Facilitating Cultural Diversity

Abstract

Past affirmative-action initiatives have often placed managers in practically unassimilated, multicultural environments. Assimilation into a particular organization's culture is the responsibility of the member but it is not a requirement: it is a soft, not hard, measurement. However, it is clearly critical to effective team-building. It is a manager's reality and duty to the members and the organization to build an effective team from the human resources at his or her disposal. The issue of assimilation of members with disparate values into the culture of an organization is both complex and multifaceted. It ultimately affects the growth of the member and the organization. In light of past practices, the state of the multicultural workplace today and a need to compete on a quality basis to survive requires growth in team and member character. The manager must take the responsibility to facilitate the assimilation of members into the organization's culture. Heretofore this has not been ordinarily recognized as a need or been consciously practiced.