Equal Opportunities & Managing Diversity.

Equal Opportunities & Managing Diversity, Literature Review. There is a lively, if at times acrimonious

debate being conducted about developments in workplace equality policies. Has equal opportunity (EO) had

its day? Is managing diversity a way of re-packaging equal opportunity, strengthening it or undermining it?

Part of the difficulty in providing answers to these questions lies in the struggle for ownership of the term

'managing diversity,' exacerbated by authors with competing perspectives. This is not a new problem.

During the 1980's authors drew attention to competing models of equal opportunities i.e. Jewson & Mason

(1986) contrasted liberal and radical approaches. A liberal perspective argues that equality can be achieved

if the skills and qualities of individuals, (assuming they are randomly distributed in the population) can be

matched more precisely to the functional requirements of occupational roles. The emphasis, then, is on

bureaucratic regulation of recruitment and selection systems designed to remove unfair,...

we can give you unlimited access to 148,305 academic essays

...be shown to be 'justifiable' then even if it has an adverse affect, it is unlikely to be declared unlawful. To

use an analogy, it is acceptable, in most circumstances, to only offer a job on a full-time basis even though

it is recognised that this will make it difficult for many women to undertake. It has been widely recognised

that this approach can strip individuals of their gender and ethnicity for the benefit of the organisation. The

response was the introduction of codes of practice from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the

Commission for Racial Equality, (CRE) which were attempts to eradicate discrimination and promote

equality. To promote equality it is important to recognise that social group differences may place some

applicants or jobholders at a disadvantage. Attempts must be made to try and alleviate this type of problem

and thus employers are encouraged to create policies such as flexible working, childcare and career breaks,

so that everyone has the opportunity to compete on the same basis. While there are different views as to

what actually constitutes equal opportunities, it is possible to identify some core ideas, which characterise

this approach. Equal opportunities came as a political response to the social outcry over racial and social

injustices that limited equal access to the workplace, and should be pursued for its own sake, regardless of

the merit or effectiveness of individual policies. To some degree, this belief may have fostered a culture in

which organisations feel that simply by having, and to some degree disseminating, an equal opportunities

program is sufficient evidence of their commitment to equal opportunities. We can look at the equality
statements of a number of organisations, to find them positioned beneath their 'huge' logos, in the 'smallest'

possible font. Surely this is indicative of their commitment to equal opportunities? It has been argued that

equal opportunity statements are no longer sufficient to meet the challenge posed by the increasing

participation of women, minorities and immigrants in the workforce. Yes, they are important steps in

opening the workplace to diversity, but they are limited, and do not create conditions that capitalise on the

full potential of diversity. Instead of ignoring differences, surely it is time to recognise differences and

acknowledge the value these differences can have? The concept of diversity has made its way to the centre

stage. It is characteristically presented both as an inexorable outcome of these same trends and as a

potentially radical solution to both old and new equal opportunity dilemmas. Diversity came to Britain from

the United States where it had become extensively popularised in the equal employment opportunities

literature in the late 1980's and early 1990's. It seems first to have appeared in a UK context in

organisations which had either United States parent companies or extensive US operations. Diversity, it is

claimed, entails a radical reconceptualisation of the equal opportunities agenda. In this model people are

valued because of their differences. It is committed to using fully the talents of all members of the

workforce, allowing them to rise to the limit of their abilities. The diversity model is said simultaneously to

address the needs of every individual in the organisation. It no longer focuses exclusively on those groups

deemed in some way to be disadvantaged or under-represented, it offers advantages to all employees,

including white men, and thus engages their commitment rather than promoting their resentment. (Kandola,

Fullerton & Ahmed, 1995) Managing diversity is said to be more appropriate to the challenges that

organisations face in the next millennium. It is based on the notion that differences should not be discarded

or ignored, but should be maintained, nurtured and valued. Managing diversity has been defined as "a

desire to recognise, respect and capitalise on different strands and backgrounds...like race, ethnic origin and

gender." (Williams, 1992) It is premised on the idea that different cultural groups have different values,

styles and personalities, which may have a substantial effect on the way they 'do business.' Rather than

punishing or stifling these different management styles because they do not conform to the traditional 'white

male' management methods, proponents of managing diversity believe that employers should recognise

these differences and realise that, not only can diverse management styles achieve the same results as

traditional methods, but a diverse workforce can add value to an organisation. Focusing on diversity and

looking for ways to be a truly inclusive organisation, that makes full use of the contributions of all

employees is not just a 'nice idea,' it makes good business sense, that can yield greater productivity and

help to gain a competitive advantage. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) suggest that it be for this reason that

the 'business case' for diversity emerged. It was during the 1980's and early 1990's that the idea of
increased state regulation seemed implausible and indeed the very existence of equal opportunities came

under scrutiny. The main thrust in the equality debate during that period rested increasingly on the notion .

On Managing For Equality And Diversity In The Workplace By Increasing Opportunities For People With
Disabilities
Posted: Feb 28, 2010 | Comments: 0 | Views: 181 |

Ads by Google

Child Psychology Problems

Workplace Survey
Five Guidelines for Creating a Happy and Healthy Work Environment
www.baselinemag.com

Official Berard AIT

Free Trial: Project Mgmt

Syndicate this Article

Introduction

Sanglin-Grant, S. (2003) explains that equality is the development of policies and practices that
eliminate dissimilarity in any organization, institution or workplace. In this case, all persons within the
organization are accorded equal opportunities and are also accorded equal treatment. Diversity on the
other hand is all about embracing the value of individuals in an organization while at the same time
making the most of their potential. Diversity encompasses all varieties of individuals from ethnic
minorities, racial minorities, the elderly, women, persons with disabilities and persons with
unconventional sexual orientations. When organizations embrace diversity, then they heighten their
levels of creativity, innovation and overall success in their marketplace. Most workplaces have not
accorded certain individuals equal opportunities on the basis of their background or physical
attributes. This has resulted in various types of diversity such as cultural diversity, age diversity,
gender diversity and so on. (Miller, Hagen and Johnson, 2002) However, for purposes of this research,
focus will be on persons with disabilities.

Before examining the imperative issues in managing diversity within the workplace for persons with
disabilities, it is crucial to understand the meaning of the term disability. The Disability Act of 2005
(UK) defines disability as a form of restriction in the process of conducting social, business or cultural
duties due to physical, mental, health, intellectual and health impairment. Statistics conducted in the
European Union found that the unemployment rate for a person with a disability is two hundred and
fifty percent higher than a person without a disability. This impedes their ability to become self
sufficient, socialize and develop a high self esteem. (Ross & Schneider, 1992) Consequently, persons
with disability end up being isolated or end up falling in the poverty bracket. Such alarming outcomes
should solicit action from employers and other stakeholders within the workplace. Employers need to
ask themselves; what policies and procedures can they set up to encourage equality? What are the
benefits of providing equal opportunities for person with disabilities?, what negative consequences can
result from failure to comply (laws and regulations)? Lastly, what case studies can companies use to
further this concept? (Holly, 1998)

Outcomes of according people with disabilities equal opportunities

Integrating people with disabilities within businesses should be a top priority for all companies in the
country-whether large or small- due to the following reasons. First of all, it gives a respective
company access to a different type of labor force. There is a growing misconception that persons with
disabilities cannot perform within an organization's parameters. However, this is a grave
misconception because many organizations have not yet tapped this category of individuals yet most
of them are highly skilled. Kandola and Fullerton (1998) assert that the current American workforce
has changed drastically. Gone are the days when there was an excess provision for labor. These days,
organizations are competing to keep some of the best employees. Additionally, there is a need to fill in
gaps in the labor force by tapping all potential resources available. (Elmuti, 1993)

Secondly, organizations that embrace diversity with respect to persons with disabilities can get a
chance to keep qualified personnel who had no disability when they had started working for the
organization but became disabled when they became part of the organization. Statistics indicate that
eighty five percent of all cases of disability occur in adult life. Therefore, companies that have
embraced diversity management are better prepared for such eventualities and can still retain their
newly disabled employees. (Sanglin-Grant & Schneider, 2000)

Besides benefiting directly from the skills and expertise of the persons with disabilities, companies that
have promoted an inclusive environment can create a positive image of their company in the eyes of
their stakeholders. Suppliers, consumers, the local community, the government, investors and many
other concerned parties will feel proud of such an organization and will continue doing business with
them. This forms the basis of good social responsibility principles.

Organizations that employ or accord equal opportunities to persons with disabilities are also better
prepared to do the same to the public. Such companies may go out of their way to handle consumers
with disabilities and this can enhance their client base. (McNerney, 1994)

Consequently, such companies will become more competitive than others and will boost their profit
margins. Similarly, managing diversity in the workplace is important for persons with disabilities
because it can solicit extra funding from stakeholders within the industry. Many persons with
disabilities have a wide access to grants and supports. This means that employers need not worry
about tapping into their own resources in order to support such persons. (Ellis & Sonnenfield, 1993),

Embracing diversity can go a long way in solving all the problem service and product development
strategies. This is because such companies will attract perspectives from different types of people and
this encourages creativity. In line with this argument, some markets are emerging as very crucial in
the workplace yet most of them are made up of unconventional groups such as the persons with
disabilities. This can go a long way in enhancing their business potential. (Thomas &y, 1996)

Also, if a business offers equal opportunities to persons with disabilities. Then they may challenge the
conventional thinking methodologies in the workplace. This means that such companies will be
eliminating boundaries present in other similar business. Also, they will be demonstrating that they
are embracing strategic opportunities. (Storey, 1992)

Policies and procedures that employers can use to promote equal opportunities for persons
with disabilities

Organizations should demonstrate equality and diversity management in their recruitment exercises.
Companies need to ensure that the selection criteria utilized is such that it does not discriminate
against persons with disabilities. This means that the method used e.g. an interview should be non-
discriminatory. Besides this, the sole aim in any recruitment practice should be to enroll the most
competent person and to recruit on the basis of other non-job related characteristics. Companies
should allow job seekers and opportunity to demonstrate that they can do a job well without
dismissing them unfairly. (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998)

Additionally, those companies who conduct recruitment through various channels or managers, need
to ensure that all their representatives are well aware of equality and diversity in the workplace. This
means that companies should educate or train their employees on diversity issues. They can do this
by giving them a series of booklets or handbooks talking about diversity. They also need to back this
up with courses and seminars about how to embrace persons with disabilities in the workplace.
Seminars should not just be open to managerial personnel but should be for all employees. (Wilson et
al, 1999) Organizations can also make statements (written templates) about persons with disabilities
within their respective organizations in order to smoothen persons with disability's workplace
experience. Additionally, organizations need to conduct regular check ups and meetings with their
staff to guide them on diversity management. They could give them practical examples of how to wok
with person with disabilities. For instance, writing documents in Braille, placing important files in lower
aisles for person with disability to access among others. (Ford, 1996)

Organizations can also promote equal opportunities within the workplace by making infrastructural
changes e.g. making office equipment more user friendly for persons with disabilities. For instance,
organizations can transform their computer application to accommodate various disability aids. For
instance, they could place screen readers where persons with visual disabilities can hear information in
the company intranet through a speech synthesizer. Besides this, companies can offer their
information in a black and white form so as to make it possible for color blind users to follow events
within their workplace. Companies can show their support for person with disabilities by according
them all the rights and privileges that other employees enjoy such as holiday packages, charity events
and other company activities. (Twnley, 1990) etimes, it may be particularly difficult for a person with
a disability to perform certain physical tasks, this means that they require the help of a third party.
The government has passed a law that allows for ‘access officers' within any business to enhance the
nature of a person's employment opportunities . The work of the access officer is to ensure that all
person with disability are aware of the services entitled to them and are utilizing them effectively.
Companies need to provide all the necessary infrastructure needed to support persons with
disabilities. These may include according them custom-made desks, leaving enough corridor space for
wheel chairs, modifying rest room facilities to accommodate them. (Bartz, et al, 1990)

Organizations also need to make the environment positive or unbiased with regard to a person with a
disability. They should treat them with respect and dignity at all times in order to boost this principle.
(Cassell, 1996)

Career development within any respective organization should be done fairly and transparently. There
should be no room for discrimination on the basis of an individual's physical disabilities. The latter
category of individuals should be given equal opportunity as everyone else to grow and develop within
the organization. Companies need to have a set procedure for promotion e.g. they could conduct job
analyses annually and then discuss career progression with respective employees. (Dodds, 1995) This
means that persons with disabilities will also be given an equal opportunity and they will grow with the
organization. Similarly, an organization ought to be flexible enough in the event that one of their
employees become disabled. They should have mechanisms that allow employees to come back to
their positions. This means that companies should be ready for such eventualities and should not
change their treatment of such employees.

If a particular company has any training , education or other work related development projects, then
it should be their duty to provide this to all the employees within the company. No one, including a
person with a disability, should be denied a fair chance to improve their job performing skills during
their time with a respective company. On top of this, companies ought to make sure that they accord
persons with disabilities all the work experience necessary to grow within the industry. This implies
that companies should avoid firing such individuals without reasonable explanation. In relation to this
argument, employers should make sure that their retirement packages, time frame and procedures
are administered fairly to all employees regardless of their impairments. This means that no employer
should unfairly get rid of a member of staff or forcefully retire a physically disabled employee. (Noon,
and Blyton, 2002)

Companies need to recognize the fact that embracing diversity in the workplace should not just be
restricted to staff members with disabilities. Their responses should also be directed to disabled
persons in the community at large. This means that they should offer reasonable facilities and
responses to suppliers, shareholders and customers with disabilities. This can be done within
respective organizations in several ways (Kandola, 1995). First of all, they could avoid doing business
with shareholders or suppliers who have no regard for diversity management and those who extend
discriminatory practices against persons with disabilities. By doing this, employers will become
advocates for persons with disabilities and may encourage other businesses to follow suit. Secondly,
employers can depict diversity management in terms of the kind of infrastructure and services they
offer their consumers. (Thewlis et al, 2004). If the company engages in the sale of items, then they
could offer help filling up shopping items for persons with disabilities. Additionally, for those
consumers with disabilities who can shop independently, it would help to avoid placing crucial items in
the second or third floor as opposed to the first floor. This should go a long way in helping those
individuals on wheel chairs. Lastly, employers could show their concern for diversity by giving
donations to organizations or person with disabilities in order to facilitate their improvement even
while they continue with their lives outside the organization. Gummerson, E. (1991),

Organizations should seek the opinions of disabled person within their organization when preparing an
agenda for employment within the company. They should not be seen as the recipients of the policies
 and procedures but should also be considered as rightful stakeholders within the arrangement. (Iles,
1995) This means that companies should conduct regular meetings with person with disabilities to find
out what their needs are and what the respective company can do to support them. This will transform
the disabled employees role from a reactive one to a proactive one. The former approach was present
at times when managing equality and diversity were a sole reserve of the human resource
department. At that time, companies had to deal with numerous law suits and court proceedings
relating to persons with disabilities. However, the latter approach is in line with current perceptions of
diversity because it allows organizations a chance to identify potential problems and deal with them
early enough. Kandola and Fullerton (1998) assert that it is possible to train certain persons to
become champions of diversity. Person with abilities are a very appropriate choice for taking on this
tasks. When organization trains such individuals, then they can stand out as the organization of choice
within the workplace

One of the most important procedures with regard to persons with policies and procedures on diversity
equality and diversity management is monitoring performance. Organizations ought to make sure that
the latter benchmarks are adhered to at all times. Audits can be conducted annually to review some of
the diversity objectives laid out in the persons with disabilities objectives.

Case studies of companies that have implemented diversity management

Kandola and Fullerton (1998) assert that diversity issues need not be seen as impossible to implement
because there are many companies out there who are implementing this and have gone a long way in
promoting diversity within their environments. Some of them include health institutions, IT firms,
accounting companies and the like. All these companies have one feature in common; they have made
managing diversity and equality as part of their driving force in the environment at all times. In the
book, the authors identify some common elements that need to be adhered to by companies that
respect diversity.

 Conducting an audit of buildings in terms of the physical attitudinal attributes that favor person with
disabilities
 An implementation of diversity awareness training in a personalized and individualized manner
 Provision of guidance with regard to both employers and employees
The overall purpose of such an initiative is to ensure that all employees/ potential employees with
disabilities can access equal opportunities in the business. On top of that, companies are passing such
policies in order to ascertain that they compaly to certain. As it can be seen from the bulleted list
above, diversity management involves conducting an environmental audit, the second aspect is
offering advice and the third is with regard to advice to all the current employees with regard to
persons with disabilities. Sanglin-Grant, S. (2003)

Case studies

Many companies located within the European Union and The UK specifically have spearheaded the
cause of equality and diversity management. Consequently, other companies that may not be certain
of the route to follow can use these examples. ?(Jewson & Mason, 1994)

A health institution in the UK decided to embrace diversity with regard to person with disabilities by
giving them equal opportunities. They did this by changing their recruitment polices. This company
offered positions to a large number of persons with disabilities. Of all the one hundred and eight
person recruited within the company, a whooping forty percent either had a health condition or had a
disability. The company has been doing very well lately because they were able to attract a very
skilled workforce. After the success of the initiative, this company had decided to provide other groups
equal opportunities through according interviewees with sound opportunities in the workplace.
(Cassell, 2006)

Additionally, a communication company within the UK decided to deliberately seek employing persons
with disabilities in their organization. The company realized that so many people had not been tapped
there and it wanted to embrace that opportunity by making the most of this labor force. They told
most of their old employees to advice person with disabilities to apply for the vacancies. Also,
advertisements placed in local newspapers indicted that the company wanted to recruit persons with
disabilities The company testified that they were happy with the overall result s of the recruitment be
cause al the individuals taken in attended regularly and were also highly motivated (Paddison, 990)

Conclusion

The country has embraced the issue of diversity within the business environment; consumers,
shareholders, suppliers and investors all expect business to manage equality and diversity. (Lane and
Piercy, 2003).Even legislations designed to protect person with disabilities from discrimination have
been passed. Consequently, employers who fail to oblige may land in trouble. Employers should not
imagine that Equality and diversity management will benefit employees alone; it is equally benefiting
to the business. Managing diversity theories can be implemented in a variety of ways through training,
policies and procedures and through infrastructural changes. All employees within the organization
need to be aware of diversity management. Consequently, policies, ideas and theories need to be
made transparent for all individuals.

References

Miller, S., Hagen, R. and Johnson, M. (2002). Divergent Identities? Professions, management and
gender. Public money and management,25-30.

Cassell C (2006) ‘Managing Diversity' in Contemporary Human Resource Management eds Redman
and Wilkinson, FT Prentice Hall

Noon M and Blyton P (2002) The Realities of Work Palgrave (chapter 10 ‘Unfair Discrimination at
Work)

Sanglin-Grant, S. (2003). Divided by the same language? Equal opportunities and diversity translated.
Runnymede Trust

Thewlis, M., Miller, L. and Neathey, F. (2004). Advancing Women in the Workplace: Statistical
Analysis. EOC Working Paper Series no. 12. Manchester: Equal Opportunities Commission.

Lane, N. and Piercy, N. F. (2003). The ethics of discrimination: Organisational mindsets and female
employment disadvantage. Journal of Business Ethics, 44, 313 – 325.

Bartz, D.E., Hillman, L.W., Lehrer, S., Mayhugh, G.M. (1990), "A model for managing workforce
diversity", Management Education and Development, Vol. 21 No.5, pp.321-6.
Cassell, C. (1996), "A fatal attraction? Strategic HRM and the business case for women's progression",
Personnel Review, Vol. 25 No.5, pp.51-66.

Dodds, I. (1995), "Differences can also be strengths", People Management, Vol. 20 April pp.40-3.

Ellis, C., Sonnenfield, J.A. (1993), "Diverse approaches to managing diversity", Human Resource
Management, Vol. 33 No.1, pp.79-109.

Elmuti, D. (1993), "Managing diversity in the workplace: an immense challenge for both managers
and workers", Industrial Management, Vol. July/August pp.19-22.

Ford, V. (1996), "Partnership is the secret of progress", People Management, Vol. 2 No.3, pp.34-6.

Gardenswartz, L., Rowe, A. (1998), "‘Why diversity matters", HR Focus, Vol. July pp.s1-s3.

Gummerson, E. (1991), Qualitative Methods in Management Research, Sage, London, .

Holly, L. (1998), "The glass ceiling in local government – a case study", Local Government Studies,
Vol. 24 No.1, pp.1-73.

Iles, P. (1995), "Learning to work with difference", Personnel Review, Vol. 24 No.6, pp.44-60.

Institute of Personnel and Development, IPD (1996), Managing Diversity, an IPD Position Paper, IPD,
London, .

Jewson, N., Mason, D. (1994), "Race, employment and equal opportunities: towards a political
economy and an agenda for the 1990s", Sociological Review, Vol. 42 No.4, pp.597-617.

Kandola, B. (1995), "Selecting for diversity", International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Vol. 3
No.3, .

Kirkton, G., Greene, A.M. (2000), The Dynamics of Managing Diversity: A Critical Approach,
Buttterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, .

Liff, S. (1999), "Diversity and equal opportunities: room for a constructive compromise", Human
Resource Management Journal, Vol. 9 No.1, pp.65-75.

Merriam, S. (1988), Case Study Research in Education: a Qualitative Approach, Jossey-Bass, San
Francisco, CA, .

McDougall, M. (1998), "Devolving gender management in the public sector: opportunity or opt-out?",
The International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 11 No.1, pp.71-80.

McNerney, D. (1994), "The bottom line value of diversity", HR Focus, Vol. May pp.22-3.

Paddison, L. (1990), "The targeted approach to recruitment", Personnel Management, Vol. 22 No.11,
pp.54-8.

Ross, R., Schneider, R. (1992), From Equality to Diversity – a Business Case for Equal Opportunities,
Pitman, London, .
Sanglin-Grant, S., Schneider, R. (2000), Moving On Up? Racial Equality and the Corporate Agenda,
Runnymede Trust, London, .

Storey, J. (1992), Developments in the Management of Human Resources, Blackwell, Oxford, .

Thomas, D.A., Ely, R.J. (1996), "Making differences matter: a new paradigm for managing diversity",
Harvard Business Review, Vol. September-October pp.79-90.

Townley, B. (1990), "A discriminating approach to appraisal", Personnel Management, Vol. 22 No.12,
pp.34-7.

Wilson, E.M., Iles, P.A. (1999), "Managing diversity – an employment and service delivery challenge",
The International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 12 No.1, .

(ArticlesBase SC #1919623)

Carolyn Smith - About the Author:

Author is associated with SuperiorPapers.Us which is a global Research Papers and Term
Papers Writing Company. If you would like help in Research Papers and Term Paper Help you can
visitwww.SuperiorPapers.Us