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Executive Summary

Diversity in the workplace is now a key issue that is necessitating organizational focus. Diversity training has become a key aspect of creating awareness and cohesiveness in the workplace. In the grocery retail sector, diversity training is an investment in employees for the company. Notably, diversity training initiatives such as retreats, sports, and meetings creates cultural awareness and makes the workplace better for all types of employees. A diversity training program serves to inspire the cultural sensitivity in ethnicity, sex, religion, race, background, disabilities, age, and sexual orientation. Diversity training initiatives benefits the company by enabling employees to work together in a cohesive manner. In so doing, the company is able to tap into the maximum skills, talents, creativity, and diversity of its employees.

Diversity Training Program

Introduction

Attention to diversity in U.S organizations has grown exponentially over the last few years. This is attributed to the exigencies of an ever-increasing multiethnic and multicultural labor force. Today, governmental agencies, corporations, and educational institutions are now implementing an array of diversity training programs and other related initiates focused on optimizing the benefits and mitigating the risks of diversity in the workplace. Evidence from recent studies has backed the significance that organizations are placing on diversity training. A recent survey showed that 79 percent of the 406 firms included in the study were using some type of diversity training (Johnson, 2008). In another study, the proportion of companies that stated that they were planning to implement diversity training programs had increased to 75 percent in 2013 from 47 percent in 2011 (Goodman & Preston, 2015). Despite the growth in diversity training, there is a lack of a specific definition and scope for what constitutes diversity training. For these reasons, diversity training programs vary considerably across organizations in terms of conceptualization and implementation.  As such, the driving force, motivations, assumptions, strategies, activities, and goals of the diversity training programs are likely to differ considerably between initiatives and organizations.

Diversity activities are important in the workplace because they allow an opportunity where employees can share their ideas, concerns, and problems and get feedback and answers. This helps to make everyone in the company including the newly recruited wanted and valued. Diversity needs to be cultivated, reinforced, and supported. By identifying and acknowledging people’s differences and similarities, organization like grocery stores becomes a better place to work and the employees become better and stronger leaders (Lindsey, King, Hebl, & Levine, 2015). According to Goodman and Preston (2015), an understanding of the diversity helps strengthen the sense of teamwork in the workplace by promoting communication. Diversity training teaches people to recognize, understand, and correct stereotypes and to find a common ground where they can be able to work and celebrate the differences within their team by fostering open communication.  Some of the diversity training programs include retreats, sports, meetings, and group work.

Retreats

Challenging work like that involved in grocery stores requires perspective whereby people can step back periodically from their work in order to ensure the ability to function well for a long time. Just like machines need regular safety checks and tune-ups to them running well, so do individuals and organizations. Indeed, action and work without reflection can be very costly (Kalinoski, Steele-Johnson, Peyton, Leas, Steinke, & Bowling, 2013). As Lindsey, King, Hebl, and Levine, (2015) note, retreats essentially provides an opportunity for employees to be reminded of their authentic calling of their lives and organizations. This implies that a retreat for grocery store employees would help them keep them grounded in the practices and values that make work meaningful. Indeed, a solid foundation largely contributes to sustaining of healthy organization and work habits.

Group Work

Small work groups in the workplace are very helpful when people want to achieve tasks much quicker and more efficiently. Small diversity groups often produce new results than when same people work together all the time. There are many approaches that are used to split people into groups. These include counting off, tables working together, splitting the room in quarters, among others (Cocchiara, Connerley, Bell, 2010). Although many people will tend to sit with friends and the same people in every meeting, splitting the room or having tables work together does not split friends. It is imperative to mix large groups into different ways in order to ensure real diversity in the small groups (Holladay & Quiñones, 2008). This way, the small groups comprise of different people and are likely to generate new ideas, experience different opinions, experience a wide array of options, and be in a position to consider the positives and negatives of the problem (Johnson, 2008). People can also be mixed into specific groups if doing so creates a specific and desired mix within the work group. Some of the fun and easy ways to divide groups include hair color, those wearing jewelry, morning/afternoon people, types of shoes, coffee drinkers, birthdays, for cynics, and favorite dessert (Goodman & Preston, 2015).

Some of the strategies for inclusion are communication, person-first language, avoiding use of labels, positively acknowledging differences, accessibility, and prior assessment. Without communication, it is almost impossible to adopt strategies for creating the inclusive atmosphere. The use of person-first language involves putting the person first and not the disability. For instance, instead of saying the disabled child, one can say the child with a disability (Rich & Giles, 2015). Labels are very debilitating and they should be avoided because they bring pout more the differences in people (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). It is appropriate to include and accelerate differences when possible and appropriate. All the facilities should be accessible to everyone and where necessary provide reasonable accommodations. It is imperative to assess the needs of participants before they arrive by asking as much information as possible during registration to ensure one is thoroughly prepared.

Sports

Sports can form part of other diversity training programs such as meetings and retreats or they can be used as a distinct form of diversity training. The thought of involving members with disabilities in sports can be daunting. However, this should not be the case because games are very versatile forms of recreation (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). This implies that most sport activities can be modified to accommodate those with disability. While some sport activities provide physical activity, others provide social interaction and mental exercise (Vollman, 2015). However, regardless of the type of the outcome, all sports provide the setting within which an essential element is learned namely good sportsmanship. The good sportsmanship aspect is good in recreational activities as well as in everyday life.

Diversity Training Programs in Grocery Stores

Organizations implement diversity training programs for a diversity of reasons. Motivations driving organizations into conducting diversity programs are important because it determines the role of training and the form it takes in the organization (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). There are three basic categories of motivators including business success and competitiveness, legal and social pressures, and moral imperative (Rich & Giles, 2015). Although they appear as distinct categories, these entities mostly act jointly in various combinations in prompting and framing approaches to diversity by organizations. Notably, most diversity programs embrace inclusion as a desirable goal (Johnson, 2008).

The U.S history is often cast based on the struggle against oppression, and for equality and justice. This legacy has a strong impact on the motivation for the diversity programs and the way they are framed. One perspective that is rooted in the moral imperative stresses the significance of recognizing and working to address the long history of racism and conflictual intergroup relations in the US (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). Certain groups continue to be the target of pervasive and institutionalized discrimination making its effect part of the American fabric. The desire to contribute towards a better society is an important motivation for the diversity training.  Since many businessmen recognize the important position and role their firms play in the society, they acknowledge responsibilities towards their employees and the larger communities in which they operate. This responsibility includes that of increasing opportunities for everyone to live a better life (Goodman & Preston, 2015). Addressing diversity constructively is one aspect of this effort. Inclusion in the light of moral imperative implies eliminating barriers to opportunity on the basis of group difference as well as supporting every individual to reach their full potential without requiring cultural assimilation (Johnson, 2008).

Organizations in the US face social and legal demands from the civil rights struggles and the ensuing civil rights legislation to become more inclusive. These pressures include affirmative action, Americans with Disabilities Act, and equal employment opportunity. Moreover, businesses getting into contracts with the national government are subject to the equal employment opportunities and the affirmative action regulations (Rich & Giles, 2015). ADA requires employers to ensure reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. Addressing sexual harassment is also becoming a prominent issue. Organizations are taking active steps to avoid law suits based on discrimination and harassment (Treven, Treven, & Žižek, 2015).  This implies that whether they view diversity training as the right thing to do organizations find themselves increasingly under legal pressure to do so. From the legal and social pressures perspective primarily stems from illegal barriers. Diversity efforts motivated by legal and social pressures tend to assume a reactive nature. The vision from this perspective entails complying with the law to avoid legal issues and maintaining smooth relations with relevant partners (Johnson, 2008).

From the business success perspective, diversity initiatives are driven by the phenomenon of increasing globalization and more diverse workforce. Reports have revealed that organizations that do well in terms of diversity management are likely to be more competitive. According to a research by Jones, King, Nelson, Geller, and Bowes-Sperry (2013), 85 percent of companies involved in the study reported competitiveness as the main motivator for using diversity training. The study also found out that initiatives that are based on legal and other social pressures are less likely to be viewed as important compared with those that are driven by organizational effectives that attract more focus in terms of financial and human resources (Bezrukova, Jehn, & Spell, 2012). From the point of view of business success, inclusion concerns ensuring the organization applies all productive their productive potential and capacity to the full extent (Rich & Giles, 2015). When employees are more effective and belief that diversity training can help them be effective, then the company is likely to be more productive and successful.

The most appropriate diversity training for a grocery store would be an office retreat. Office retreat can take the form of weekend in the mountains or a trip to a park. These moments can provide a great time for the employees to get to know each other out of the office and to see and appreciate each other in a recreational setting (Bezrukova, Jehn, & Spell, 2012). A retreat should be accompanied by other activities to make the day interactive and exciting such as board games, team-building activities, and sporting events for the day or weekend (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). It should be made clear to everyone well in time that the event is a diversity and team-building retreat. An essential component in planning for an office retreat is to appoint a facilitator to guide the activities of the day or weekend. The appointed person must have sufficient knowledge concerning the current and relevant issues and people’s skills and be a well respected personality in the workplace. The facilitator should lead discussions on a variety of diversity topics in order to inspire conversation between the employees.

By and large, presence of diversity training programs in the grocery store does not imply absence of issues in the workplace. People will still feel unfairly treated and some will treat others unfairly. In order to address such emerging issues, it is necessary to develop an open door policy (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). This would entail informing the staff members that all are welcome at any time to discuss about diversity, productivity, and other workplace issues. Allowing staffs to express their issues and concerns when they need to would largely lead to happier and more productive individuals. It also presents the opportunity to learn new ideas on how to improve the diversity in the workplace.

Pros and Cons of Diversity Training Initiatives

Diversity training benefits the organization by allowing employees encouraging employees to build healthy business relationships and decreasing at-work discrimination and bullying. Diversity training enhances the quality of the employee work output (Goodman & Preston, 2015). It produces happier employees and in turn promotes productivity and organizational performance. By and large, diversity training offers the opportunity to tap the different ideas, creativity, talent, and skills offered by diverse individuals working together (Bezrukova, Jehn, & Spell, 2012). Furthermore, diversity is closely linked with creativity and the most creative companies such as Apple and Google have a history of diversity and inclusion (Wentling & Palma-Rivas, 2009). Diversity training initiatives teach people how to appreciate diversity and to create a more peaceful workplace that is free from cases of discrimination. More importantly, diversity training promotes the image and reputation of the company as a diverse and inclusive workplace. This in turn promotes its attractive among stakeholders and partners making it easy for it to transact business with the government and other business partners. Companies that have a reputation of promoting diversity are more likely to attract and retain experienced employers easily than those that have a negative reputation of diversity (Goodman & Preston, 2015). Overall, companies that have diversity programs are better placed to perform better than those that do not have such programs.

However, it is also imperative to note that diversity in the workplace is likely to face extreme resistance from employees. As such, for the diversity programs to succeed, managers should be capable of identifying this resistance and understanding the best way to stop or address it effectively (Bezrukova, Jehn, & Spell, 2012). Moreover, resistance assumes many different behaviors and forms. Resistant employees are likely to feel that unwarranted favors and benefits are being showered on certain people. Such resistant employees are likely to start rumors concerning things that they belief are unfair causing unrest in the office.

Case Study: Walmart Diversity Training Program

One grocery retailer with a good reputation of diversity training is Walmart. The company believes that in order to truly advance the diversity awareness, they need to walk in someone else’s shoes. This is the philosophy that drives the company’s diversity management programs. This includes a hands-on diversity immersion course which gives employees a firsthand tour of their civil-rights venues for diversity and inclusion (Johnson, 2008). Employees are taken to venues such as the Martin Luther King’s house in Montgomery, Ala or to see the effects of the border-patrol regulations on Latinos in Sam Antonio (Goodman & Preston, 2015). Because Walmart’s employees are from different backgrounds and nationalities, the company has benefited greatly through the diversity training programs. At the end of each year, the company looks whether there has been any disciplinary action on inappropriate language, behavior, and comments in the workplace (Johnson, 2008). If an employee has met their diversity events and good-faith efforts but their behavior does not demonstrate it, then they are marked that development is needed in that area and they cannot pass the performance evaluation section. Notably, the performance evaluation accountability stands at 10 percent with a bonus of up to 15 percent (Bezrukova, Jehn, & Spell, 2012). If employees do not pass their goals on that, then a qualitative and quantitative review is done. The company has also established a helpline where reporting is available at any time. A lot of follow-up is also done on the progress of employees on this area.

Conclusion

Diversity in the workplace has become a very relevant issues requiring significant consideration. Diversity training is a central component of building awareness and cohesiveness in the workplace. It is an investment in employees and in the company. This is because cultural awareness serves as the bridge between workers whose paths might for some reason not cross. As such, a diversity training program serves to inspire the cultural sensitivity in ethnicity, sex, religion, race, background, disabilities, age, and sexual orientation. Diversity training initiatives benefits the company by enabling employees to work together in a cohesive manner. In so doing, the company is able to tap into the maximum skills, talents, creativity, and diversity of its employees.