Research on The Ways of Management of Diverse Workforce

Case Study: Managing a Diverse Workforce

The major problem at Pak Sweets is running a factory with different ethnicities that have continually resulted to conflicts. The ethnic conflicts at the Pak Sweets factory have escalated into riots, which have led to damage of the company property. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Shiekh Farrukh Niaz is also faced with the challenge of taking a firm action to consolidate the factory as more dangerous possibility of crippling union strikes and lockouts is looming. It is noted that the diversity at the Pak Sweets is the major cause of tremendous problems at the factory (Farrukh et al, 2016).

There is the problem of damaged reputation of the company because of the consistent conflicts that result from ethnic differences and discrimination in the company. The reputation of the company is damaged by the claims that promotions and other development initiatives are only awarded to people from a particular ethnic identity. The attempts by the company CEO to rebuild the company’s reputation has led to further problems as claims of ethnic discrimination among the operation manager have been recorded.

The company is faced with the challenge of demoting or hiring a new work force to improve the services and human relations in the factory. However, the thoughts to bring in a new workforce are also surrounded with uncertainties as the company cannot afford to provide lavish benefits to its employees. The major problem at Pak Sweets is, therefore, the promotion of peace and harmony among the workers at the company who are from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The CEO of the Pak Sweets Company can resolve the current issues in the diverse work force by focusing on achieving global-local balance. Tension that can never be resolved in businesses is noted to be normal in global business such as the Pak Sweets factory. Despite the factory having people who are of different ethnicities, the CEO has a responsibility of serving regional and national markets as per the requirements of the local conditions of the company. The CEO has to learn the culture of the local people so that the working conditions do not contradict with the expectations of the surrounding community. The leadership of the CEO of the company has to match the standards of the requirements of leadership across cultures (Akram, 2015).

Reports indicate that the only alternative to bringing peace and harmony in a global factory is through internationalizing the management team. Deploying professionals who have multicultural backgrounds in a company may be the main reason for success if the CEO balances the international and local interest of the company. Records indicate that culturally diverse teams suffer from the tower of Babel syndrome whereby the workers talk past one another and teamwork breaks down. It is the role of the CEO to ensure a balance of workforce and working conditions to ensure a neutral working environment where diverse people are comfortable (Jung Hong & Doz, 2013).

Deploying professionals with multicultural backgrounds while maintaining a balance of cultures would be vital in minimizing cases of conflicts that are ethnically motivated. Achieving global balance in the company would also be an opportunity for the employees to learn and tolerate other cultures that are included in the system. However, Setting up neutral working conditions may be associated with the disadvantage of some employees being totally opposed to the working conditions that some cultures promote.