A Diversity of Diversity

Organizations often emphasize diversity in their workforce for a variety of reasons. From a creative perspective, you want to have diversity of thought, so you do not end up with the same old ideas all the time, and one way to achieve that is to recruit people from different backgrounds. Your marketing department may tell you that diversity in the workforce reflects the society outside your firm, and so a diverse workforce is more likely to create products attractive to a cross-section of the public. Others will argue that diversity is a moral function, that people of all backgrounds deserve an equal opportunity to show what they can do. Whatever your logic, there is no denying that diversity has emerged in many places as a central factor in designing a workforce.

But what does “diversity” mean? Well, it depends on where you are. If you are part of a multinational firm, or if you rely upon employees or free agents from around the world, you should realize how different societies view diversity.

In the US, the concept of diversity has largely focused on ethnicity and gender, as an outgrowth of civil rights movements throughout the 20th century. Ethnicity is a particularly dominant characteristic of diversity because the US is essentially a nation of immigrants, the proverbial “melting pot” that has resulted in a heterogeneous society. We are also seeing the continuing growth of handicapped and LGBT employees under the “diversity” umbrella.

But is that the same in other cultures? In the US, we tend to forget that most countries do not have strong multi-ethnic societies. Does that mean diversity does not exist, or is not important? No. But it should be a reminder to us that diversity is about the differences between people and overcoming, or even making the most of, those differences. For example, employers in various countries have shared with us that in other countries shared with us that…

* In India, diversity can be based more on representation of different castes, rather than on specific ethnic distinctions or nationalities.

* Great Britain’s history of empire leads it to emphasize representation from former colonies, especially those from the 20th century when the Empire faded (presumably, then, this doesn’t include Americans, but does include Malaysians, Hong Kongers, Indians, and people from the Caribbean).

* Singapore emphasizes diversity of ethnicity but, with essentially only three ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay, Indian), and with that ethnicity playing a role outside the workplace, too (such as in the public housing estates), it is managed differently that you would find in the US. They also enhance diversity through the strong recruiting of foreign expatriate talent.

* Afghanistan often focuses on the importance of tribal affiliation in managing diversity; it is not uncommon to be reminded about the need, for example, for “more Pashtuns.”

There are benefits to diversity in every society, but remember that it means different things in different places. As you structure your workforce throughout different markets, or recruit employees from different places, remember that everyone’s concept of diversity is likely to be a little, well, diverse. Plan accordingly.