Managing Cultural Diversity Essay Example for Free

Managing Cultural Diversity Essay The following paper brie y debates the rhetoric of managing diversity and considers whether managing diversity is a distinct approach to managing people or a means of diluting equal opportunities in UK organizations. With respect to the realities of the concepts in UK organizations, empirical data from a survey of sixty UK human resource professionals and general line managers is presented. We pose a number of cautionary questions, including what does it matter and to whom? By doing so we intend to encourage further critique and challenges in respect to the concept of managing diversity in organizations. Keywords: Managing diversity, equal opportunities, HRM/D, rhetoric, reality Introduction Today the workforce does not look, think, or act like any workforce of the past, nor does it hold the same values, have the same experiences, or pursue the same needs and desires (Jamieson and O’ Mara 1991). The composition of today’ s workforce has changed signi cantly in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, culture, education, disabilities, and values. Running parallel to these changes is the shift in thinking by human resource theorists and practitioners with regard to addressing equality in the workplace (Cooper and White 1995; Liff and Wacjman 1996). This shift is underpinned by the emergence of the business case argument for equal opportunities, as opposed to the persuasive debate for social justice or equal opportunities as ‘ correcting an imbalance, an injustice or a mistake’ (Thomas 1990). There is now a view that, after twenty years of the ‘ stick’ of legal compliance (which has achieved little), the ‘ carrot’ of underpinning the business case for equal opportunities will perhaps achieve more (Dickens 1994). The business case argument for equal opportunities in organizations is often termed ‘ managing or valuing diversity’ , but, as with most contemporary Human Resource Development International ISSN 1367-8868 print/ISSN 1469–8374 online  © 2000 Taylor Francis Ltd http://www. tandf. co. uk/journals 420 Peer-Reviewed Articles anagement issues, the underlying principles and interpretation of this concept are open to mass interpretation, criticism, and indeed misunderstanding. D. Miller (1996) argues that the significant widening of the meaning of equal opportunities has brought with it more complex and confusing messages for employers and practitioners. By drawing on literature and empirical data, we consider whether mana ging diversity is a distinct approach to managing people or a means of diluting equal opportunities in UK organizations and pose a number of cautionary questions, including: what does it matter and to whom? By doing so, we intend to encourage further critique and challenges in respect to the concept of managing diversity in organizations. What is managing diversity? Thomas (2000) argues that, with the growing number of mergers and acquisitions, workforce diversity will become more of a priority for organizations and, therefore, in the future, people will become clearer on what diversity is and how to manage it. As with the debates surrounding de nitions of human resource management and development (HRM/D), managing diversity as a concept means different things to different people. It can relate to the issue of national cultures inside a multinational organization (Hofstede 1984); it can relate to the further development of equal opportunities or to a distinct method of integrating different parts of an organization and/or managing people strategically. Much of the literature regarding managing diversity relates to the US experience, where the concept is particularly popular; a re ection perhaps of the more pronounced diversity of workforce composition (Cassell 1996). In a recent report 1999), a Department of Education in America described managing and valuing diversity as a key component of effective people management, arguing that it focuses on improving the performance of the organization and promotes practices that enhance the productivity of all staff. Their dimensions of diversity include gender, race, culture, age, family/carer status, religion, and disability. The de nition provided also embraces a range of individual skills, educational quali cations, work experience and background, languages, and other relevant attributes and experiences which differentiate individuals.

Conflict Essay -- Character Analysis, Chuck, Li-Young Lee

Chuck and Li-Young Lee have no idea who the hell they are. Both are similar characters from two different books by two different authors; but they are looking for the same thing: identity and what space they occupy? Chuck identifies with the New York scene and type of people living there, but does not have a space or identity of his own just as Lee is confused about who he is and must dive into meta-poetics to find his space and identity. Both are lost in a haze of confusion, and must look very hard both within themselves, as well as friends, family, heritage, and the history surrounding their lives. This paper will examine the historical and ethnic conflicts of the characters and how they come to reconcile their space and identity in a foreign land dealing with these issues. Some of these issues stem from misrepresented information and initial prejudice while others rise from a lack of personal information, and building upon ones past and history and their personal perception of the mselves occupying a space. In the beginning of the text Chuck identifies with his New York â€Å"identity† as well as being a â€Å"renaissance man† rather than having a named identity (Naqvi, 1). He does notice forced identities that he is not part of or had been part of before; â€Å"We'd become Japs, Jews, Niggers. We weren't before† (Naqvi, 1). Chuck notices these identities and space being made; he feels something of forced inclusion into a space that had not been there before. Not apparent at first, Chuck has a severed connection with his heritage, when thinking of what food to eat, â€Å"eating home food, comfort food, alone made me shudder† (Naqvi, 32) He cannot even bring himself to eat the food he grew up on. This is further reinforced in that he does not cont... .... But he wants to accept the American identity as well, but â€Å"its sensual, salient nowness, punctuating the void from which such hunger springs and to which it proceeds† (Lee, 84). Through his acceptance of his East Asian identity his soul is â€Å"cleaved so that the soul might be restored.† His soul is split, but by his own doing, he must accept his hyphenated identity, embrace it, and accept it. Though both characters come to find their identity and space, historical and ethnic struggles haunt and follow them along the way. Neither characters are accepted in the American culture, and have to identify with others in their position. This causes much heartache and a sudden shock to the character. But with persistence, these characters find their identity; though not what they might have expected or originally wanted, they became part of something that would accept them.

A Spiritual Journey

Ashwin Sathyanarayanan English 10 Professor Stanley Personal Essay That Once in a Lifetime Chance It is a great feeling going to a place where it’s a huge matter in one’s life. â€Å"Revisiting Sacred Ground† N. Scott Momaday had made a pilgrimage which his Kiowa ancestors. Momaday has said,† There are certain villages, and towns mountains and plains that, having seen them, walked in them, lived in them, even for a day, we keep forever in the mind’s eye. † Just like how Momaday relived his ancestor’s trails, I had a chance as well. I was lucky enough to be able to go on such a sacred journey that people would pay in thousands of dollars.The pilgrimage I would like to talk about is the one I took to a sacred city in India called Badrinath. I follow Hinduism, and in Hinduism there is a saying/belief that if we go on this enriching, and spiritual journey, we will go to heaven after we pass. I have a guru, like a living god, who I listen to and look up to. He took me on this spiritual journey. This spiritual journey had started for me 7 years ago in 2005, around June I had left San Francisco International Airport, and left to my motherland India. I landed in New Delhi, India to be exact. From there we drove to a city called Kasi.The city of Kasi is known for its sacred river. My guru had told me that in Hindu mythology if you bathe in the holy river of Ganges it will get rid of all your sins. We stayed the night there and we went to the sacred river and bathed early in the morning around 5. Then we went to the temple and did some prayer rituals that are performed after the bathing in the river. Later that day we took a bus from Kasi and drove into a city called Haridwar, one of the beautiful cities in the foothills of the Himalayas. When we reached the city of Haridwar, my guru told us a little about the place before we got out of the bus.That is where I learned the myth being told that Haridwar is one of the four citi es where amrit (the elixir of immortality) spilled from a pitcher which was being carried by a bird named Garuda. I was amazed by the fact, and my guru said, â€Å"this is nothing wait and you’ll see more amazing things. † He left me questionable that there were more amazing things than this. We got an auto (taxi) and went to the river because we heard that they do an extraordinary festive every night. This festive is known as Ganga aarti, and it happens at the river banks of the ganges (Har ki Pauri).At Har ki Pauri every night at both banks of the river, people are flooded, with an aarti in their hand. An aarti is a lamp lit by fire. After the priests finishing chanting the mantras and show the aarti to the gods, everyone lets the aarti down into the river and they pray what they want, and let the aarti go down stream. I was lucky enough to do that myself. We then went back to the hotel that we had checked into and left the next day back on our tour. We then travelle d to our next stop Rishikesh, which is another city in the foothills of the Himalayas.We were in Rishikesh for no longer than 4 hours because we had to get to our sleep stop. During the four hours that we were there we went to a lot of ashrams (meditation center) and saw many Saints. After the four hours had ended, we went back to our bus and left to our night stop, which was called Nanda Prayag. Since it was night time and we were all tired from the really long day, we went to bed, but I kept hearing the noise of the river really loud, and it sounded like it was just too close. Next morning the noise of the river and the animals woke me up and the noise was just so close that I had to go look how far it was.With all my curiosity when I went out to the balcony and I saw the most spectacular view. I saw two of the most holy rivers combine together, the combinations of the two rivers was just so distinct, the Alaknanda River and the Mandakini River confluence. At this place there was a temple ashore of the river. After I went and bathed in the river I had gone to the temple and I had learned the history of this place, it was fascinating. Then we all left the temple to the bus and we left and arrived at our longest stay in our tour, Badrinath. Badrinath was literally the whole reason we went on this trip.It was known as one of the most holiest, and sacred places to be at. We arrived there later in the Afternoon. After we checked into our hotel, we went and explored the city. And while exploring the city we saw many beautiful temples, and all these lead us to the main temple, the Badrinath Temple. We had to cross over a small walking bridge which went over the Alaknandha River, It went with such force, and if you sit in that water nonstop for more than ten – fifteen minutes, you will surely have a heart failure, because the water is that cold, and we are at an extreme altitude.And the most Ironic thing about this cold river is after we crossed it we have to bathe before we enter the temple, even if we had bathed in the morning. When we went to the place we were supposed to bathe, we came to find out that it was a hot spring and this hot spring was ten feet away from the extremely cold Alaknanda waters, ironic enough, I thought so. After we finished bathing there was a ritual which we had to perform. We had to get into brand new clothes and we had to give the clothes were wearing to the more unfortunate people.So after we did that, we went into the main temple, it was enriched with beautiful colors and sculptures all made since the time the temple was created. We had gone in and while we were coming outside, we had ran into a very famous priest, and we all greeted him, and he invited us to come to his ashram, so we all went. There he told us about the main reason of this temple. This temple is only open during Spring, Summer and Fall. They closes the temple, right before we end fall and enter Winter. The closing and opening of the temp le is a huge ceremony.This is the most important ceremony to come to if you have major problems which need to be resolved. He told us that during the ceremony they do many poojas (rituals and prayers) and they have an extremely huge lamp and they fill it to the rim with oil and they light the lamp, and during the lighting of the lamp we all must pray for what we all want most. After they light it they close and seal the temple for six months through the harsh winters. The most amazing part is that even though it snows and rains, and harsh winds blow, the lamp never goes out. I was dumb founded by this statement.It is said that it doesn’t go out because of the bonds of all the prayers and wishes the people had made, it is so strong, that nothing can affect it. He continued by saying that after the six months pass, for the wish you made to come true you, must come back for the opening ceremony of the temple. If indeed you do, you will see that the lamp that was lit is still lit and the glory of the light is just so divine. Since he had an urgent issue to deal with he left us in awe. My guru then told me,† I told you I would show you something which is even more fascinating. † I was speechless, and we left back to our hotel and slept.The next day my guru took us to the last village in India, Mana. My guru told me that this is the main source of the river Saraswathi, (the goddess of education) and he had told me that this river is so tricky and mischievous. My guru said that this river after 3 miles this river disappears, it is said that it runs underground and comes back up in a city more down south. After we saw where the main source had come from we saw this passage on the left and my guru had told me out of my whole family to go up because it was a very dangerous path/cave and he said I am the only one in the family that is very capable of going through it.As I went through this path I experienced the biggest fear of my life, snakes. They we re literally everywhere. I had gone through this extreme passage and I got out of this tight hole and I could not believe my own eyes, there it was, The Great Wall of China. I had come back down the passage I went up but this time the snakes were all gone, there was none there anymore, which shocked me even more. I had come down and my guru said do not tell us what you saw.I was bursting in excitement and he made me hold it in. It was the hardest thing in life for me to hold in. After we left the village and started going back down on the bus, my guru called me and I went and sat next to him on the bus and he told me,† now I want you to tell us all what happened. † I had then told them that I went up this cave of snakes and saw the great wall, and on my way back not even one snake was there, everyone was in shock. That was the biggest mystery in my life till now.After we came back down we had left back to our beginning destination New Delhi, India. On our way back though we went back in a helicopter, I asked my guru why we didn’t use the helicopter on the way up, and he said,† you wouldn’t have experienced all that you did now if you came on a helicopter. † This was the sacred pilgrimage that all Indians must take at least once in your lifetime, according to Hindu mythology. I now have a dream to go back once again and revisit the same places and relive what did in 2005.

American History A Multi Faceted Progression Of History

American history is a multi-faceted progression of time that cannot be explained through the simple statements of facts or events. In order to properly understand and analyze American history, one needs to account for the variety of perspectives available throughout history. Most often narratives of American history are written through the perspective of wealthy, elite white men, thus, it is important to also chronicle the history and perspectives of the minorities as well. Thus, in an attempt to properly understand the progression of American history, this essay will aim to compare the accounts of the wealthy elites to the small, non-farmers. In an effort to understand the progression of American history, it is pertinent to begin with†¦show more content†¦The elite class in colonial times was able to afford passage from England, and as such, did not experience indentured servitude. In addition, their wealth allowed them to make suitable husbands for the few women who emigrated, thus the elite class was able to maintain the initial outlook of prosperity in this new world. While there was still a glimmer of hope for economic prosperity for the non-landowning elite, they would have had a less positive outlook on starting a family life, giving their perspective a lower quality of life. Their indentured servitude led to a loss of valuable child bearing years and setbacks in beginning a new life, and as a result their perspective of colonial America is riddled with hardships. Moving forward to the industrial revolution, the gap between the elite upper class and the lower class began to widen. The elite class had always tasted the prosperity, however the introduction of the industrial revolution brought about a life of luxury for the elite class. They began to enjoy an extravagant lifestyle as a result of new technologies such as the power loom and the cotton gin, in essence the rich got richer. The upper classes success in the industrial revolution paints it as an event that changed all of America for the better, however that is not the case for the lower class. For the