The Real Meaning of Diversity?
The simple concept of diversity is to respect individual differences that are based on cultural values, customs and mores." Do you agree or disagree with this statement. Why?
Rebecca,
and learning to appreciate these & understand them is key to success in today's environment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with the statement.
A diverse workforce with different ethnic backgrounds represents different cultural values, customs and mores.
I agree with the statement, also, as a woman, I know that in many parts of the world, gender diversity is hindered by cultural values, customs and mores.
Marivic,
yes, this can truly be the uniting factor in most of our organizations.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with the statement. In spite of individual differences that are based on cultural values, customs and mores what is important is everyone is working towards achieving the company's overall vision.
David,
great point & I think the exchange is a good illustration of what you were saying: the need for & room for embracing diversity of thinking & opinions!
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Dr. Meers,
I agree as well, and while I agree the statement doesn't explicitly preclude the idea, it also doesn't specifically address it.
While I admit that I could have phrased my statement as a qualified agree, as long as we accept that aspect was acknowledged, the devil's advocate/contrarian/provocateur in me just felt that it would be more likely to grab someone's attention since the position seemed so obviously positive. =)
-- David
David,
And I do not disagree with your thoughts & statements. I would argue that the statement does not preclude cognitive diversity but rather presents diversity from the cultural perspective as that is the most readily available for most people. You are right that businesses thrive most when they embrace cognitive diversity. I would also argue that if an organization cannot embrace cultural diversity which is much easier to "see" I would question if they will be successful in embracing cognitive diversity as that is not nearly as readily apparent.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Dr. Meers,
I disagree with this statement-- I do not think that the point of embracing diversity is ONLY to respect differences in values, customs and mores.
Yes we should do so, but that is a principle that people should be applying into their daily lives and interactions with others in many spheres, not just in working environments.
That said, in a business context, or any context where decisions are made, the benefits of having a cognitively diverse group of people working on the issues has been statistically proven to yield results that are more accurate than the average individual of that group -- See the Work of Dr. Scott Page to see how this is a statistical fact.
It is cognitive diversity, different ways of thinking, different assumptions, and approaches to solving problems that businesses gain the most from. It is the cognitive diversity that organizations should strive to achieve. The emphasis on cultural diversity for diversity's sake while admirable, and idealistic misses the point here.
Cultural diversity is only helpful for fostering better ideas to the extent that cultural differences correlate to differences in thinking. Fortunately this correlation does tend to be high, but it is not always the case.
As mentioned, people are not defined by one or even a few fixed identities (or corresponding belief systems) which is why our training's advice about regarding each individual as unique is so necessary beyond the fact that it would be horribly insulting to do otherwise anyway.
I look forward to your reply.
David S. March
Doug,
yes & it really teaches us to understand the different approaches & viewpoints that exist & demonstrate greater patience with these.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Absolutely agree with that statement Diversity adds value to a business in many ways by fostering an environment of respect and understanding that transcends to all customers.
