Blog 2: The Challenge of Managing Diverse Teams

Diversity in a workplace nowadays can include a lot more categories that race, culture, and gender: religion affiliation, sexual orientation, generation, disability, personality, and the diversity of thought (Aperian Global 2015). Research actually shows that the levels of innovation and competitiveness in companies have a positive correlation with how they embrace diversity (breakingthemold.openmic.org 2017). As Belbin’s Roles Theory suggested, most successful teams were made up of a diverse mix of behaviours, all of them with certain strengths and weaknesses that compliment each other, as explained in the following table.

Belbin’s Team Roles Table (Slideshare)

In Tuckman and Jensen’s model (1977), 5 stages of team development were identified: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Diversity plays a big role in the storming stage. The presence of diversity in thinking or informational processing would largely result in “constructive conflict, or debate, around the task at hand … people [would] deliberate about the best course of action” (Stanford Graduate School of Business 1999).

Tuckman & Jensen 5 Stages Model (margarethillary.com)

However, one major concern and limitation of this view is that a lot of attention was given to the advantages it can bring for the business that it actually overshadows the moral, social, and ethical issues of treating people equally (Mullins 2010: 160). This could result in economic reasons being the major or sole drive for promoting diversity. Having team members from diverse cultural, educational, and demographical backgrounds also gives more opportunity for more variative conflicts to arise. Old ways of thinking and stereotypical prejudices may create unnecessary tension and conflict. There may also be additional financial costs associated with diversity such as the need for gender neutral bathroom (for transgenders), roll-in toilets (for people with disability), lactation room (for breastfeeding ladies), prayer room (for Muslim colleagues), and many others (London 2016).

Another problem would be to make sure there is an effective communication throughout the team. As cultures collide, misinterpretations and miscommunications would be present form time to time. Diverse team members would have different working styles, etiquette, and attitude with them; reflecting their own cultural values and differences. Failing to communicate effectively and give equal platform for all of the differing views would cause a dynamic problem within the team itself. A great example of this is the difference between how a Japanese and an American would handle other people’s business cards. Business card etiquette is very important protocol in Japan that it would be considered rude not to present one with both hands during a business meeting. The card must then be presented in full view throughout the entire meeting as not to offend the giver and no writing is to be done on the card itself (Chaves 2017). In America, a polite exchange of business cards is still procedural but most people, especially those working in digital advertising or IT, will gladly provide you their LinkedIn profile or a handwritten note with their name and phone number on it.

The need of strong and effective leadership

Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Australia, is a champion of diversity management. The openly gay CEO often talks about how it helps the airline get back on its feet. In 2011, public loathed him when he decided to restructure the whole company and laid down 5,000 jobs. In 2016, Qantas managed to deliver the best half-profit ever in its 95 years history. When people asked him how he did it, Joyce said,  [Diversity] got us through the tough times . . . Diversity generated better strategy, better risk management, better debates, [and] better outcomes” (Hewett 2016).

 

Alan Joyce, CEO (Qantas)

Conclusion

An understanding of diversity requires a change of culture into something that both respects individual differences and at the same time treats all team members with respect. Diversity is crucial because it provides room for innovation and adaptation within an organisation in this world of fast-changing environment (Walter 2014), resulting in both competitive advantage and economic success (Hewlett et al. 2012). In this context, leaders play a crucial role in managing diversity, they need to “bring together people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions, gender and age groups into cohesive and productive organizational units” (Armstrong 2009) which is not an easy task. Diversity also comes with its own set of disadvantages, so leaders need to formulate and implement rules and policies to maximise its advantages while at the same time minimize the potential conflicts. They would also need to consistently apply values of fairness and equality and lead by their own example. The strength of diverse team is best summarised by Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, with his quote, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”.

773 words (with citation)

 

References

Aperian Global. (2015) Diversity & Inclusion: 5 Lessons from Top Global Companies. [online] available from <http://www.aperianglobal.com/leaders-diversity-inclusion-5-lessons-top-global-companies/&gt; [9 Feb. 2018].

 

Armstrong, M. (2016) Armstrong’s Handbook of Management and Leadership for HR. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Kogan Page, pp.260-263.

 

Breakingthemold.openmic.org. (2017) BREAKING THE MOLD – Investing in Racial Diversity in Tech. [online] available from <http://breakingthemold.openmic.org/&gt; [10 Feb. 2018].

 

Chaves, E. (2017) Business cards in Japan: So many rules, so easily and often broken. [online] available from <https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2017/10/29/our-lives/business-cards-japan-many-rules-easily-often-broken/#.WpOpi6hubIV> [11 Feb. 2018]

 

Covey, S. (2018) A quote by Stephen R. Covey. [online] available from <https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/68074-strength-lies-in-differences-not-in-similarities&gt; [12 Feb. 2018].

 

Hewett, J. (2016) Beyond Joyce’s ‘darkest moment’. The Australian. [online] available from <https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/in-depth/perpetual/alan-joyce-says-management-diversity-was-key-to-getting-qantas-through-turbulent-times/news-story/5afe123042f7d2e20b8d3a5f001477b8&gt; [10 Feb. 2018].

 

Hewlett, S., Jackson, M., Cose, E. and Emerson, C. (2012) Vaulting the Colour Bar: How Sponsorship Levers Multicultural Professionals into Leadership. New York: Center for Talent Innovation.

 

Hult News (2017) 13 benefits and challenges of cultural diversity in the workplace in 2017. [online] available from <http://www.hult.edu/blog/benefits-challenges-cultural-diversity-workplace/> [10 Feb. 2018]

 

Ibarra, H. & Hansen, M. (2011) ‘Are You a Collaborative Leader?’, Harvard Business Review, 89, 7/8, pp. 68-74, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost.

 

London, J. (2016). Let’s Talk About Bathrooms [online] available from <https://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/lets-talk-about-bathrooms> [10 Feb.2018]

 

Mullins, L. (2010). Management and organisational behaviour. 9th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, p.160.

 

Stanford Graduate School of Business. (1999). Diversity and Work Group Performance. [online] available from <https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/diversity-work-group-performance&gt; [9 Feb. 2018].

 

Walter, E. (2014). Forbes Welcome. [online] available from <https://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2014/01/14/reaping-the-benefits-of-diversity-for-modern-business-innovation/#67b614402a8f> [10 Feb. 2018].