Management Practices for Engaging a Diverse Workforce

Tools to Enhance Workplace Culture

Manish Gupta

• Publisher: Apple Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781771888639
• eBook ISBN: 9781000711684
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

This unique volume shows how to tackle the challenges of diversity in the workplace. It addresses the need to keep the workforce engaged while taking into consideration the diverse backgrounds of employees. The book explores 12 themes of workforce diversity and culture, including differences of race, religion, gender, sexuality, income class, education level, marital status, generation/age, physical ability, and more. Focusing on the benefits of engaging a diverse workforce, the volume considers the issue through the different stages of the human resource process, including recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, demand forecasting, supply forecasting, job description and specification, job analysis and evaluation, training and development, career planning and development, succession planning, etc.

Employing an abundance of case studies, the volume enables readers to comprehend what it means to have a diverse workforce and how to engage such a workforce for the betterment of the employees as well as the employer. The volume acts as a textbook for courses on diversity in human resource management as well as a valuable resource for HRM and other management professionals. The discussions and questions sections will be useful for faculty, and the short case studies are designed to keep students interested and engaged.

CHAPTER 1 Engaging an LGBT Workforce: Inclusion Through Workplace Culture

RUBY SENGAR,¹ NARENDRA SINGH CHAUDHARY,¹ BHARAT BHUSHAN,¹ and SANTOSH RANGNEKAR²

¹Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Noida–[A Constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India] Plot–47 & 48, Block A, Industrial Area, Sector-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh–201301, India, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected] (R. Sengar), Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected] (N. S. Chaudhary), Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected] (B. Bhushan)

²Department of Management, IIT Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

It is fairly prominent in a country like India that the acceptance of lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is hitting a setback. The present study aims to propose a linkage between workplace diversity, engagement, and workplace culture so as to propel the acceptance of the LGBT community in Indian corporations. This chapter can be revolutionary in bringing a major change in the mind-sets of the people in India and help in accepting the sexual minorities, which are becoming an important part of the workplaces nowadays and appreciating their contribution is to the overall organization betterment. Apparently, there is a dearth of studies on LGBT’s sexual identity which remains negotiated in the workplace and acts as an obstacle to impartiality in the workplace organizations need to gear up to match the standards set by other organizations around the globe who have maximized their efforts, i.e., workplace diversity by including LGBT people. For a business to grow, flourish, and augment performance, they must recognize the significance of deciphering LGBT issues by focusing on LGBT inclusive and diverse workplace environments.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This study aims to propose a linkage between workplace diversity, engagement, and workplace culture so as to propel the acceptance of the LGBT community in Indian corporations. Apparently, there is a dearth of studies on LGBT’s sexual identity which remains negotiated in the workplace and acts as an obstacle to impartiality in the workplace (Woodruffe-Burton and Bairstow, 2013). The time has come when Indian organizations need to gear up to match the standards set by other organizations around the globe who have maximized their forte, i.e., workplace diversity by including LGBT people. For a business to grow, flourish, and augment performance they must recognize the significance of deciphering LGBT issues by focusing on LGBT inclusive and diverse workplace environments. An organization can become an employee’s first choice as well as can gain a competitive advantage if it is able to hold talent from assorted backgrounds and give them a milieu which is best suited for making them feel their whole selves. Conversely, the businesses will lose upon their LGBT talents if they don’t stay up-to-date with the diversity rules and exhibit superior inclusiveness for the LGBT employees. People in organizations usually follow an attitude of “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to employee’s gender identity or sexual orientation. Most of the leaders at the corporate do not consider LGBT as an important corporate agenda and thus neglect it. In reality, most of the problems faced by the LGBT community with respect to gender identity or sexual orientation are usually not considered as a part of the organizational issue and therefore do not receive much corporate help. However, an LGBT role model or leader in a workplace can help in reducing the social stigmas associated with their community. In a country like India, there is a dearth of role models especially at managerial levels who can support a workplace culture of frankness and acceptance from the rest of the employees in the organization towards the LGBT employees. These managers can help in propelling the overall culture of the organization which in turn will enhance their commitment, engagement as well as will help in reaping the benefits of their diverse talents.

Apparently, India is a country which is deliberated as one of the probable budding superpowers of the globe. Though the nation is extensively recognized for its diversity in languages, religion, ethnicity, etc. but the acceptance of the LGBT community in the nation is hitting a setback. LGB refers to sexual orientation whereas T refers to gender identity. LGBT people are sometimes referred to as LGBTQ where Q refers to Queer. Whether it is civil society or organizations, the acceptability of these sexual minorities is very low in the country. In fact, India is deficient in certain inspirational role models whose presence can augment the acceptance of these sexual minorities both in society and organizations. Indeed, there is an enormous need to have various sensitive national camaraderie networks besides the inspirational role models who can together reinforce the support towards the sexual minorities.

Lesbian is defined as “a woman who is attracted emotionally and/or sexually to people of the same sex/gender” whereas gay is “a man who is attracted emotionally and/or sexually to people of the same sex/gender” (Srivastava, 2014). Bisexuals are “those people who are attracted towards both male and female, though there may be a preference for one gender over others” (Srivastava, 2014). Transgender, as defined by Connell refers to “individuals who deliberately reject their original gender assignment” (2010). Queer is a term used to slander LGBT people. Queer acts as “an umbrella to accommodate those who identify as LGBT as well as intersex and questioning” (Rumens, 2016). In fact, the queer theory focuses on “deconstructing and disrupting binary formations that structure heteronormative knowledge about gender and sexuality” (Sullivan, 2003). In this chapter, sexual orientation refers to “an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, emotional, and/or spiritual attraction to members of the same and/or opposite sex” and gender identity means that birth-assigned sex and the internal sense of gender identity do not match which is meant only for transgender (Community Business, 2017). Also, here sexual minorities are those who recognize themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender which are not part of the heterosexual consortium.

Numerous studies on sexual minorities have found that the LGBT employees face workplace chauvinism and discrimination which eventually brings down the level of decent workplace experience, intensifies depression and psychological distress (Smith and Ingram, 2004; Leppel, 2014). Most of the leaders at the corporates do not consider LGBT as an important corporate agenda and thus neglect it. In reality, most of the problems faced by LGBT community with respect to gender identity or sexual orientation are usually not considered as a part of the organizational issue and therefore do not receive much corporate help. Indeed, employee engagement can help in plummeting humiliations associated with LGBT employees. Employee engagement in organization helps in satisfying the individual via providing companionship with co-workers in addition to gratification of employee’s social needs (Howell and Costley, 2006). Better employee engagement enhances motivation level, job satisfaction, over, and above, feelings of empowerment (Macey and Schneider, 2008). But in a country like India, there is a dearth of such role models especially at managerial levels who can support a workplace culture of frankness and acceptance from rest of the employees in the organization. Apparently, there is a paucity of studies on LGBT’s sexual identity which remains negotiated in the workplace and acts as an obstacle to impartiality in the workplace (Woodruffe-Burton and Bairstow, 2013).

1.2 NEED FOR DISCUSSING THIS THEME

With the passage of time, it has become quite evident in the Indian organizations that they are struggling with both lawful and socio-cultural constraints (Horton et al., 2015). The past studies have clearly stated that workforce diversity has received a slice of attention from various HR specialists and organizational leaders in both developed and developing economies (Priola et al., 2014). Nowadays both academicians and practitioners are outpouring their consideration towards diversity and inclusion, primarily focusing on gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, etc., due to the fluctuations in the economy and statutory worldwide (Oswick and Noon, 2013). In reality, extremely prosperous multi-national companies (MNCs) globally had started investing hugely towards workplace diversity (Collins, 2012). Today workplace diversity is a well-thought-out human resource (HR) practice used to remain competitive in a very turbulent business environment (Thomas, 1990). This attention is basically attributed towards the generation of higher revenues in addition to the development of good image for the organizations in the market globally through workplace diversity.

For a business to grow, flourish, and augment performance they must recognize the significance of deciphering LGBT issues by focusing on LGBT inclusive, diverse, and engaged workplace environment. An organization can become employee’s first choice as well as can gain a competitive advantage if it is able to hold talent from assorted backgrounds and give them a workplace culture or milieu which is best suited for making them feel their whole selves. Conversely, the businesses will lose their LGBT talents if they don’t stay up-to-date with the diversity rules and exhibit superior inclusiveness for the LGBT employees. Recently, it has been seen that many organizations have entered the first phase of their diversity expedition and are hopefully going to have sustainability in their decisions that can make the workplace a better place to work for especially the sexual minorities.

A noticeable trend was seen by Indian corporations in targeting LGBT customers by an expenditure of huge amounts. The logic behind this was an attempt to lure ‘pink money,’ i.e., the money earned by LGBT people, through various marketing techniques. A report generated by Forbes India reported that India had approximately 30 million people as the LGBT adult population who had annual earnings of 1.5 lakh crores (Forbes India, 2017). This evidently states that companies want to portray themselves as LGBT friendly so that they can earn a maximum share of this community’s dispo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Contributors
• Abbreviations
• Preface
• Introduction
• 1. Engaging an LGBT Workforce: Inclusion Through Workplace Culture
• 2. Active Aging: Engaging the Aged
• 3. Engaging Diverse Races at Work
• 4. Education Divide at Work
• 5. Gen-Z, the Future Workforce: Confrontation of Expectations, Efforts, and Engagement
• 6. Cross-Generational Engagement Strategies
• 7. Managing Married Employees
• 8. Cross-Border Mergers: The Use of Employment Engagement Tools in Overcoming Challenges of Workforce Cultural Diversity
• 9. Engaging People with Physical Disability at Work
• 10. Engaging Different Income Classes at Work
• 11. Is Work Engagement Gender Oriented? A Man/Woman Perspective
• 12. Volunteering for Community: Learning and Challenges in Diversity
• Index