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