Diversity and effective leadership in multicultural workplaces. (Learning from Experience).

In recent years, the issue of cultural diversity has gained increasing attention for a number of reasons. First, it is worth mentioning that the old term "the melting pot" has been replaced by the term "multiculturalism." The influx of immigrants into many major metropolitan areas of the United States has generated multiple concerns that have advocates from civil and human rights organizations demanding unprecedented attention from local authorities. Because of the September 11 attacks, many organizations have felt the need to provide educational workshops in cultural diversity for their employees to diminish tensions in the workplace. For these reasons, effective leadership and the management of diversity in workplaces are key to successful operations and effective public service. Although in Canada and the United States higher-education institutions have the highest number of immigrant employees, other segments of our society enjoy diversity and multiculturalism as well. The environmental health professio n shares in this trend; it also interacts on a daily basis with many diverse groups in the fast-food arena and in city neighborhoods.

What is Diversity?

If you spend a few minutes of your time looking up the word "diversity" in the dictionary you will find that the focus is on difference. In other words, the presence of differences is the first definition of diversity. In every society, community, and workplace alike, diversity is prominent. We should not only focus on diversity within each culture, but also address cultural diversity as a national theme. Most diversity experts believe that the significant distinctions are race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, nation of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, occupation, and class.

What is Culture?

Culture is a complex phenomenon, and it has been defined in many ways. Briefly anthropologists define culture as learned behavior. In other words, as Laroche puts it, "culture includes an implicit list of standard operating procedures." Those who have written about cultural diversity interpret culture as a realm comprising traditional ideas and related values, demonstrated through actions. William Sonnenschein the author of "The Diversity Toolkit," asserts that culture is learned, shared, and transmitted from one generation to the next and that it organizes life and helps interpret existence. Another argument suggests that culture is a set of customs a group of people have learned for responding to life's issues, such as deaths, births, or weddings.

Cultrual Diversity in Workplaces

Although some people think that diversity does nothing but create problems and challenges, it offers remarkable benefits. Among the benefits is variety in ideas, styles, forms of devotion, vision, creativity, innovation, histories, and lifestyles. This variety enhances and enriches our lives in many ways. Difficulties arise from workplace challenges to diversity such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and ageism, which can disrupt and create a hostile environment. These challenges, if not detected and resolved via constructive leadership, will lead to loss of innovative potential and ultimately to failure in the undertakings of an organization.

Because immigrants from all over the world have been choosing the United States as a safe place to live, work, and raise children, most metropolitan areas in this country have in recent years experienced an unprecedented need to accommodate a variety of ethnic groups. One of the best examples is the Twin Cities area (Minneapolis--St. Paul) in Minnesota. According to the 2000 census, 100 ethnic groups live in Minnesota, especially in the greater metropolitan area. San Jose, California, Miami, Florida, and other major cities have similar situations. As mentioned above, the old term "the melting pot" is being replaced with "multiculturalism," a political and social movement that accommodates and embraces cultural differences. The change in terminology reflects the understanding among experts in cultural issues that in early times some people were not allowed to melt in and some did not want to melt in--they wanted to retain the unique qualities of their cultures. "People have pride," Sonnenschein writes, "in wh o they are and in where they came from. They have maintained their cultural identities while trying to fit into American society"

Nevertheless, immigrants from all parts of the world work and live with the rest of the population--under one umbrella that could be called American society--in environments that range from NASA to farmlands, from corporate America to fast-food businesses, from higher-education institutions to service industries.

Managing Diversity in Workplaces

Most organizations, including but not limited to technical professions, have started to realize that educating employees about cultural diversity is necessary and inevitable. Colleges and universities around the country have either started or are planning on having courses on cultural diversity Some organizations realized the importance of such education years ago and encouraged their employees to participate in diversity classes.

Supervisors, managers, directors, and leaders should educate themselves comprehensively so that they can be role models for their personnel. Mentoring and coaching also are needed to achieve the goals of delivering positive, productive, and beneficial procedures on diversity issues. To be a successful model, mentor, and coach, the leader ought to concentrate on two important elements: The first is self-awareness, the second understanding. By self-awareness, experts mean self-improvement. Leaders need to improve their skills in listening, understanding, and gleaning knowledge about the diverse world around them. This improvement should be a lifelong process. Another important skill is communication, which plays an important role in the diverse workplace. Communicating effectively with team members makes the process of managing the diverse workplace uncomplicated. It is important to remember that active listening is the key element in effective communication. Active listening is the basis of understanding and therefore a significant tool in successful communication.

Managers should learn about different cultures, at least the cultures of their employees. Learning about cultures helps them to recognize cross-cultural issues that impinge on the relationship between managers and employees. Managers also need to identify behaviors that are common in other cultures and foreign to North American culture. For example, traits Laroche describes as "excessive defensiveness and negativity" which are common in many cultures, could be a shock to an American manager. A knowledgeable manger can handle such attitudes in a proper way without fostering unnecessary tension and hard feelings. Environmental health professionals and those who have extensive contact with people from different cultures should educate themselves on how to interact with people from other cultures. Also, some ethnic groups may have different styles and methods of handling food and raw materials than we do here in the United States.

Looking Ahead

Constant improvements in technology and electronics are bringing us closer to more comfortable means of communication. The world is changing in other ways, too. Recent terrorist attacks around the world have, however, disrupted the easy march of modernization, corporate America, and global businesses. Our students who two years ago did not know where Afghanistan was now can name the cities in that country. Current international tensions should prompt all human beings working in the global environment to be vigilant, to be willing to learn about different cultures, and to work hard for a safer environment. Above all, given the uncertainties in today's world, we need to live our lives, manage our workplaces to promote the benefits of diversity and never forget that humankind is one.

References

Benhabib, 5. (2002). The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global Era. Princeton, NJ.: Princeton University Press.

Henderson, G. (1994). Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Issues and Strategies. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.

Laroche, L. (2002). Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions. Oxford, Philadelphia, PA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Miller, M. (2002). Ebony and Ivory: An Indepth Look at Cultural Diversity. Writers Club Press.

Naylor, L. (Ed.) (1997). Cultural Diversity in the United States. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.

Sonnenschein, W (1999). Diversity Toolkit: How You Can Build and Benefit from a Diverse Workforce. Lincolnwood, Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books.

William, M.A., Clifton, D.O.(2001). The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living and Working in a Multicultural World. Sterling, VA: Capital Books.

Dr. Leo F. Parvis researched environmental health science as a graduate student in the Mediterranean region for three years in the late 1980s. In 1998, he received a Ph.D. in health services with specialization in public health from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Parvis has spent many years working in both the public and the private sectors on issues related to environmental health and education research. Questions and/or comments for Dr. Parvis can be sent to <[e-mail]>.