Assignment: Application: Diversity in the Workplace

In this week’s Discussion, you thought about democracy in the workplace. For this Assignment, you will consider how democratic principles in the workplace are related to and might be promoted by diversity. Diversity has different meanings; the particular meaning held by an organization may shape that organization in a variety of ways. Most organizations profess to value diversity in the workforce, and employers view the variety of talents and ideas that a diverse labor pool brings to the job as an economic asset. Diversity may, however, produce more than just economic benefits for an organization. One way to better understand diversity is to think about which aspects of diversity are related to democratic principles. Another way to approach diversity is to look at which democratic principles are promoted in your own organization through diversity. As you consider the concept of diversity, take note of underlying aspects that may advance democracy in the workplace.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review the article “A Contingency Approach to Representative Bureaucracy: Power, Equal Opportunities and Diversity” in this week’s Learning Resources. Think about the link between diversity and representative bureaucracy in the workplace.
• Review the article “The Ideal of Diversity in Organizations” in this week’s Learning Resources.
• Consider strategies for advancing diversity in the workplace. Pay particular attention to matters such as individual difference and equality as they relate to diversity in the workplace.
• Reflect on basic democratic principles and consider how they are related to diversity.
• Select at least two democratic principles that you think are promoted by diversity in the workplace and think about how diversity might or does promote them.

The Assignment (2 pages):

• Briefly describe the democratic principles that you selected.
• Explain how diversity relates to and promotes the democratic principles you selected.
• Based on your analysis, share insights and draw conclusions about how diversity relates to and promotes democratic principles in the workplace.