The Multicultural Organization:
i. First-generation affirmative action – the organization is concerned with meeting legally mandate requirements for gender and ethnic diversity.
ii. Second-generation affirmative action – the firm has met affirmative action goals in terms of numbers, and the emphasis shifts to supporting female and minority employees.
iii. Multicultural organization – moves beyond the concept of support for minority members to the institution of policies that deliberately capitalize on cultural and gender diversity.
The Diverse Organization: Opportunities – there are six important competitive advantages that can be gained through the insightful management of cultural diversity.
1. Cost argument
2. Resource-acquisition argument
3. Marketing argument
4. Creativity argument
5. Problem-solving argument
6. Systems flexibility argument
The Diverse Organization: Challenges – there are there challenges that face organisations as the workplace becomes increasingly diverse.
Ø Avoiding Negative Effects of Diversity Management Programs
Ø Sexual Harassment
Ø Balancing Work and Home
Managing (and Celebrating) Cultural Diversity – some strategies organizations can use to gain effectiveness as a multicultural organization.
Ø “spheres of activity” that must be dealt with when living life in a culturally diverse organization that includes education programs, the human resource system, organizational culture, mind-sets about diversity, and programs that support work-family health and combat problems such as sexism and discrimination.
Ø Managers and employees must view diversity as a challenge and as an opportunity rather than as a problem that must be dealt with.
Tutorial
The cultural diversity program is more appropriate for the school even though there are certain challenges that need to be settled. The aim for this program is acceptable because the purpose of the implementation is to achieve the success. The decisions making is important whereby distinctive technique should be practised, for instant, the opportunities realized through diversity as it shows the method of management and for sure the communication skills will bring a drastic changes in the school.
The system of opportunities realized through diversity should be practised by the school so as to achieve the goals for both parties which is the student and management. The cost argument, resource acquisition argument, marketing argument as well as the creativity argument should be focused on. By practising these approach, it will helps in choosing the best decision for Maria case.
Maria’s experience and the previous teachers’ experience might be different as different people have their own capabilities in facing different challenges. Maria may be good at certain area whereas the previous teacher may be good at another area.