Inclusion Strategies for Organizations, Research Paper Example

Organizations now strive for inclusion not due to legal obligations only but also the realization that doing so yields economic benefits for the organization. Organizations can take numerous steps to promote inclusion. One approach is to demonstrate commitment to inclusion at the management level and not just promote the policy. When a management shows it means what it says, the followers will be more committed to the cause. Similarly, the management should implement equitable systems for recognition, acknowledgment, and reward and create a participatory work environment (Bormann & Woods, 1999).

Organizations may also establish focus groups, diversity councils, employee networks, and other inclusive means to support and evaluate formal and informal ‘people systems’. In addition, training and education programs could be held that address existing and emerging inclusion issues within the organization and educate employees about their responsibilities and the roles they can play to advance organizational objectives. Other measures include providing flexible work arrangements and having well-defined, effectively enforced non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies in place. In order to motivate employees, the organizations may also offer benefits that reflect the diverse composition of workforce such as domestic partner benefits, child-care resources, elder care, flexible health care plans, employee assistance programs, and on-site concierge services (Bormann & Woods, 1999).

Federal government has created several regulations in order to promote inclusion. For example, Dodd-Frank Act requires each government agency to establish an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, 2010). Similarly, there are affirmative action programs that sometimes require organizations to give preferential treatment to certain population groups. Thus, the organizations have to keep themselves aware of applicable laws and regulations that may influence how the organizational inclusion policies are designed.

References

Bormann, T., & Woods, S. (1999). A Framework for Building Organizational Inclusion. The 1998 Alice and Richard Netter Labor-Management Public Interest Seminar. Ithaca, New York: The Workplace Diversity Network.

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business. (2010, August 24). Dodd-Frank Act requires Office of Minority and Women Inclusion for covered agencies. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.employmentlawdaily.com/index.php/2010/08/24/dodd-frank-act-requires-office-of-minority-and-women-inclusion-for-covered-agencies/