Ethnocentric viewpoints and a standard set of cultural practices Produce a
monoculture, a culture that accepts only one way of doing things and one set of values
and beliefs, which can cause problems for minority employees- People of color,
women, gay people, the disabled, the elderly, and other diverse employees may feel
undue pressure to conform, may be victims of stereotyping attitudes, and may be
presumed deficient because they are different. 'white, heterosexual men, many of
whom do not fit the notion of the "ideal" employee, may also feel uncomfortable
with the monoculture and resent stereotypes that label white males as racists and
sexists. Valuing diversity means ensuring that all people are given equal opportunities
in the workplace.
The goal for organizations seeking cultural diversity is pluralism rather than a
monoculture and ethnorelativism rather than ethnocentrism.ethnocentrismis the
belief that groups and subcultures are inherently equal. Pluralism means that an
organization accommodates several subcultures. Movernent toward pluralism seeks
to fully integrate into the organization the employees who otherwise would feel isolated
and ignored. To promote pluralism in its Mountain View corporate headquarters,
chefs at Google's corporate cafeteria erlsure that its menu accorunodates the
different tastes of its ethnically diverse workforce.