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Organisational Behaviour-Diversity

ASSIGNMENT DIVERSITY ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (BMOB5103) SHARIFAH SHIBRAH BT SYED HUSSEIN STUDENT ID: CGS00838119 Prof. Madya Dr. Rezian-na muhammed kassim Open University Malaysia 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2 1.1. What is Diversity? 2 1.2. Characteristics of Diversity 4 1.3. Aspects of Diversity 6 i. Aspects of Diversity (Visible): 8 ii. Aspects of Diversity (Invisible): 9 2.0 MANAGING DIVERSITY 13 2.1. Diversity Management 13 2.2 Diversity & Inclusion at Google 13 3.0 BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF MANAGING DIVERSITY 17 3.1 Benefits of Managing Diversity 17 3.2.Challenges of Managing Diversity 19 3.3 How to promote and support Diverse Workforce 21 3.4 Cultural Diversity in Malaysia 22 4.0 CASE STUDY 24 A. INTRODUCTION 24 B. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY 25 C. SYMPTOMS OF THE OB ISSUES 29 D. CAUSES OF THE OB ISSUE 33 E. RECOMMENDATIONS 34 F. CONCLUSIONS 48 G. REFERENCES 50 APPENDIX 51 Diversity and inclusion questionnaires 51 Q1- ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ISSUE- DIVERSITY “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”  ― Stephen R. Covey 1.0 INTRODUCTION What is Diversity? Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing & celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical & mental ability. (Gupta, June, 2013). In other way, diversity also means the fact or quality of being diverse or difference. In my own understanding, diversity means accepting variety; a point or respect in which things differ. The ways we are different; the condition of having unique characteristics. The condition of being diverse: Variety; especially: the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. As mentioned by Mr. Ahmad Atallah, Chairman and Managing Director of Shell companies in Kuwait; diversity means all the ways they differ. It include visible differences as well as underlying differences such as thought, styles, religion, nationality, and education. (Mr. Ahmad Atallah, 2012) Characteristics of Diversity The characteristics of diversity can be defined as representing a multitude of individual differences and similarities that exist among people. Diversity can encompass many different human characteristics such as race, age, creed, national origin, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation. The characteristics representing diversity are illustrated in Gardenswartz & Rowe’s (1994) Four Layers of Diversity Model. Figure 1 Four Layers of Diversity Model (Rowe, 1994) The four layers of diversity are: Personality - (Inner Circle) This is the dimension that constitutes the core model of diversity and covers all aspects of an individual's characteristics that could be classified as their "Personal Style". Internal Dimension This represents dimensions that may not be easily changed by individuals and are thus taken into account by the relevant equal treatment acts and include. Gender Nationality and ethnicity Social Class Background Sexual Orientation Age Mental  and Physical Capability Religion / Worldview External Dimension These dimensions are characterized by their variableness.  Religion and Worldview are exceptions as they sit within both “internal and external dimensions" for two reasons. Religion and worldview cannot always be chosen freely Discrimination as a result thereof is legally forbidden. These include Geographic Location Income Personal Habits Recreational Habits Religion/Worldview Educational Background Work Experience Appearance Personal Status Marital Status. Organizational Dimensions The final Dimensional layer of this Diversity Model are defined as corporate or institutional affiliation. These include Functional Level / Classification Work Content / Field Research interest / Field of Study Faculty / Centre / Department / Branch of Study / Services and Facilities Work Location / Study Location Type of Employment Duration of Employment / Duration of Study Aspects of Diversity Diversity refers to the differences between individuals in an organization; each and every one of us is unique and special in various aspects; both visible and invisible. Some people are good at reading and writing. Other people are talented at art and music. Some people are good at working with numbers or science. Others are talented by sharing their creativity. Some people are faced with additional challenges or disabilities such as blindness, hearing impairment or other physical disabilities. There are many aspects of diversity such as age (generational differences), gender, economic status, religion, physical attributes, race, education, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, language, accent, job title, function, skills and many more. (Diversity Wheel, n.d.) Figure 2 We can divide these differences into primary and secondary characteristics of diversity: Primary Characteristics: Age, gender, race, ethnicity, abilities, and sexual orientation represent primary characteristics of diversity which are inborn and cannot be changed. Secondary Characteristics: Work, background, income, marital status, military enterprise, religious beliefs, geographic location, parental status, and education—which can be changed. Aspects of Diversity (Visible): Age (generational differences) Today’s workforce spans four generations: Traditionalists (born before 1946); Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964); Generation Xers (born 1965-1981); and Millennials (Born 1982-2000). (Kate Schaefers, 2010) Mature workers (Traditionalists and Baby Boomers) are portrayed as loyal and hardworking, but dinosaurs when it comes to innovation and technology. Younger employees (Generation Xers and Millennials) are viewed as innovative, but disrespectful, lazy, and egocentric (Kate Schaefers, 2010) There are four (4) generations in the workplace with different: expectations, motivations, attitudes, and Behaviors. Gender Gender equality between men, women and trans-gender where all should be equally given the same career opportunities, rewards and resources. A social construct that refers to sociological and psychological sense of self as a male, female, or Trans. One's gender is comprised of gender roles that are the socially constructed, culturally specific, and subjective behaviors and expectations for women (femininity) and men (masculinity) (gender, 2011) Religion Respect other people beliefs, faith and practices such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto and many more. Physical attributes Accept others as they are by not judging on their physical features or traits like fat, plump, tall, short, small, hair styles, facial, etc. Race A community where people of different ethnic and races living together in peace and harmony with no racial discrimination Aspects of Diversity (Invisible): Socio-economic status Narrowing the gaps between the poor and the rich. Social Class Social rank in terms of income, wealth, status, and power. Ruling Class The stratum of people who hold positions of power in major institutions of the society Owning Class The stratum of families who own income-producing assets sufficient to make paid employment unnecessary. Middle Class The stratum of families for who the breadwinner's educational levels and skills brings a higher income and more security than those of working class Upper-Middle Class The portion of the middle class with lower and less table income due to lower-skilled or unstable employment Working Class The stratum of families whose income depends on hourly wages for labor Education Multicultural with different backgrounds education environment-Students who interact with diverse students in classrooms and in the broad campus environment will be more motivated and better able to participate in a heterogeneous and complex society (Gurin, 2003) Skills Diversity skills are important because we need to have an ability to speak with people from different backgrounds and experiences. If we do not have this skill, we would accidentally offend people with what we say even if that was not our intention. Political Views Various types of political ideologies that we all keep within ourselves. To me, everyone should entitled to their own ideologies and opinions and everyone else should respect others’ ideologies as well. Democrats have a permissive social outlook and believe in restricting the financial sector (through regulation); Republicans essentially believe the reverse. In their corner, Libertarians would like to end restrictions across the board, and, down in the lower right, we have people who prefer that all aspects of life be guided by some authority: religion, the government, etc. Figure 4 Left/Right political framework Work/Life Experience Experiential learning gained from both work and life experiences produces an individual who with maturity in both spectrums. This level of maturity varies from one person to another. The diversity in work life experience is contributed by a vast array of factors, namely skills, expertise and competencies. The degree and time of exposure to various stimuli will determine the level to which a person has matured. A typical example of this would be the level of work life experiences between a fresh graduate and middle or upper management which is not determined by the mere rank but instead by the person’s individual work life experiences gained. The combination of commitments from individuals’ work and life can be interesting and useful as it is vary from one person to another. Diversity in Work-Life experience can be measure through level of differentiation in skills, expertise, exposure, and time. One good example for Work/life experience is the level of expertise and skills between the newbies (fresh graduates) with the mid-level management and the senior management at any organization. Thus, there should be no barrier between the upper/lower management. 2.0 MANAGING DIVERSITY 2.1. Diversity Management Diversity management has been described as looking at: the mind set of an organization; the climate of an organization; and the different perspectives people bring to an organization due to race, workplace styles, disabilities, and other differences (Reichenberg, 2001: 2). Managing diversity means acknowledging people's differences and recognizing these differences as valuable; it enhances good management practices by preventing discrimination and promoting inclusiveness. (Managing Diversity in the Workplace, 2013). Managing diversity also means creating a corporate environment where women, Blacks, and other non- traditional employees can flourish. And diversity itself can be a source of strength (Konrad, 1990). To manage diversity in the workplace, one should acknowledge individual differences, and recognize it as something valuable. No discrimination should be allowed, where companies can put up a policy on discrimination and create an awareness on importance of diversity at the workplace by promoting inclusiveness. 2.2 Diversity & Inclusion at Google For example in Google. The way Google manage its diversity and inclusiveness is very unique. Google has put Diversity and Inclusion in their company’s policies and values where they appreciate all the differences in their Workforce. They created a Google employee resource groups (ERGs) for the employees resided all over the world and from every background which brings unique experiences and perspectives to their work. ERGs are grassroots networks of employees with shared values of supporting diversity and inclusion within their company and communities. Members can participate in activities such as education outreach, mentoring, professional development, community service and social events. Currently Google has sponsored 18 ERGs around the globe (Asian Googler Network, Black Googler Network, Filipino Googler Network, Gayglers, Google American Indian Network, Google Capability Council, Greyglers, Hispanic Googler Network, Indus Googler Network, Mosaic - Ann Arbor, Mosaic - Boston, Mosaic - Buenos Aires, Mosaic - Chicago, Mosaic - Colorado, Mosaic - Pittsburgh, Mosaic - San Francisco, Women@Google, Google Veterans Network). For diversity in Gender, Google has implemented equality between men, women and trans-gender where groups like Google@Women and Gayglers: Google's LGBT Network were formed in order to ensure that their employees are treated fairly both inside and outside of Google. Google is also supporting people with disabilities and special needs where they have created The Capability Council in order to increase the accessibilities of their products. The Google Accessibility Group and the Google Capability Council influence the design of Google products like Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube. The YouTube auto-captioning tool now allows all users to automatically create captions upon viewer request in up to 50 languages. While captions help the deaf and hearing impaired, machine translation enables people around the world to access video content in any of 51 language. Google has also introduced Global ERG Leadership Awards in order to reinforce and support employees who have shown tremendous leadership, passion, and commitment to diversity. For diversity in its company’s culture, Googlers celebrating many events like Black History Month, LGBT Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Veteran’s Day. In July 2012, Googlers organized an event at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA, where they celebrated Diversity & Inclusion with good food and cultural dance performances. (Diversity & Inclusion at Google, 2013). Fundamentally, embracing and managing Diversity and Inclusivity at Google can be simplify as below: Figure 5- Diversity and Inclusion Strategies@ Google 3.0 BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF MANAGING DIVERSITY 3.1 Benefits of Managing Diversity A benefit of a diverse workforce is the ability to tap into the many talents which employees from different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities and disabilities bring to the workplace. An impressive example of this is found on the business cards of employees at one Fortune 100 technology company. Employees at this company have business cards that appear normal at first glance. On closer inspection, the raised Braille characters of employee information are evident. Many organisations now include braille on their business cards to show they are conscious of the need to be inclusive of people who are blind or have low vision. Diversity and inclusion are crucial in today’s global marketplace, as companies interact with different cultures and clients. The payoffs touch every area of the business by potentially resulting in increased creativity, increased productivity, new attitudes, new language skills, global understanding, new processes, and new solutions to difficult problems. Better agility, better market insight, stronger customer and community loyalty, innovation, and improved employee recruitment and retention. Among the advantages of diversity in the workplace are: Increased Productivity and drives economic growth.: Diversity and Inclusion brings in diverse different talents together working towards a common goal using different sets of skills that ignites their loyalty and increases their retention and productivity Increased creativity and Problem solving: With so many different and diverse minds coming together many more solutions will arise as every individual brings in their way of thinking, operating and solving problems and decision making Attract and Retain talent that add a competitive edge to any organization. Feeling included and appreciated increases loyalty and feeling of belonging. Language skills pool is increased and propels organization forward either to compete in the International global world or to increase its diverse customer base Help to build synergy in teams and enhances communication skills that brings in new attitudes and processes that profit the whole team Applying the proper diversity and inclusion management strategies does not only save money on legal process expenses generated by discrimination lawsuits but is the right thing to do for the business. It increases market share and create a satisfied diverse customer base by relating to people from different backgrounds. (Andrade, 2013) Diversity in the workplace is necessary as it can create a competitive economy in a globalized world. Diverse workforce often results in improved decision making, better understanding of customers’ needs, and increased flexibility in staffing. Diverse workforce also can reduce company’s expenditure on recruitment processes and absenteeism Building employee commitment, morale and discretionary effort. Managing better the impact of globalisation and technological change. Challenges of Managing Diversity Many business organizations today are experiencing "diversity exhaustion." This is due to disappointing results from all of the diversity initiatives and programs that human resources managers have in place. Dr. Martin Davidson at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (Lankan, 2013)wrote a book, entitled The End of Diversity as We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed. Davidson emphasizes that many companies have only focused on attracting and retaining diverse employees and have not critically examined their organizational culture to assess their capabilities to leverage that diversity for learning, innovation and achieving superior results. Language barriers can be dangerous since basic safety information might not be well understood by different groups of people. A case in point is a Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., where workers speak 36 languages and some can’t speak English at all. To communicate with his staff, the hotel’s general manager had to translate five different languages in a memo and read aloud to workers. During meetings, supervisors rely heavily on gesturing, tone of voice, and the written word to clarify complex thoughts to non-English-speaking workers. High Cost of Diversity Management: To increase job satisfaction, workplace diversity management could sometimes be very costly, when an organisation strives to effectively manage the diverse workforce, it undergoes a mandatory diversity training during which supervisors, employees, and managers receive lessons on the best way to interact with employees and clients. In recent times, there are lots of Diversity management program available where companies could choose from, taking into account the size of the company and its employees. Some training programs require a high travelling and participation cost. Myriad Accommodation: Although the premise of workplace diversity is mutual respect, making way to accommodate each diverse worker's request can be burdensome of employers, which makes it difficult to manage diversity. Some employee work constraints such as race, religion, country of origin and gender can sometimes be overwhelming if the diversity in the organisation tends to be so much to the extent that the company has to employ a fulltime staff to keep track of accommodating the employee’s needs. For example, some Muslim employees may decide not to work on Fridays, as it is a special day for prayers. In such instances employers has to make provision for someone to take their shift when the need arises. Challenged with losses in personnel and work productivity due to prejudice and discrimination and complaints and legal actions against the organization (Devoe, 1999). Diverse organizations may have difficulty converging meanings, may find it hard to reach a single agreement, and have difficulty agreeing on courses of action. Incorporation issues: Social incorporation at the workplace cannot be influenced to the maximum degree. Forming exclusive social groups is often a natural process that cannot be controlled sometimes. Therefore, companies tend to experience some degree of informal divisions amongst their workers thereby creating conditions where diverse employees avoid having contact with each other during leisure times and when work is over. Although this scenario doesn't seem fundamentally wrong, it can reduce the effectiveness of knowledge sharing amongst teams and hence decreasing productivity. (Ruth Mayhew 2013) 3.3 How to promote and support Diverse Workforce The study team identified the following factors for best practices in diversity: Leadership and management commitment : Senior Management and Managers can promote diversity in the workplace in a number of ways: Focus on bringing in the best talent, not on meeting numerical goals; set up mentoring programs among employees of the same and different races; hold managers accountable for meeting diversity goals; develop career plans for employees as part of performance reviews; promote minorities to decision-making positions, not just staff jobs; ensure that succession planning helps maintain diversity at all levels of the organization; make managers accountable for ensuring diversity in their divisions or groups; and diversify the company’s board of director Have a working knowledge and adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), affirmative action, reasonable accommodation, sexual harassment and alternative dispute resolution policies. Employee involvement Behave in ways that will actively contribute to the enhancement of a culture in which diversity is valued among the people they work with; Demonstrably value diversity through team building and consultative processes, and the decisions and actions taken Draw self and others’ diverse skills and talents to enhance work outputs; not condone or ignore harassing or bullying behaviour in the workplace; and conduct in a manner consistent with the company’s Values and Employment Principles, and the Code of Conduct. 3.4 Cultural Diversity in Malaysia In Malaysia; a country which boasts of having a multicultural; multi-religion and multi-ethnic society, living in peace and harmony and we see ourselves as Malaysian anywhere in the world. As Malaysians, we embrace other people's differences, showing respect and tolerance throughout the country. If there was any country that has a diversity of cultures to exhibit to the world, Malaysia would be an outstanding candidate as diversity enriches our lives. Much as the biological diversity of an ecosystem increases its stability and productivity, cultural diversity brings together the resources and talents of many people for the benefit of a nation. Figure 6- Unity in Malaysian context According to Dr. Shahren Ahmad Zaidi Adruce (Adruce, 2008) in the Eighth International Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations; the racial conflicts of the past have taught Malaysians a lot about the importance of racial integration and the need to accommodate diversity. Diversity could be an asset – but if improperly managed, could also lead to conflict and disaster.In order to establish a strong and united nation like Malaysia today, Malaysia has gone through its difficult phase in 1969, where there was a traumatic ethnic riots on May 13.It happens due to the constitution gave Malays permanent spots in the government, made Islam the national religion, and made Malay the national language. The government, controlled by the United Malay National Organization, passed the New Economic Policy, which attempted to increase economic opportunity for the Malay by establishing various quotas in their favor. Unsurprisingly, many Chinese opposed the new arrangement and formed a significant opposition party. In 1969, after the opposition party won a significant seats, riots swepts through Kuala Lumpur and the country was placed in a state of emergency for two years. It was a painful moment in the young nation's history that most Malaysians prefer to forget. Looking back on the fifty years since Independence, there is no doubt that Malaysia is a development success story where race and religion are inextricably linked. Taking everything into account, Malaysia has chosen an ethnic and cultural diversity as ways of life - that of unity in diversity and inclusiveness, while ensuring fairness to all. 4.0 CASE STUDY Q2- Identify a company (can be your current employer or any company / employer) that is either excellent or poor about the OB issue that you have identified above. Objective: The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a reasearch on all the symptoms and causes of the Diversity Issues in a practical company. Particularly, the study shed light on the diversity management issue of a local Telecommunication organization. I have analysed the diversity management strategies of TIME dotCom on giving focus between business success and diversity. INTRODUCTION Diversity and diversity management in multicultural workforce is increasingly becoming an important issue for the business in the era of globalization. It affects the productivity and efficiency of the workforce in general. The term diversity has many interpretations. Different scholars have defined it in different way. Cox (2001) defined diversity as the variation of social and cultural identities among people existing together in a defined employment or marketing setting while Gupta defined it as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing & celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical & mental ability. (Gupta, June, 2013). But what about Diversity Management, and how does it functions?? Well, according to a website which I found online recently, diversity management means acknowledging people's differences and recognizing these differences as valuable; it enhances good management practices by preventing discrimination and promoting inclusiveness. (Managing Diversity in the Workplace, 2013). And according to Konrad, managing diversity means creating a corporate environment where women, Blacks, and other non- traditional employees can flourish. And diversity itself can be a source of strength.(Konrad, 1990, August 6). BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY TIME dotCom Berhad (TIME) is a data-centric telecommunications and solutions provider based in Malaysia, with a business reach across the Asia-Pacific region. With fixed-line telecommunications, submarine cable and data centre businesses, TIME has been breaking ground since starting out in 1996. TIME's core business focuses on providing best-in-class backhaul and wholesale bandwidth to leading local, regional and global operators in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group delivers extensive fibre optic-based telecommunications solutions, including private leased lines and dedicated Internet services to large corporations, government organisations and enterprises that demand state-of-the-art, always-on connectivity. In Malaysia, TIME has made considerable headway in the consumer segment, with the country's first 100% fibre-optic broadband service. With speeds of up to 100Mbps, TIME's service, currently the fastest in the country, has been effectively supporting some of the industry's biggest names with innovative solutions. TIME's Malaysian business is anchored by its Cross Peninsular Cable System (CPCS™), a 6,000 kilometer-long advanced fibre optic network that traverses Thailand through Singapore. Designed as a fully meshed network, the CPCS™ is the most robust trans-border terrestrial system ever built. Following extensive upgrades in 2012, TIME is today, the only provider in Malaysia to have a next-generation, 100% IP|MPLS network. Regionally, TIME's network extends beyond Malaysian shores via its investment in the Global Transit Group of Companies (GT). GT's global footprint includes Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and the US, and strategic investments in submarine cable systems. These include the highly-sought Unity Cable System connecting Japan and the US, and the Asia-Pacific Gateway (APG), a 10,000 kilometer-long international fibre optic cable system linking Malaysia to Japan and South Korea. The APG is expected to be completed at the end of 2014. The Group's data centre business is spearheaded by the AIMS Group of Companies (AIMS), one of the region's most inter-connected sites. Located strategically in the Malaysian capital's central business district, AIMS is an award-winning, carrier-neutral facility. AIMS is already home to all of Malaysia's telecommunications providers and approximately 200 service providers, making AIMS a premier choice for discerning customers. The industry has recognised TIME's push for service and technological excellence. In 2012, TIME was accorded the prestigious Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) certification, making the Group one of 47 international firms to win recognition for the performance, interoperability and reliability of its network. TIME's compliance with global standards ensures that it is able to link up to any other telecommunications network in the world. TIME's domestic fibre optic network, combined with GT's regional nodes for wholesale bandwidth and ownership in several submarine cable systems, as well as AIMS' data centre business, offers customers a complete land and subsea fibre optic network and value-added services that tap fast-growing ASEAN demand for fast, reliable bandwidth. Overview on TIME dotCom’s History Too often TIME dotCom Bhd had failed to turn things around and National investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd has also been trying for years to fix the problem at TIME dotCom Bhd. But things have changed since the new CEO; Afzal Abdul Rahim and his team took over the business in 2008. Afzal was given only three months to come up with a turnaround plan and he made it. The plan was divided into four sections: a business plan, turnaround initiatives, divisional initiatives and quick win labs. During his first three months, Afzal flattened the organisational structure. Twenty-three of TIME dotCom Bhd’s senior executives have left the company – via a voluntary separation scheme, resignations or unrenewed contracts. A cost reduction initiative was put in place and TIME dotCom Bhd has moved from its Jalan Tun Razak office to its current premises in Glenmarie in Shah Alam. Within the first 115 days in office, Afzal had identified TIME dotCom Bhd’s weak links – a weak brand, drain on human capital, a lethargic work culture, poor financial planning and disengaged sales force. To address that, he has put in place a total overhaul plan. Within a few months he successfully turned around the company and set it on a new direction of growth. In 2010, TIME dotCom has successfully made a significant progress where they have met all their business goals. Over the course of the year, TIME became a financially healthy company by demonstrating consistent EBITDA growth and strong operating cash flow. Operational efficiencies were further strengthened with their customers as their primary focus. All in all dotCom is: TIME dotCom is the 2nd largest and fast growing fixed Line Telecommunications network and solutions provider in Malaysia TIME dotCom has been listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia since 2001 TIME dotCom business is built on its advanced fibre optic network- CPCS dotCom is aiming to be an Employer of Choice through its People Division They believe that their employees, whether present or future are their most important asset in achieving and realizing their visions and goals for the company They have the means, assets and facilities to make their organisation the ‘ideal’ place to be, and they take this very seriously To be known as a great organisation, or the organisation of choice, they need a platform that recognises their efforts. Hence, Human Resources Excellence Awards 2013 is the best platform for them to gauge their efforts within the industry. Recently, they have won awards for the Excellence in Compensation and Benefits Strategy, Excellence in Employee Engagement, Excellence in Work-Life Balance and also Excellence in Recruitment and Retention. C) SYMPTOMS OF THE OB ISSUES TIME dotCom wanted a diversity strategy that made a clear link between business success and Culture. This was led by a CIC (Culture and Internal Communications) steering group and delivered by the organisation with People Division (HR) providing coordination and ‘thought leadership’. Defining and inculcating a desired culture at time dotcom. Organizational Culture – A Definition Culture is the environment that surrounds you at work all of the time. Culture is a powerful element that shapes your work enjoyment, your work relationships, and your work processes. But, culture is something that you cannot actually see, except through its physical manifestations in your work place. In many ways, culture is like a personality. In a person, the personality is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, interests, experiences, upbringing, and habits that create a person’s behavior.Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people. Culture is the behavior that results when a group arrives at a set of - generally unspoken and unwritten - rules for working together About dotCom Berhad (Time): TIME dotCom Berhad (TIME) is the second-largest but fastest growing fixed-line telecommunications network and solutions provider in Malaysia. TIME has been listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia since 2001. The Group underwent a management change in October 2008 and has since completed its business turnaround, recording strong quarterly profits since mid-2009. Despite the improvements in financial profits, TIME still carries its stigma from the past where the Company has often been associated with being passive and lethargic in terms of working culture. Despite the many (turnaround) initiatives to revive the values and culture at TIME, the impact and result hasn’t been significant, nor enough to engage and inspire the employees to move as aggressively. Rationale: In 2009, the Company embarked on a series of initiatives to inculcate the Five (05) Core Values (Bold, Quick, Creative, Focused and Fun) as part of its turnaround exercise. This was then followed by The People Manifesto in 2010 and the Brand Promise later that same year. TIME introduced these measures as a means to develop a corporate culture that would provide a competitive edge above all its competitors both locally as well as globally . Core values: Bold Courageous, challenge conventional rules. Daring (dare to be different, dare to take risks, dare to make a point). Confident but not arrogant. Energetic and full of life. Creative Resourceful and highly competent. Does things new to organization, improves performance by doing something new, meaningful and different. Does things that are unique or leading edge Focused Obsess at achieving business objectives. Be meaningful rather than procedural. Know what she/he wants and how to get there. Quick Decisive, fast respond and adaptive. Intuitive. Able to anticipate needs, contingencies. Design solutions based on real customer needs. Fun Present in all that we do (We) don’t take ourselves too seriously. Reflected in the way we communicate with our customers and the manner we interact with each other. Boring is NEVER in our game Brand promise The three (3) elements within the Brand Promise of Pushing Performance are: Can-do attitude Challenger Straightforward & witty D) CAUSES OF THE OB ISSUE TIME has seen a shift in the racial make-up of its employees with a slight shift in racial composition. The ratio of Malay employees has declined slightly while the ratio of Chinese and Indian employees has gradually been increasing. It was initially thought that this was a cause for concern among employees. However, upon further investigations, it was found that Management Style was of greater influence to the performance and productivity of TIME employees. Henceforth, the newly defined culture are all inclusive of the 5 Core Values, the Brand Promise as well as the People Manifesto. Through an EGM held on the 23 November 2011, TIME was given the go ahead from its shareholders to acquire three (3) companies - Global Transit Ltd. (GTL), Global Transit Communications Sdn. Bhd. (GTC) and AIMS Data Centre Sdn. Bhd. (AIMS). In order to be ever more competitive, TIME has to develop its staff to be top notch performers with a strong corporate culture which encapsulates the core values, brand promise and is aligned to the people manifesto. As such, a strong corporate culture was introduced at TIME. Unfortunately, the prevalent culture lacks a unified definition among all employees, especially Senior Management. Hence, having a unified definition of the culture which is developed by the senior management of the organisation is paramount given that Culture Inculcation is a Top Down initiative. An external consultant was hired to facilitate 2 sessions on a unified definition of the Corporate Culture at TIME based on the Core Values, Brand Promise and People Manifesto. Management (EXCO) off-site session Senior Management off-site session E) RECOMMENDATIONS Cultural Diversity and Inclusive through Culture & Internal Communications- Strategies and Planning There are four main areas of focus: Top down messages Bottom up messages External communication Core values roll out Single window of communication within the company To drive the cultural shift Deliverables: Roll out the core values Cultural shift agent Goals: To ensure that all employees within the organisation have access to all the information they require to make informed decisions and maximise their output. To foster engagement while helping employees understand the company’s business objectives and how they fit into them. Objectives: Create a workplace where all employees are informed and working toward the same goals through clear direction for everyday activity Create a common vision and reduce the capacity for workplace conflict by reducing ambiguity of messages or ideas Encourage a sense of belonging to the whole by feeling privy to what is going on. Enable all employees to be able to articulate the business’ mission, values, and goals and support those business objectives. Empower employees to make better and more informed daily decisions that are aligned with meeting long-term business objectives. TIME Employees’ Demographics Research 2011 The average age of their employees is 36.2 and the average length of service is 7.3. Of the 648 employees, 66 are in their regional offices. The internal communication strategies were designed based on their employees demographics data in order to make the messages easily available and understood by all The demographics are also used to determine the media that they are going to utilize to convey the message. Internal communication strategies – top down   Strategy Intended Results Implementation Plan Frequency Media 1 Message from the CEO “The CEO pens…” Clarity of direction and to keep employees up to date on company’s progress CEO to write and email brief messages at the end of each month to all employees. Subsequently, these messages will be uploaded on the E-station under “CEO pens…. Monthly Email and Intranet 2 Townhall sessions Clarity of direction and to keep employees up to date on company’s progress Quarterly Meeting 3 Dissemination of information arising from the Management Meeting All senior management decisions are communicated effectively to staff. Coordinate with the CEO’s office on the dissemination of non-classified information arising from the weekly EXCO meetings. Weekly Email 4 Relevant Board decisions All Board’s decisions are communicated effectively to staff Coordinate with the L&S Division on the dissemination of non-classified information arising from the Board meetings. As and when the Board meets Email Internal communication strategies – bottom-up   Strategy Intended Results Implementation Plan Frequency Media 5 Project Updates To keep employees up to date on company’s progress Establish a key contact at each division and these contacts will update the Internal Communication dept on the project progress. Monthly Email and Intranet 6 Get to know the management sessions To close the gap between the management and the staff Each Head of Division will host an open “teh tarik” session so that staff will get to know them better and voice out problems Monthly Informal meetings/TT sessions Internal communication strategies – external communication   Strategy Intended Results Implementation Plan Frequency Media 6 News on TdC – e.g. Sales closed, projects completed, current promotions, product launches To keep employees up to date on company’s progress Work closely with the Corporate Communication Dept. to ensure TdC related news is broadcast to all employees prior to or concurrently with the official news release on external media. Daily Intranet 7 News on the competitors and industry To keep employees up to date with news on competitors and industry Upload current news on competitors and industry on the intranet on daily basis. Daily Intranet 8. Staff news - current To boost employees’ morale Weekly Intranet Media E-Station – A face-lift is in the works and feature more news on the company and competitors, staff and what’s going on in the company. Reduced E-mail messages and E-Station will be used primarily for the staff to get information Cartoons are used to convey messages especially on leadership and core values. Objectives: To internalize the core values among the employees To align the behaviors with the core values To create a culture in which the core values truly live in the organization. To prepare our employees for the rebranding. Core values rolled-out in 2011 Phase 1 Strategy Intended Results Media 1 Identification of the behaviors associated with the core values (Employees’ level) Establishment of key behaviors that are associated with the core values. To ascertain what the core values mean to different divisions Focus groups 2 Development of core values booklets All employees are aware of the company’s core values and the behaviors associated with the them Comic book/illustrations 3 Identification of Change Agents/Facilitators Implementation of the roll out program Phase 2 Strategy Intended Results Media 1 Full and Active Executive Support for Successful Strategic Planning Commitment from the Management and for the Management to” walk the talk” Workshops 2 Establishment of Expected Behaviors and Actions Establishments of actionable behaviors and performance results. Workshops 3 Establishment of Implementation and Control Plans Workshops 4 Effective Communication and Dissemination of Expectations A powerful and compelling communications campaign to disseminate the management’s expectations Workshops 5 Train the Trainer Program A group of passionate and talented individuals trained to communicate, disseminate and review the results of the roll out programs. Workshops Phase 3 Strategy Intended Results Media 1 Company-wide roll out Alignment of core values Workshops 2 Measurement of the effectiveness Survey 3 Reinforcement programs/activities Continuous alignments over the second half of the year. Results After they have successfully inculcated the Cultural Diversity, the results is very impressive: Core Values Attrition rate and Employee Satisfaction Index Attrition rate for employee voluntarily resigned is reducing from 22.60 % in 2009 to 13.7% in 2012. dotCom Road-Map 5 Key Thrusts to making this possible F. CONCLUSIONS Company : TIME Dotcom Berhad No of Employees : 827 employees Primary Business : A data-centric telecommunications and solutions provider Title of Initiatives : Workplace diversity & Equality and inclusiveness Specific grounds : Cultural, Gender, Work-Life balance Initiatives taken : Provide flexibility for supporting employees to balance Work-Life responsibilities- Telecommuting & Flexible Work Hours Increasing the recruitment and retention of employees from culturally and linguistically diverse background Ensure selection processes that involve Indigenous applicants and members of ethnic or other diversity groups are fair and those involved in interviewing are sensitive to cultural issues. Time DotCom is the 2nd largest and fast growing fixed Line Telecommunications network and solutions provider in Malaysia. Today, Time DotCom is confident of its ability to communicate to a diverse and multicultural Malaysians because they have successfully turn around the company within less than a year. As a result of the Turnaround and Cultural Transformation Programme recently, TIME has managed to emerge their 5 Core Values and People Manifesto, Launched Brand Promised Internally & Externally and designed initiatives that would authentically cascade the Core Values & Brand together with institutionalization of the People Manifesto as a Value Add to People policies. At the heart of TIME today is a philosophy called Equality and inclusiveness, which represents TIME’s thinking about equality and diversity developed in the last 3 years. During this time, TIME dotCom has been convinced of the business benefits of a diverse workforce and diverse audiences, and has integrated an understanding of inclusion throughout the company, from employment policies to product development and customer service. Equality and inclusiveness is research driven, influenced by future gazing and underpinned by sophisticated demographic analysis, enabling TIME to collect data about changes in its workforce composition and customer base. Results Reviews and Recommendation : As a result of its diversity initiative, the awareness and commitment of TIME dotCom employees has been enhanced significantly. There is a major improvement in the company’s attrition rate as it has been reduced from 22.6% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2012. TIME has managed to increase its Employee Survey Index (ESI) from 71.4% in 2009 to 75.9% in 2012 On the recent survey that was done recently, 84% of the TIME dotCom’s employees have agreed TIME dotCom has an excellent future. On the cultural impact, 80% of the employees believed and passionate about The Brand Promise which is “Pushing Performance” Results have also shown that the percentage of Female employees has been increased from 32% in 2011 to 34% in 2012; while the Male employees is reduced by 2%. In their overall performance, its total revenue gained has been the most remarkable and significant success as they have managed to gain profits for the 3rd year in a row; which is from RM 313.9 million to RM 419.1million in 2012. Human Resources Excellence Awards 2013 is the best platform for them to gauge their efforts within the industry. Recently, they have won awards for the Excellence in Compensation and Benefits Strategy, Excellence in Employee Engagement, Excellence in Work-Life Balance and also Excellence in Recruitment and Retention. G. REFERENCES Adruce, D. S. (2008). Diversity and Integration in Malaysian Organizations: A Review. Eighth International Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations. Montréal, Canada. Andrade, S. (2013, November). 6 advantages of Workplace Diversity. Retrieved from http://saharconsulting.wordpress.com/: http://saharconsulting.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/6-advantages-of-workplace-diversity/ Diversity & Inclusion at Google. (2013, Nov). Retrieved from Diversity: http://www.google.com/diversity/index.htm Diversity Wheel. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.stclaircounty.org/: http://www.stclaircounty.org/offices/hr/Diversity.aspx gender. (2011, September 10). Retrieved from http://www.sco.uncc.edu: http://www.sco.uncc.edu/gswa/diversity/gender.html Gupta, R. S. (June, 2013, June). Workforce Diversity and Organizational Performance. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, Volume 2 Issue 6, 36-41. Retrieved from www.ijbmi.org Gurin, P. (2003). BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION. Kate Schaefers, P. L. (2010, Aug 30). Age Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved Oct 21, 2013, from http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com: http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/blog/age-diversity-in-the-workplace/ Konrad, W. (1990, August 6). Welcome to the woman-friendly company. Business Week, 48-55. Lankan, M. (2013). Diversity Is Not Just a Human Resources Function Anymore. Diverse Issues in Higher Education 2013. Managing Diversity in the Workplace. (2013, November). Retrieved from http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-12-managing-diversity-in-the-workplace/#681: http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/pubs/hrguidearticle/chapter-12-managing-diversity-in-the-workplace/#681 Mr. Ahmad Atallah, C. a. (2012, September). Empowering women leadership in the oil and gas. Retrieved from www.shell.com/kwt: http://www.shell.com/kwt/aboutshell/media-centre/news-and-media-releases/2012/empowering-women-leadership-in-the-oil-and-gas.html Rowe, G. &. (1994). Four Layers of Diversity Mode. Vickers-Willis, T. (2013, November). Managing Workforce Diversity-Diversity between some Asian Countries. Retrieved from http://www.vwcorp.com.au/html/informationresources.htm. APPENDIX Diversity and inclusion questionnaires 1. Have you ever experienced a conflict(s) caused by cultural or demographic diversity in your company? 1) yes [ X ] 2) no ->please proceed to question 5 [ ] 2. If yes, what were the sources of conflicts that took place in the company? (Please mark ‘x’ after the appropriate option, maximum 3). No. Sources: Employees’ gender X Employees’ age X Disability Nationality of origin Education level Values and beliefs X Language Problems in communication X Other reason (Such as?) …… 3. Choose the most often types of conflicts in the company that you are currently working at. (Please mark ‘x’ after the appropriate option, maximum 3) No Types of conflicts:   1 Concerning reward types (salaries, bonuses, etc.)   2 Based on social hierarchy  X 3 Between the management and the employees   4 Due to incorrect company’s information system   5 Due to insufficient knowledge of labour legislation   6 Due to incorrect personnel policy   7 Due to employee’s cultural variety X  8 Other (such as?) ……………………   4. How often did any of the following forms of conflicts occur in the company? No. Forms of conflicts: Often Rarely Never 1. Pranks, ‘innocent’ jokes 3 2 1 2. Uncomfortable argument 3 2 1 4. Verbal conflicts which required employer’s intervention 3 2 1 5. Development of hostile attitudes among the employees 3 2 1 6. Launching an official complaint 3 2 1 7. Elements of physical violence among the employees 3 2 1 7. Conflicts that had to be settled (legally) 3 2 1 8. Other form (such as?)……………………………................……………. 3 2 1 5. Does the company have a policy based on cultural diversity? Yes No 6. What types of actions are taken in your company in order to remedy conflict situations? (Please mark ‘x’ after the appropriate option, maximum 3). No Ways of remedying conflicts: 1 Such situations tend to disappear naturally If one party feels offended it informs about it and then both parties seek a compromise X If one party feels offended it informs about it and then both parties seek a compromise Co-workers usually put pressure on both parties in order to find a solution as quickly as possible It is manager’s duty to help resolve the issue X Identify the source of the conflict X Usually managers put pressure on both to help solve conflict It happens that there is no solution. One of the parties has to leave 7. Have you ever been personally involved in any conflict that was based on cultural diversity at your work place? Yes No X 8. Does the company provide all employees with equal access to trainings? Yes X No 9. Does your employer facilitate development of work qualifications? Yes X No 10. Does the company that you are currently working at supports the employees in terms of combining professional life with family one? Yes X No 11. If yes, please specify organizational solutions that are in favour of it. (Please mark ‘x’ after the appropriate option, maximum 3). No. Type of solutions: 1. Work Life Balance X 2. Flexible time X 3. Maternity and paternity leave X 4. Recognition of “official/statutory holidays” X 5. Home support services 6. Social gatherings 7. Other (such as?). 12. Does the company that you are currently working at conduct any actions which aim is protecting the worker? (Please mark ‘x’ after the appropriate option) No. Type of action: 1. Protecting the worker against mobbing and sexual abuse 2. Protecting the worker against layoffs 3. Protecting the worker against gender discrimination 4. Protecting the worker against racial discrimination 5. Other (Such as?) ……………………………………………… 13. Do you feel like an appreciated worker in the company that you are currently working at? Yes X No 14. Do you feel that you utilize your full potential in the company that you are currently working at? Yes X No 15. If you would receive an attractive job offer from other company, would you stay in your current place of work? 1) Definitely yes 2) Rather yes 3) Hard to say X 4) Rather not 5) Definitely not STATISTICAL DATA MP1. Your gender: Female Male X MP2. Your age: 1) 25 years or less 2) From 26 to 35 years 3) From 36 to 45 years X 4) From 46 to 55 years 5) 56 years or more MP3. Your education level: 1) Higher X 2) Secondary 3) Vocational education 4) Elementary 5) Other (such as?) MP4. Your marital status: 1) Not married (Miss/Mr) 2) Married (Mrs/Mr) X 3) Divorced 4) Widow/Widower 5) Domestic partnership MP5. Do you have children? 1) Yes X 2) No MP6. Work experience 1) 5 years or less 2) From 6 to 10 years 3) From 11 to 15 years 4) 16 years and more X Theoretical Questions Provide the mission statement with value on diversity. How has your experience and background prepared you to be effective in this environment with this diversity value/initiative? Equal and inclusive opportunities for all What do you see as the most challenging aspect of a diverse working environment? What steps have you taken to meet this challenge? Getting staff of different racial backgrounds to be closer beyond merely a professional capacity. This is important for great teamwork What kinds of experiences have you had working with others with different backgrounds than your own? Learn new things about different cultures, religions and beliefs Tell me about a time you had to alter your work style to meet a diversity need or challenge? I had to think of a creative approach to plan a core values inculcation programme. This included a paintball challenge, a go karting event and an off-road treasure hunt challenge, just to cater to the demands of the Gen-Y staff. Obviously some of the more matured staff didn’t completely agree with the plans at first, but with some coercing, in the end the whole programme was a success. In fact staff are now looking forward to even more such programmes in the future. How have you handled when a colleague was not accepting of others’ diversity? The most important element when dealing with such situations is understanding. Ensure both (or all) parties understand each other’s needs, wants, desires, expectations etc. and the job is more than half done. After that, all it takes is creative negotiations. In the most extreme case, (which I haven’t personally had to handle) the best alternative is to ask one party to leave. This party should be the one who causes the most disruption. These trouble makers are like a cancer and should be removed to prevent even more widespread of a negative influence which can potentially destroy the serene eco system of the organization. What does it mean to have a commitment to diversity and how would you develop and apply your commitment at this company? Ensure inclusiveness in all dealings. Strike the best compromise and ensure open and frank communications to all personnel. Its also important to highlight differences about cultural and/or religious requirements. (Eg. Christmas and Lion Dance are cultural celebrations) What was/is the diversity value at your current/former employer? What impact did you make on this value? Equality and inclusiveness What efforts have you made, or been involved with, to foster diversity competence and understanding? Ensure the cultural differences are as clearly communicated upfront as possible. Its always better to inform of the diversity and differences (or required interventions) beforehand than trying to explain yourself afterwards. A reactive approach to communications should always be avoided as this is usually seen as an afterthought and not preplanned with all parties in mind What have you done to further your knowledge about diversity? Have you included diversity in your professional development? How have you demonstrated what you have learned? Learn about others. You don’t have to be an anthropologist, but at least show that you know a little bit more about others. What kind of leadership efforts would you make to ensure a commitment to the diversity initiative or value? Leadership by example. Show you respect others. But don’t overdo things else one party will feel shortchanged. Striking a good balance comes with experience. Try and be seen trying.. What strategies have you used to address diversity challenges? What were the positives and negatives? By understanding that the Lion Dance is a Cultural event and not a religious one, of other religions in the company were more accepting of the event. The Chinese were also thrilled that a company which is not predominantly Chinese can accommodate such a celebration. (Diversity, 2013) http://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/Samples/InterviewQuestions/Pages/Diversity.aspx BMOB5103 – ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 3