Diversity training in companies

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Diversity is an issue that has touched so many companies worldwide that the research has turned to a complete field of study. This does not mean every company has embraced diversity and understands the power and knowledge it brings to a company. International companies must, by virtue of their size, scope, use of workers and communities, in many countries and regions, embrace diversity as much as possible. It is their experiences where much of the research has been completed and recommendations created.
Expansion of the world continues with new countries joining in the world market. This includes formerly closed societies like Myanmar. New markets mean new, easier to obtain resources, but it also adds new markets to sell. Understanding diversity is not just about workers, but also about customers. Understanding the culture, the norms, and the traditions make working in a diverse population, especially in a worldwide population more likely success will come and remain.

This paper looks at a construction company (name changed) that has begun to take on projects outside the United States. A new team has been formed to deal with the issues of human capital within the company and how to approach not only integrating diversity, but also appreciation for the skills and knowledge the new workers bring.
Diversity refers in its simplest terms refers to the differences that are many and varied. In a social setting, this refers to the following: Race, Culture, National origin, Region, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Age, Marital Status, Politics, Religion, Ethnicity, Disability, economic differences, Family structure, Health, Values, etc. In most cases, diversity is seen to connote multiculturalism, referring to racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the population/membership of a specific place or group, whether primary, secondary or referential like in a university, a corporation or business, a town, city or a country. Nowadays, nations the world over recognize that while differences can cause conflict, it is also a rich ground for improvement and source of new ideas for the purpose of development. Cities like New York for example find that its diverse population presents a good sampling of a global populace. As a financial center, New York Banks, firms, and agencies has an employee list of varied ethnicities, races and cultures allowing said firms a good understanding of said ethnicities, their unique global markets. Nowadays, the issue about workplace diversity centres on equal and fair employment. The goal is to treat people equally without discrimination whatever their race, ethnicity, gender, age, or religion maybe. Since the Civil Rights movement mid-20th Century in the US, the nation has come to center their efforts for equality against discrimination putting up The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that is still as relevant as it is today. The EEOC encourages diversity in the workplace by putting together policies as well as projects known as 'Diversity Training'. According to Vaughn (2007), diversity training is training for the purpose of increasing participants' cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills, which is based on the assumption that the training will benefit an organization by protecting against civil rights violations, increasing the inclusion of different identity groups, and promoting better teamwork. Many management practitioners find it difficult leading individuals whose differences are so pronounced - religion, culture, beliefs, socialization.

This difficulty leads to barriers in completion of projects leading to inefficiency and at worst, failure. Management professor Michael Bird (2007) proposed the following applicable approaches to increase workplace diversity:
- Recognize that diversity will bring a greater skills base when managed properly.
- Improve the overall climate on diverse project teams in order to improve satisfaction, reduce conflicts, and improve team member retention.
- Encourage creativity, flexibility, and innovation among the team members which will allow the injection of new ideas and challenge the normal organizational mindsets.

Background
Lamar Construction has been a statewide general contractor for over four decades. The company began in a small town, but expanded within two years to projects throughout the state. Their success has been predicated on quality work, excellent resources, good workers, and fair pricing for projects. The company prides itself on hiring the best workers and hiring new labor and training them to become workers of quality.

Twelve years ago, the company had some problems when one of the principals in the company (the owner's father) made statements about never hiring blacks or Hispanics, using racial slurs and rude gestures when the HR personnel broached the subject. The problem solved quickly when he was removed by the owner and placed in a position with little input into hiring or working with others in the field. This entire episode further solved when he retired within the next year. The company immediately started training to deal with soft skills including how to work with others of a different race, gender, and older people. It greatly expanded the knowledge and working conditions of the company.

In the last eight years, the company began to take on projects in the nearby Bahamas and the U.S. Virgin Islands, building commercial properties that include office buildings, a school, several small resorts, and a chain of restaurants. These ventures were easy and worker diversity was accepted as a norm. However, a project in Jamaica has turned into a real problem because of some safety concerns, different ...