Inter-group Relations and Diversity
Introduction
Inter-group relations refer to the interactions between individuals within a certain geographical area as well as sharing ideas and conducting various activities. Interactions can also be between groups, parties, or members of a community at large. Inter-group relations can be categorized as assimilation where a certain group or an individual adopts the lifestyle of another one, pluralism, amalgamation, segregation, and genocide. The study of intergroup relations has made scholars acquire distinct views on the phenomenon. In many cases, intergroup relations have an impact on the general life of the people as well as their economic performance. For instance, if a community segregated according to their race, there will be a prolonged effect as other people will be feeling unwanted or unworthy (Foner, 2012).
Similarly, diversity of group relations, on the other hand, is the group differences among the individuals of a community or a particular geographical area. The differences in additional time may cause adverse impacts, and at other times they do not create any impact at all or even create a positive impact. The discussion focuses on cultural legacies, specifically why intergroup relations and diversity is essential to the people. For intergroup relations, the focus is mainly on the specific groups of interaction and their importance to the people. This particular scope of the discussion and the details are discussed as follows.
Intergroup relations and their impacts.
Pluralism is the phenomenon where people live in coexistence between them and other people of different cultures or other distinct characteristics without the act of segregation or selectiveness. The feature is the most suitable way of establishing and keeping peace among the people of that particular geographical location. Rather than coping up with different cultural features, the community adopts the cultural elements of another community. Still, oftentimes they retain at least some of the critical and inevitable practices of their culture. The common phenomenon observed in most cases is that a community may warmly welcome the members of another community and live with them without any condemnation or segregation regardless of their distinct characteristics. This is a form that is commonly known as multiculturism (Hall, 1996).
Still, on the same feature, there is a possibility of economic development since the people have a mutual understanding and are united towards the best social status. Ultimately, the financial performance of a society is dependent on the peoples’ cohesiveness. It is easier to establish authorities, and there are disagreements that it is always an economic barrier. Scholars have not given a distuishing factors between the different kinds of cultures. However, there are a few facts that backs the two existing kinds of pluralism; cultural pluralism and cultural pluralism. Cultural pluralism is the existence where the individuals maintain some of their historical cultures that they are really attached to while structural pluralism is the system in which individuals live in different site social structure but; different social classes, occupational positions, institutions and their specific neighborhoods.
Assimilation is another type of intergroup relations where the different people groups live together until they lose its initial characteristics. Basically, the substituent different groups of a certain area adopt the culture of the other group which is termed as the dominant group. The dominance maybe as a result of their population as result of specific their specific location or the opportunities in their location which makes the rest of the people to opt to change their culture. The feature is also associated with mutual understanding and coexistence., which is an advantage to the economic growth as well as individual growth. Some assimilation results in total elimination of barriers to effective progress of the community. Such barriers ay include tribalism and racism. When people get assimilated by other tribes or people from other races, they tend to forget about their actual differences and hence the will be an economic growth and development (Roth and Lee, 2007). Physical assimilation which is also known as racial assimilation involves biological interactions between individuals specifically through intermarriage which results in production of children with more predominant features. This is a stronger form of assimilation with corresponding strong and positive impacts.
According to a case study done in by scholars, it was observed that two different communities who have interacted together for a long time got assimilated both physically and biologically by the dominant community. The result of their interaction was a strong cohesiveness without any form of seclusion. The people had developed a mutual understanding and they had no insecurity as it is commonly observed in the event of two different cultures with no common understanding (Cox and Blake, 1991). It was also observed that intermediate personalities are the common features of in two different cultures. However, assimilation may lead to loss of moral values among the individuals. In most cases assimilation occurs when one of the cultures has few individuals attached and therefore can lose their cultures concerning morals.
Legal protection of minorities. In communities that understand the existence of diverse groups, the dominant group, the group with majority listings and the community characterized with governance will guaranteed protection to the minority who are considered to be disadvantaged or vulnerable. In the United States of America, the reservation system for the for the native Americans is always guaranteed. There rights are always put into consideration due to their vulnerability. Similarly, in most nations the disadvantaged groups like refugees have their rights being protected within the governing laws. There are other ways in the U.S in which the rights of the minority are being protected; by the collective territorial rights. This rights do recognize any other American other than the Native Americans. Similarly, the formal sharing of power was initiated in the American Government to enable participation by minority groups.
Diversity and Impacts
Diversity as discussed earlier is the understanding and accepting individuals’ unique personalities, beliefs and tolerating even if they may not be favorable. Diversity calls for an incorporation of respect and tolerance as they are the aspects affected. Every society is diverse in different intersecting ways involving different races, occupation, social class status, ages and gender. Therefore, there are various impacts of cultural diversity depending on the setting being examined. For this case, the positive impacts attached to diversity in a work place is being examined.
Efficiency and productivity of workers is one of the results of diverse working culture. When there is a proper management of diversity in a working place, there is a possibility in good deliverables as the workers are collectively fee important. Allowing the employees to work with different people with different knowledge and skills enables them to give a productive output. Since diversity is based on respect and tolerance, the employees will be in a better position to create good interpersonal relationships as well as inter organizational relationships (Foner, 2012). Inter organizational relationships builds the integration of supply chains in a business which has an impact of high sales due to efficient and fast delivery of goods between the manufacturer and the customer who is at the receiving end. Similarly, properly controlled diversity within the supply chain facilitates good image of the company. This is because it gives a reflection of how the company has no biasness in its operations.
Diversity in culture facilitates brainstorming which results in proper evaluation and selection of options, and informed decisions on taken in the business. When people interact with other different people, they begin to develop a different viewpoint, perspectives, understanding and perhaps, they find answers to prior unanswered questions concerning another culture. This makes them comfortable not only in the work place but also in other social institutions. They also develop other attributes such as tolerance as they learn how to be comfortable even when you maybe odd one in a place.
Having a diverse working personnel is the best decision to be taken by the company. Regardless of the customers’ language, beliefs or culture, they will be served to their satisfaction. This is possible through communication between the client and the attendant. It is therefore essential for a business to have enough personnel with diverse culture in order to meet the customer needs regardless of their gender, age or language. Similarly, hiring and managing diverse workers is essential for a business to grow. A case study in the Airbnb company tells that their strategic tactics that keeps the company in the global position is the local experience they offer to their customers. This local experience is only possible through having workers who can do the services to their esteemed customers (Foner, 2012). This has been the most excellent strategy and other companies with the same services cannot compete with the company as they are on another level.
Cultural diversity enables the company to shift from local market place to online marketplace. With the case of the Airbnb platform, it could only provide services to the local customers at its initial stages. With time, the CEO of the business expanded its scope of the market with incorporation of workers from different diverse cultures. Till date, the company operates in worldwide market with the aid of internet. It is important to consider the fact that internet services enable the business to go global. Apparently, the business is operated from any geographical location and it offers hospitality and accommodation services as well as local experience as an added advantage to its customers.
Diversity of workers enables change in the organization’s approach for growth and its expansion at large (Obzilgin et al., 2013). Since decision making is done with consideration of different views, there is a possibility of making sound decisions on how to achieve organizational goals. Progressive decision making with involvement of diverse diverse workers or the stakeholders of the business will eventually make the company to adopt the approach. For some companies such as Amazon, there is probably a history of local status attached to the company before its markets expanded.
The company is now serving the worldwide market and since the company was initiated, it has probably changed their approaches and strategies in its operations. Besides the company is now operated by individuals from different cultures and their locations are also diverse. There is a big difference between local business and international businesses such as Amazon, Alibaba and Airbnb. The differences are the sales volume, size of the marketplace, strategies, number of employees and the location of the markets. The differences results give an explanation as to why each of the businesses operates within their current levels. Such features can be used to predict the future possibilities of going global, remaining global or declining to the ground level again. It is therefore important for a business to consider diversity among the workers for better deliverables in the business.
Creativity is also associated with cultural diversity among the workers of an organization. Since the workers often have different skills and capacities, they can combine their efforts and reason out together and finally come out with a complex result. A case study in the university in North Carolina tells that a group of engineering students came up with a project and since everyone had a different knowledge and level of understanding non could make the project functional on their own (Foner, 2012). Finally, they all decided to work collectively and finally, they managed to complete the project successfully. Similarly, medical experts come up with drugs collectively as a team and not individually. It is therefore effective to work as a team with different skills and technical know-how in order to achieve desired outcomes.
Desired organizational goals can be achieved when the workers are all united irrespective of their differences. Proper control of diversity enables the company workers to work effectively and productively as a team. Since team work is one of the factors the facilitates growth of a business, the company will eventually grow as the have enough driving force. In the military also, proper cultural diversity enables unity towards similar goals. Since they have a critical role in the state, the military are obliged to appreciation and tolerance of other culture. Failure to be tolerant to other culture leads to a complete failure of the body and therefore the nation t large will be at a loss. The workplace should therefore ensure proper control of cultural diversity in order to maintain its focus and eventually achieve its objectives.
Conclusion
From the evidences discussed above, it can be deuced that the success of an organization or a unit is dependent on the individual’s tolerance to diversity. It can also be deduced that intergroup relations are of great importance for the peaceful coexistence of individuals. Intergroup relations majorly focus on the aspects such as; pluralism, assimilation and protection of minority groups. The three aspects have a great significance and to both individuals, communities or parties and the nation at large. It is also important as it determines the economic growth of that particular nation. Some relations result in partial total change of an individual or a community. This is always as a result of population or any other factor that maybe a weakness. Diversity on the other hand is the differences in the beliefs, culture and norms of a group of people and even an individual. It is an important feature in the workplace. However, if the feature is not properly controlled it may lead to disagreements and eventually a failure in the business. Therefore, intergroup relations and cultural diversity is of great importance for peaceful coexistence and the success of a nation.
REFERENCES
Cox, T. H., & Blake, S. (1991). Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness. Academy of Management Perspectives, 5(3), 45-56.
Foner, N. (2012). The immigrant family: Cultural legacies and cultural changes. In The new immigration (pp. 171-180). Routledge.
Hall, S. (1996). Cultural studies and its theoretical legacies. Stuart Hall: Critical dialogues in cultural studies, 262-275.
Özbilgin, M., Jonsen, K., Tatli, A., Vassilopoulou, J., & Surgevil, O. (2013). Global diversity management. Oxford University Press.
Roth, W. M., & Lee, Y. J. (2007). “Vygotsky’s neglected legacy”: Cultural-historical activity theory. Review of educational research, 77(2), 186-232.