harassment as the engagement in vexatious conduct or providing vexatious comments against an individual in the workplace. This also considered as unwelcome behavior or conduct towards other workers in the workplace. Such comments or unwanted behavior may occur numerous of times before they are identified.

Typical workplace harassment takes the form of embarrassing, offensive, demeaning or humiliating words and actions driven towards a group of workers or an individual worker. This usually acts as a tool for control, manipulation and intimidation resulting in isolation and discrimination of the targeted individuals. Professional principles and standards in the workplace are essential towards prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace (Brizzell, 2009).

Ethical and Cultural Differences at Work:

The presence of set out professional standards for individual conduct among employees in the workplace provide the avenue towards creation of an environment that is marked by respect and integrity for group and individual differences among the employees. Majority of people drawn from minority ethnic and cultural groups have experienced some form of marginalization and segregation. Employers are tasked with ensuring that equality and respect for diversity is maintained. Differences between workers may exist in the form of religious differences, gender differences, ethical, racial and cultural differences. Creating an environment that provides respect and integrity for diversity provides an employer with an opportunity to achieve high employee output (McGovern, 1992).

Hiring decisions and business practices should be inclined towards enhancing diversity in the workplace. This amounts to providing people from different racial, ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds with equal opportunities towards employment in the workplace. Hiring decisions should be made with respect to individual competencies and qualifications rather than gender, race, ethnicity or social status. There are possibilities of cultural conflicts in the event that employees are asked to conform to ethical business practices. Ethical differences are different across cultures given that varying cultures have diverse belief systems, norms and social values that determine their approach towards ethical considerations (McGovern, 1992).

Issues such as respect, honesty, transparency, integrity and employee conduct should be internationalized to ensure that all cultures are accommodated in the development of norms, values and ethical considerations in an organization. On the other hand, there is a need for consideration of varying considerations of values in society across different cultures. Fair allocation of opportunities and resources in the organization could provide a point of relation for a diverse workforce (McGovern, 1992).

Reference

Brizzell, A. (2009). Bullying and harassment at work. Irish Medical Times, 43(4), 30.

McGovern, S. (1992, Nov 09). Cultural differences at work can provide opportunities for employers. The Gazette. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/432363273?accountid=12085