WORKFORCE 2020
In the year 2020 workforce diversity will still be heavily influenced by new innovations and enhanced infrastructure globally. Workers are now taking advantage of such technology thus the need to look for greener pastures will assist them in developing their careers since many workers like working in challenging environments. Therefore in the year 2020 there will be a continued presence of workforce diversity that will posses different kinda of skills which if combined together yield great results in terms of production purposes. More specifically development in technology together with communication effectiveness and enhanced global relations will contribute immensely to the endorsement of workforce diversity.
This paper will therefore discuss the challenges and successes that the organization Starbucks Corporation is and will be experiencing in the year 2020 while trying to manage a diverse workforce. The challenges are the negative impacts which experienced managers and owners of different companies undergo while implementing diversity issues and programs in the organization. On the other side, the successes are the actual benefits the organization is able to gain while it implements the diversity of management in the organization. The paper will finally provide some kind of conclusive recommendations of how organizations such as the Starbucks Corporation can utilize both the challenges and successes to benefit their organizations, especially in the near future that is in the year 2020 when the labor force is predicted to be more diverse than before.
Management of diverse workforce was first developed in Northern America in the late 1980s as philosophy. The idea was contained in a report duped, Workforce 2000 which had predicted that in the 21st century, many organizations will be dealing with wide and diverse workforces meaning that some form of strategies must be designed to ensure that the situation is under control. True to that prediction, many organizations today have diverse workforces hence the topic has gained popularity and it is being studied widely. Since that time, the new management approaches of diverse management have continued to be adopted because of the prevailing economic and social environment (Anderson and Metcalf, 2003).
Diversity Management in Starbucks Corporation
Starbucks Corporation
Starbucks Corporation is a coffee company in Australia which was first opened in July, 2000 in Sydney and at the Central Business District as a subsidiary of the mother company in the United States. Starbucks roasts high quality whole coffee beans and they sell them with other beverages as prepared in the Italian espresso beverages. The coffee drinks are richly brewed to give the customers necessary satisfaction and pleasure. One of the best known drink brands is the bottled Frappuccino which is enjoyed throughout the world. In Australia alone, the organization has been able to expand and now has 89 retail outlets in major areas of the nation such as Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Tasmania, Gold Coast, South Australia, and Brisbane.
The headquarters for the Starbucks coffee company Australia is at the Frenchs Forest, New South Wales and it serves as the support centre for all the other stores in Australia. The retail stores offer people the finest coffee sourced from coffee farmers across the world in addition to great entertainment, music, good people and excellent customer service. This organization is the only retail international coffee store that has a unique brand that has a global recognition. Most of the customers get access to excellent room tables, comfortable sofas, chairs, bars and other accessories which fit the needs of everyone from the CEO of a company to the secretary of a company (Starbucks Corporations, 2010).
This company endeavors to produce economic, social, and environmental benefits as a social responsibility stance for the communities it serves. This organization believes that it is possible to be good and do the best at the same time. Nevertheless, there has been a considerable criticism that Starbucks management has failed to be effective and efficient in its business activities because they have practiced unacceptable managerial activities of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. The company has not ensured that the respective managers of respective departments are well equipped with human, technical, and conceptual skills that give them an opportunity to integrate the managerial activities above in order to produce results expected from their departments. The absence of such skills by managers has led to the companys performance decreasing in some of its potential markets (John and Keith, 1997).
Starbucks Corporation has been criticized for not building a strong diverse human resource relationship with its entire workforce who has failed to enhance the success of corporation. In fact, the research indicates that the company does not recruit its employees based on their qualifications and their competence but on their diverse backgrounds. Our company has not achieved effectiveness and efficiency because we do not develop our workforce through training and we have not adopted proper diversity management systems that have in turn demoralized our employees in their work. Such employees have not been able to cope with effects of competition and thus they have produced poor results (Starbucks Corporations, 2010).
Normally, diverse employees in an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations bring with them patterns of thinking networks or thinking attitudes. Habits and social pleasures which people have learnt within their communities are also brought into the organization. This will result in re-structuring of organization to effectively determine the culture that should be adopted by all people in the organization with a view to creating harmony among all the employees. Proper management of diversity within the Starbucks Corporations is suitable for allowing the diverse people in the organization who share varied experiences or background to effectively combine forces and boost the organizations productivity. The different dimensions that people who are considered diverse include gender, ethnicity, race, color, age, physical abilities, occupation, industry, career, among others.
Sources of Diversity in the Organization
The increasing diversity in most organizations today can be attributed to several factors first, there is a changing demographic structure in our countries due to modernization and technology advances. The demographic structure enables people from different parts of the world to come together in a specific location and live together. Secondly, the importance of diversification to companies is to sustain their profits and long term survival. This entails the recruitment of persons from different parts of the world. Finally, changes within an organization on how work is done contribute to diversity within the organization.
Challenges
Challenges will be experienced in the year 2020 by organizations while trying to manage a diverse workforce. These challenges are more than simply acknowledging the differences people have in their day to day activities. In summary, it involves
Recognizing the value of differences
Mitigating effects of discrimination
Promoting inclusiveness in the organization
Bad behaviors and negative attitudes are barriers to organizational development because they harm working relationships and reduce productivity. These behaviors and attitudes include discrimination, punishment, stereotyping and prejudice, especially when they are applied during hiring and promotions or even firing the employees from the organization. They are considered not only inhuman but also not a good public image for the organization Despite the fact that existence of diversity in the organization is appreciated throughout the diverse sectors ranging from government institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, multinational firms, industries and other sectors that require a huge workforce, they are only viewed as human protection rights and legal compliance requirements (Michael, 2006).
Diversity as A Potential Performance Barrier-Inefficient Communication
Previous research has shown that the presence of a significant diverse force within an organization such as our Starbucks Corporation can in future lead to a reduction in productivity of some kind of redundancy. This has been attributed to the following reasons to start off the efficiency of communication is reduced within an organization where a diverse workforce is available. The language barrier for example is the best example to describe this. It is difficult for people from all parts of the world to adopt the same language at the work place.
Conflicts
While trying to manage a diverse workforce, the management of the Starbucks Corporations will be experiencing difficulties arising from conflicts. People are naturally jealous or inclined towards people they consider their own. Therefore, employees within the Starbucks Corporations in the 2020 will be diverse in gender, race, education, religion or any other issue of diversity. This means that our employees will be involved in many misunderstandings including the conflict of social disparity, religious conflict or any other form of discrimination. Conflicts are related to all forms of isolation or discrimination and that it is the main contributor to fights, poor performance and lack of cooperation among people in our organization (Sparrow and Hilltop, 1994).
Workplace harassment
Workplace harassment entails the use of abusive language or isolation of specific workers because of their diversity (disabilities, performance record, sex or place of birth) which will hinder the efficient formation of teamwork. Therefore in future the organization is encouraged to create team work which is useful for an organization in that, people are able to share their ideas or problems thereby providing workable solutions to issues. It has been researched that people are from different backgrounds and with varied skills tend to form a strong teamwork. On the other hand, they are more susceptible to workplace harassment which is bad for the Starbucks Corporations.
Workplace harassment practices such as sexual harassment are so inhuman that may result in the breakdown of individual and team relationship in an organization and in most case it is the result of ones race, disability or gender. Harassment is not only directed to junior employees but it can also be directed to a senior member of the group. The consequences of workplace harassment and surveillance are normally severe and it results in mental, physical and emotional illnesses. Our organization in this case has a lot to lose if it does not act quickly. Some managers may want to employ people who are only known to them because they trust that they can work peacefully without any interference.
Low moralemotivation
Organizational development dictates that every individual gives his or her best to the organization they serve. Employee satisfaction is the key to the economic success of any company. Research has shown that a satisfied employee does his job well and in return the companys performance is greatly improved. Some studies have suggested that people with diverse backgrounds find it hard to motivate themselves as a result of the differences in how they approach issues. Employer and employee relations are very important in ensuring that a company realizes its mission and team spirit is built. In fact, it has been researched and found out that satisfied employees usually translate to satisfied customers. Hence, with proper policies and administrative skills, managers can create satisfied employees even without the utilization of teamwork strategies in our organization. This approves that in the year 2020 the Starbucks Corporations will need to have people who posses some form of similarities to avoid misinterpretations of its policies, guidelines and schedules.
Lack of Social Attraction
In addition, a diverse workforce will most likely be having problems of social attraction among the individuals in our organization. Social issues within the organization are important especially when it comes to building workable group work. Lack of social interaction is very costly to the organization. In situations where our organization will want to promote corporate social responsibility in the community, social interaction will be very important as the employees will be the ones to spearhead the activities. If these employees are so diverse that they can not work together mainly because of their religion, language or gender, then it will become difficult for the organization to meet its objectives.
Recruitment Difficulties
During the diversity management process, it becomes difficult to recruit the best on the market. Dealing with people of different backgrounds makes work difficult for the human resource officers especially the rigorous process of selection, interviewing or retaining potential employees in our organization. In many cases the organization will not be able to collect all the people from the different countries or races to come personally to get the necessary selection process. Diversity management therefore will require extensive skills by human resource officers
High costs
High costs are usually incurred while trying to manage a diverse workforce. It is usually very hard to deal with the needs of a diverse workforce. To solve issues arising as a result of differences in ethnicity, race or education, our organization will need the services of a company counselor in order to provide counseling services. Dealing with such issues as conflicts require the company spend a lot of revenue to reconcile and bring people to a harmonious situation.
Unrealistic Expectations
Companies which try to employ diversity tactics in order to fulfill certain targets on international markets may be in for a rude shock as their expectations may be too high. Individual expectation in an organization may also be unrealistic in that people would want to be associated with certain organizations just because of the perceived image either in the press or on the market. Some persons from different regions may for example wish to join our organization as part of a strategy to meet their expectations in terms of technology and finances. In the process, our organization may turn out to be one of the companies which do not recognize individual differences as the main driving and harmonious force within the company. Finally, ones career development is partly fulfilled and people will seek for further fulfillment elsewhere. The company will experience high workout rates in the form of resignations because people will be leaving the company because of dissatisfaction.
Legal Suits
Incidences of discrimination have led to increased number of legal suits against many companies. While trying to manage diversity in our organization the issue will most likely arise as a consequence of addressing the negative implications of diversity. When the company tries to discriminate even against the disabled persons in their workforce, it will find itself getting bad publicity and in the long run bad image.
Diversity as Value-Added Activity
Fulfilling Organizational Values
The achievement of core values by exercising fairness to all individuals within the organization is one of the key sections of the mission of any organization including the Starbucks Corporations. Being fair to all members of the organization and respecting each and every employee regardless of the education or position in the organization is in itself a strategic business management. Analysts argue that in the year 2020 a well managed diversity in an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations will add value to the organization through the following
It will increase innovation and creativity among employees
Problem solving will become easier
With better recruitment, selection, retention and dismissal, quality personnel are at one time available for the organization that will lead to better productivity
Organizational flexibility will be increased
Marketing strategies will at the long run be improved especially those that deal directly with the products and services
The corporation therefore needs a stream flow of ideas and services in order to blossom and we can do this by hiring people of diverse nature, attitudes or even race with a view to ensuring that they reap the best of them.
Problem Solving Ability
Revenues can be reversed through improved decision making and problem solving procedures. Research has shown that a diverse workforce has plenty of experience and broader view of ideas. First, diverse groups are able to critically analyze issues as they arise and with that extensive experience, things can be dealt with accordingly. Good problem solving tactics cannot be just obtained by mixing people of different cultures together but the way the people in this context are proactively managed to deliver is the thing that will bring the desired change. A diverse culture which is trained produces better results than those who were not trained hence it is advisable that a diverse workforce is equipped well on their roles and expectations from the organization in order for them to become productive in the organization (Chevrier, 2003).
Creativity and Innovation
Creativity and innovation are two vital tools an organization such as the Starbucks Corporations will require in almost all sections of its operations in the year 2020. In this competitive world, the innovative ones will survive. Advertisements, new product design and development, quality improvement and process improvement will be vital for our organization. Getting diverse workforce including different genders, races or educational levels will be a plus for our organization because in some circumstances, women can be more innovative than men. Some companies especially in poor countries where corruption thrives believe that an international manager e.g. an American or European could be able to take the company further. Diverse educational standards will assist in the provision of knowledge, research work, analyses of data e.g. accounts, skills and other management duties that the particular persons have gained in their education (Michael, 2006).
Organizational Flexibility
In the year 2020, organizations including the Starbucks Corporation will be required to take time to adjust to the needs of its diverse workforce, it will have to adapt to certain situations which will enable the organization to become flexible when any problem arises. Greater flexibility is normally attained when the organization makes adverse accommodations that homogenous organizations considered detrimental. Women have been proved scientifically to be more cognitive than men hence the need to utilize them in situations which require ambiguity and tolerance. Such cognitive structures on how people are able to respond to information and act accordingly will be important for the operational ability of our organization. Bilingual individuals have also been found to be more complex in the thinking and cognovits than those who are monolingual. Such individuals when available in our organization can add more divergent responses especially when there is a disaster e.g. financial bankruptcy, liquidity, strikes, massive losses etc. Reducing standardization and broadening policies are kinds of a by-product that that will be possibly achieved in diverse organizational workforce. In most cases, this organization will become more fluid and adaptable to harsh environments in more efficient, less costly and faster way. Such situations in the year 2020 will encourage the flexibility of an organization in terms of being able to meet the requirements of all individuals in the organization. If the requirements are more of financial in nature, it will become more difficult but at least it will be handled properly at the organizational level than at the individual level (Mulholland, Ozbilgin and Worman, 2005).
Development of Good Leadership Qualities
It is often said that good leadership qualities including the management skills for many managers will be improved during the process of managing diversity. For example, the ability of a manager to understand clearly the needs of all of the employees within this organization makes him or her become used to the situation until they are able to handle anything. This promotes ones character especially on a long term basis which also promotes career development for the managers. The managers in the Starbucks Corporations will also be able to become role models to the rest of the junior employees.
Diversity management in the Starbucks Corporations is a reflection of how the changing world and market place will be in the future. Diversity will enhance respect for individual differences within the organization and hence create a competitive advantage in the organization. Diversity management in our organization will be able to benefit associates through the creation of safe and fair environment for all. The successes will include getting the best from the labor market, human talent, increased market share, fulfilling organizational values, development of good leadership qualities, organizational flexibility, creativity and innovation, problem solving ability and marketing strategies. Our organizations will be required to undertake the first step to become more diverse in not only its employees but also towards policies, programs and work-life balance. (Fernandez, 1991)
Diversity management in our organization in the year 2020 will become a comprehensive process needed for creating a working environment that will include everyone regardless of their diverse nature. In doing so, the organization will be in a position to reap the benefits of diversity. Managers and supervisors, for example, will be needed to be very aware of personal biases to be able to critically integrate the employees to the companys values and culture.
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