In the last couple of decades, AAustralia is conventionallyhas developed into a multicultural society and as globalisation increases, employing people of diverse cultures, beliefs and backgrounds becomes more crucial for both creating a sustainable workforce and transcending the Australian national context (D’Netto, 2013:1261). Innovation, creativity and the ability to be open to change assists an organisation’s success and competitive advantage – marketing, problem solving and resource acquisition – and this is brought on by the introduction of diversity management policies and procedures (Cox, 2001:34). The implementation of appropriate procedures is developed through the human resource department and senior management …show more content…
There is a large gender gap in top management positions as over half of the Australian workforce are female but only one in five Board directors and one in eight Board chairs are women (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2016). These circumstances and the glass ceiling exist despite efforts to improve gender equality in the workplace. The term, “glass ceiling”, which has been used in business academic literature since the 1980s, refers to an invisible barrier that separates and discriminates minorities and female workers from reaching top management positions.
Today’s organisations demand flexibility, teamwork and information sharing, replacing rigid structures, competitive individualism and control. Effective managers must use more social and interpersonal behaviours, being able to listen, support and motivate to those who report to them and other employees, and women have been seen to attain these traits more so than men.
Low presence of women of women in top management positions, Australia still exhibits high level of discomfort when women are given authority, sufficient number of qualified women but insufficient demand for female directors because of sexism
• Barriers to women in board: child care, outmoded attitudes and tokenism by male-dominated …show more content…
Even though there is a lack of research on the effects of workplace diversity, it is doubtful that it would be negating the future of the workforce as a multicultural work environment reflects a realistic community. Diversity is seen as a competitive advantage amongst the workforce, thus generating a favourable reputation to attract the most suitable candidates and contributing to the quality of its performance outcomes as organisations have the least trouble attracting high quality applicants. EEO legislation requires organisations to eliminate discriminatory recruitment practices, ensuring that disadvantaged groups or minorities are allowed fair access to job and promotion opportunities (Stone, 2013:238). Shattering the glass ceiling for people in minority groups is crucial for employee development so that they are given an opportunity to use their skills, qualifications and abilities to progress wherever they wish to go. Management is in control of how diversity is perceived in the workplace as they are setting an example for others, including those who have employees reporting directly to them. When managers are giving praise for diverse employees’ performances, it should focus on the output of their work rather than demographic differences as they are thought to have a negative perception of the competence of diverse