Introduction
Diversity management entails organizational initiatives that facilitate enhanced
inclusion of all employees from diverse backgrounds into the company's framework through
explicit policies and practices. Organizations are implementing methods for managing
diversity due to the increase in a diverse workforce. Diversity encompasses ethnic
background, nationality, cultural status, gender identity, maturity level, religious beliefs,
cognitive capabilities, political beliefs, and social status. Therefore, diversity is the
understanding and recognizing these characteristics and attributes and embracing the
differences in each employee.
With advancements in technology, Microsoft Corporation hires employees from all
over the world. The company needs to adopt diversity management strategies to improve
employee inclusion and retain employees from different cultures and backgrounds. Therefore,
Microsoft adopts the deep-level, hidden diversity and surface-level strategies to ensure
diversity in the organization. This paper will explore how deep-level diversity strategy is
being used in the Microsoft Corporation. It will further discuss the potential benefits and
issues of deep-level strategy. Besides, it will recommend the best strategy to adopt as a
human resource manager.
Analysis of Diversity in Microsoft
Diversity accounts for Microsoft's overall business strategy. Executive leadership
supports campaigns for pro-diversity. The fundamental goal of the diversity-oriented growth
strategy of Microsoft is the incorporation of people from diverse backgrounds. By diversity,
Microsoft aims to achieve its objectives successfully. They have generated diversity at every
hierarchical level in the organization. Therefore, Microsoft can remain in the position of the
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global market leader in software. Additionally, Microsoft Corporation supports diversity in
the organization through its campaigns and policies. It demonstrates extreme appreciation and
support for all races and cultures worldwide and is profoundly concerned about achieving its
corporate social responsibility in building Microsoft communities.
Evaluation of Deep-level Diversity Strategies
Deep-level diversity strategy focuses on non-observable traits such as value, attitudes,
cognitive abilities, values, and religious beliefs. Microsoft has embraced deep-level diversity,
which is used within the corporation and provides incentives and rewards to external
stakeholders. Deep-level diversity is influenced by a favourable political attitude, triggered
by transparency in the workplace. In companies that embrace technology, deep-level diversity
improves financial performance as it enhances innovation and creativity. Besides, deep-level
diversity helps companies concentrate on individual abilities and expertise, which increases
the organization's efficiency.
Diversity impacts companies' success as it incorporates skills essential in creating
structures that help in value-creation within organizations. Therefore, deep-level diversity
inspires employees to grow and promote competence, innovation, and creativity, thereby
revolutionizing market decisions. Diversity eases market access as employees can openly sell
their services to their esteemed customers.
Benefits of Deep-level Diversity
The benefits of deep-level diversity include expansion of organizations, profitability
and economic development. Deep-level diversity enhances innovation and creativity in an
organization. Along with customer satisfaction, change is respected and promoted. Besides, it
strengthens a healthy co-existence among different corporates. A well-planned deep-level
diversity strategy allows the organization to recruit and retain quality workers more
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effectively. Besides, businesses will experience decreased costs of recruiting and training. A
successful management approach improves employee satisfaction, efficiency, enhanced
collaboration, and internal and external relationships in a dynamic market climate. Flexibility
and highly satisfying workplaces can be created by a successful deep-level diversity policy
where cooperation and dialogue contribute to more robust collaboration and a competitive
business climate. Besides, it plays a part in providing jobs free of favouritism and
discrimination.
Issues of Deep-level Diversity
The main challenge of deep-level diversity is to integrate it into the day-to-day routine
of the organization. In this case, the organization should offer equal wages and services to
workers and other stakeholders to achieve a homogeneous working atmosphere. The
Director's Office for Employee Relations globally should ensure that the Diversity
Management Program supports its global presence. Companies face the challenge of
incorporating different cultures and training their workers to work together at the company's
locations. The implementation of various diversity management strategies by organizations
raises the problem of confusion in which the company does not know the implications of the
approach being implemented. The probable outcome of this challenge is that the company
will struggle to achieve its set targets, reducing its competitiveness.
Besides, there are issues in the social, economic and political environment of
the company. The deep-level strategy for diversity cannot be transferred directly to the host
country for Multinational Corporations. A lack of coordination is another issue that
multinational corporations (MNCs) may face when implementing an effective diversity
management strategy; thus, strategies and decision-making procedures are not well handled.
This issue will make it difficult for the company to achieve its goals hence become less
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competitive. The management of the diversity strategy is an issue for many Multinational
corporations due to the split decisions taken during the structuring and implementation
processes. Besides, those adopting the Diversity Management Program are likely to face
resistance from other executive members of the multinational organization in which they
work.
Recommendations
As a human resource manager, I would adopt the deep-level diversity strategy. Deep-
level diversity encompasses an individual's intellectual abilities and personality traits. These
attributes reflect more on the quality and behaviour of employees in the workplace. Through
a deep-level strategy, I can get to know employees beyond their superficial level, thus
discouraging workplace discrimination. Besides, this strategy enhances the organization's
creativity and innovation by making employees aware of their intellectual capabilities.