Defining Diversity

Diversity

According to Kreitner and kinicki, Diversity is defined as the host of individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other, which means that we are all different but equal at the same time, we have and deserve the same rights and therefore diversity is not only about being different but also about sharing common goals and practices inside organizations. When we think about diversity we can’t avoid thinking about how far does it go and how important it is to understand the layers inside it in order to create strategies and improve the performance in multicultural work teams.

Diversity layers have an important role in strategy making because it helps understand people and why are they the way they are. The four layers of diversity are: Personality, Internal dimensions, External dimensions and Organizational dimensions (p.36). Given the diversity wheel the center f diversity is personality because it “represents a stable set of characteristics that are responsible for a person’s identity.”(p.35) The aspect of personality is relevant because it is the essence of what makes a human being different from every other, that is the first part of diversity. Personality is something really deep inside ourselves that defines our essence and therefore the way we act and react to certain actions and behaviors, it is something that is formed along our experiences.

The next level is the internal dimension, which is also known as the surface level, this dimension is formed of things that are not under our control but they influence our attitudes and expectations, our age, gender and race has a lot to do with it, they are mostly characteristics that define us and make people behave in a certain way. This layer also includes sexual orientation, ethnicity and physical ability, which means that it involves how we see the world around us and how we identify and engage with people in our environment, this also involves the work environment

The third level would be external influences, “they represent individual differences that we have a greater ability to influence or control.” (p.35) Some of this can be the geographic location, marital status, income or appearance, all of these are aspects that people are capable of modifying in order to redefine themselves, but they influence a lot behavior and attitudes, this can tell a lot about a new employee or manager and even a person that is negotiating an agreement. One aspect to consider deeply is religion given that it is an important fact that influences behavior and especially because it is a strong belief that for some is much more important or crucial than for others.

The last level is the organizational dimension which include union affiliation, work location and seniority, this is very important to take into account when managing and also is something that can be

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