| IntroductionThe role of the Human Resource Manager | | | | quickly conclude that there is no future for them in the |
| is evolving with the change in competitive market | | | | company. As the HR Manager, it is pertinent to show |
| environment and the realization that Human Resource | | | | respect for diversity issues and promote clear and |
| Management must play a more strategic role in the | | | | positive responses to them. He/She must also show a |
| success of an organization. Organizations that do not | | | | high level of commitment and be able to resolve issues |
| put their emphasis on attracting and retaining talents | | | | of workplace diversity in an ethical and responsible |
| may find themselves in dire consequences, as their | | | | manner.Control and Measure Results-A HR Manager |
| competitors may be outplaying them in the strategic | | | | must conduct regular organizational assessments on |
| employment of their human resources.With the | | | | issues like pay, benefits, work environment, |
| increase in competition, locally or globally, organizations | | | | management and promotional opportunities to assess |
| must become more adaptable, resilient, agile, and | | | | the progress over the long term. There is also a need |
| customer-focused to succeed. And within this change | | | | to develop appropriate measuring tools to measure |
| in environment, the HR professional has to evolve to | | | | the impact of diversity initiatives at the organization |
| become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or | | | | through organization-wide feedback surveys and other |
| advocate, and a change mentor within the organization. | | | | methods. Without proper control and evaluation, some |
| In order to succeed, HR must be a business driven | | | | of these diversity initiatives may just fizzle out, without |
| function with a thorough understanding of the | | | | resolving any real problems that may surface due to |
| organization's big picture and be able to influence key | | | | workplace diversity.Motivational |
| decisions and policies. In general, the focus of today's | | | | ApproachesWorkplace motivation can be defined as |
| HR Manager is on strategic personnel retention and | | | | the influence that makes us do things to achieve |
| talents development. HR professionals will be coaches, | | | | organizational goals: this is a result of our individual |
| counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help | | | | needs being satisfied (or met) so that we are |
| motivate organization's members and their loyalty. The | | | | motivated to complete organizational tasks effectively. |
| HR manager will also promote and fight for values, | | | | As these needs vary from person to person, an |
| ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organizations, | | | | organization must be able to utilize different |
| especially in the management of workplace | | | | motivational tools to encourage their employees to put |
| diversity.This paper will highlight on how a HR manager | | | | in the required effort and increase productivity for the |
| can meet the challenges of workplace diversity, how | | | | company.Why do we need motivated employees? |
| to motivate employees through gain-sharing and | | | | The answer is survival (Smith, 1994). In our changing |
| executive information system through proper planning, | | | | workplace and competitive market environments, |
| organizing, leading and controlling their human | | | | motivated employees and their contributions are the |
| resources.Workplace DiversityAccording to Thomas | | | | necessary currency for an organization's survival and |
| (1992), dimensions of workplace diversity include, but | | | | success. Motivational factors in an organizational |
| are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, | | | | context include working environment, job |
| physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, | | | | characteristics, appropriate organizational reward |
| educational background, geographic location, income, | | | | system and so on.The development of an appropriate |
| marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, | | | | organizational reward system is probably one of the |
| parental status, and work experience.The Challenges | | | | strongest motivational factors. This can influence both |
| of Workplace DiversityThe future success of any | | | | job satisfaction and employee motivation. The reward |
| organizations relies on the ability to manage a diverse | | | | system affects job satisfaction by making the |
| body of talent that can bring innovative ideas, | | | | employee more comfortable and contented as a result |
| perspectives and views to their work. The challenge | | | | of the rewards received. The reward system |
| and problems faced of workplace diversity can be | | | | influences motivation primarily through the perceived |
| turned into a strategic organizational asset if an | | | | value of the rewards and their contingency on |
| organization is able to capitalize on this melting pot of | | | | performance (Hickins, 1998).To be effective, an |
| diverse talents. With the mixture of talents of diverse | | | | organizational reward system should be based on |
| cultural backgrounds, genders, ages and lifestyles, an | | | | sound understanding of the motivation of people at |
| organization can respond to business opportunities | | | | work. In this paper, I will be touching on the one of the |
| more rapidly and creatively, especially in the global | | | | more popular methods of reward systems, |
| arena (Cox, 1993), which must be one of the important | | | | gain-sharing.Gain-sharing:Gain-sharing programs |
| organisational goals to be attained. More importantly, if | | | | generally refer to incentive plans that involve |
| the organizational environment does not support | | | | employees in a common effort to improve |
| diversity broadly, one risks losing talent to | | | | organizational performance, and are based on the |
| competitors.This is especially true for multinational | | | | concept that the resulting incremental economic gains |
| companies (MNCs) who have operations on a global | | | | are shared among employees and the company.In |
| scale and employ people of different countries, ethical | | | | most cases, workers voluntarily participate in |
| and cultural backgrounds. Thus, a HR manager needs | | | | management to accept responsibility for major |
| to be mindful and may employ a 'Think Global, Act | | | | reforms. This type of pay is based on factors directly |
| Local' approach in most circumstances. The challenge | | | | under a worker's control (i.e., productivity or costs). |
| of workplace diversity is also prevalent amongst | | | | Gains are measured and distributions are made |
| Singapore's Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). | | | | frequently through a predetermined formula. Because |
| With a population of only four million people and the | | | | this pay is only implemented when gains are achieved, |
| nation's strive towards high technology and | | | | gain-sharing plans do not adversely affect company |
| knowledge-based economy; foreign talents are lured | | | | costs (Paulsen, 1991).Managing Gain-sharingIn order for |
| to share their expertise in these areas. Thus, many | | | | a gain-sharing program that meets the minimum |
| local HR managers have to undergo cultural-based | | | | requirements for success to be in place, Paulsen (1991) |
| Human Resource Management training to further their | | | | and Boyett (1988) have suggested a few pointers in |
| abilities to motivate a group of professional that are | | | | the effective management of a gain-sharing program. |
| highly qualified but culturally diverse. Furthermore, the | | | | They are as follows:A HR manager must ensure that |
| HR professional must assure the local professionals | | | | the people who will be participating in the plan are |
| that these foreign talents are not a threat to their | | | | influencing the performance measured by the |
| career advancement (Toh, 1993). In many ways, the | | | | gain-sharing formula in a significant way by changes in |
| effectiveness of workplace diversity management is | | | | their day-to-day behavior. The main idea of the gain |
| dependent on the skilful balancing act of the HR | | | | sharing is to motivate members to increase |
| manager.One of the main reasons for ineffective | | | | productivity through their behavioral changes and |
| workplace diversity management is the predisposition | | | | working attitudes. If the increase in the performance |
| to pigeonhole employees, placing them in a different | | | | measurement was due to external factors, then it |
| silo based on their diversity profile (Thomas, 1992). In | | | | would have defeated the purpose of having a |
| the real world, diversity cannot be easily categorized | | | | gain-sharing program.An effective manager must |
| and those organizations that respond to human | | | | ensure that the gain-sharing targets are challenging but |
| complexity by leveraging the talents of a broad | | | | legitimate and attainable. In addition, the targets should |
| workforce will be the most effective in growing their | | | | be specific and challenging but reasonable and |
| businesses and their customer base.The Management | | | | justifiable given the historical performance, the business |
| of Workplace DiversityIn order to effectively manage | | | | strategy and the competitive environment. If the |
| workplace diversity, Cox (1993) suggests that a HR | | | | gain-sharing participants perceive the target as an |
| Manager needs to change from an ethnocentric view | | | | impossibility and are not motivated at all, the whole |
| ("our way is the best way") to a culturally relative | | | | program will be a disaster.A manager must provide |
| perspective ("let's take the best of a variety of ways"). | | | | useful feedback as a guidance to the gain-sharing |
| This shift in philosophy has to be ingrained in the | | | | participants concerning how they need to change their |
| managerial framework of the HR Manager in his/her | | | | behavior(s) to realize gain-sharing payouts The |
| planning, organizing, leading and controlling of | | | | feedback should be frequent, objective and clearly |
| organizational resources.As suggested by Thomas | | | | based on the members' performance in relation to the |
| (1992) and Cox (1993), there are several best | | | | gain-sharing target.A manager must have an effective |
| practices that a HR manager can adopt in ensuring | | | | mechanism in place to allow gain-sharing participants to |
| effective management of workplace diversity in order | | | | initiate changes in work procedures and methods and |
| to attain organizational goals. They are:Planning a | | | | or requesting new or additional resources such as new |
| Mentoring Program-One of the best ways to handle | | | | technology to improve performance and realize gains. |
| workplace diversity issues is through initiating a | | | | Though a manager must have a tight control of |
| Diversity Mentoring Program. This could entail involving | | | | company's resources, reasonable and justifiable |
| different departmental managers in a mentoring | | | | requests for additional resources and/or changes in |
| program to coach and provide feedback to | | | | work methods from gain-sharing participants should be |
| employees who are different from them. In order for | | | | considered.Executive Information SystemsExecutive |
| the program to run successfully, it is wise to provide | | | | Information System (EIS) is the most common term |
| practical training for these managers or seek help from | | | | used for the unified collections of computer hardware |
| consultants and experts in this field. Usually, such a | | | | and software that track the essential data of a |
| program will encourage organization's members to air | | | | business' daily performance and present it to |
| their opinions and learn how to resolve conflicts due to | | | | managers as an aid to their planning and |
| their diversity. More importantly, the purpose of a | | | | decision-making (Choo, 1991). With an EIS in place, a |
| Diversity Mentoring Program seeks to encourage | | | | company can track inventory, sales, and receivables, |
| members to move beyond their own cultural frame of | | | | compare today's data with historical patterns. In |
| reference to recognize and take full advantage of the | | | | addition, an EIS will aid in spotting significant variations |
| productivity potential inherent in a diverse | | | | from "normal" trends almost as soon as it develops, |
| population.Organizing Talents Strategically-Many | | | | giving the company the maximum amount of time to |
| companies are now realizing the advantages of a | | | | make decisions and implement required changes to put |
| diverse workplace. As more and more companies are | | | | your business back on the right track. This would |
| going global in their market expansions either physically | | | | enable EIS to be a useful tool in an organization's |
| or virtually (for example, E-commerce-related | | | | strategic planning, as well as day-to-day management |
| companies), there is a necessity to employ diverse | | | | (Laudon, K and Laudon, J, 2003).Managing EISAs |
| talents to understand the various niches of the market. | | | | information is the basis of decision-making in an |
| For example, when China was opening up its markets | | | | organization, there lies a great need for effective |
| and exporting their products globally in the late 1980s, | | | | managerial control. A good control system would |
| the Chinese companies (such as China's electronic | | | | ensure the communication of the right information at |
| giants such as Haier) were seeking the marketing | | | | the right time and relayed to the right people to take |
| expertise of Singaporeans. This is because | | | | prompt actions.When managing an Executive |
| Singapore's marketing talents were able to understand | | | | Information System, a HR manager must first find out |
| the local China markets relatively well (almost 75% of | | | | exactly what information decision-makers would like to |
| Singaporeans are of Chinese descent) and as well as | | | | have available in the field of human resource |
| being attuned to the markets in the West due to | | | | management, and then to include it in the EIS. This is |
| Singapore's open economic policies and English | | | | because having people simply use an EIS that lacks |
| language abilities. (Toh, R, 1993)With this trend in place, | | | | critical information is of no value-add to the |
| a HR Manager must be able to organize the pool of | | | | organization. In addition, the manager must ensure that |
| diverse talents strategically for the organization. He | | | | the use of information technology has to be brought |
| She must consider how a diverse workforce can | | | | into alignment with strategic business goals (Laudon, K |
| enable the company to attain new markets and other | | | | and Laudon, J, 2003).ConclusionThe role of the HR |
| organizational goals in order to harness the full potential | | | | manager must parallel the needs of the changing |
| of workplace diversity.An organization that sees the | | | | organization. Successful organizations are becoming |
| existence of a diverse workforce as an organizational | | | | more adaptable, resilient, quick to change directions, |
| asset rather than a liability would indirectly help the | | | | and customer-centered. Within this environment, the |
| organization to positively take in its stride some of the | | | | HR professional must learn how to manage effectively |
| less positive aspects of workforce diversity.Leading | | | | through planning, organizing, leading and controlling the |
| the Talk-A HR Manager needs to advocate a diverse | | | | human resource and be knowledgeable of emerging |
| workforce by making diversity evident at all | | | | trends in training and employee development. |
| organizational levels. Otherwise, some employees will | | | | |