Diversity and Ethics

Diversity and Ethics

Diversity and ethics impacts the four functions of management in many ways. Diversity tends to be define as difference in ethnicity; however, it also pertains to skills, talent, age, gender, race, social group, demographics, etc. Ethics is about making right choices in a difficult situation. Ethical decision involves moral awareness, judgment, and character.

By setting reasonable goals, understanding and valuing the diverse backgrounds of employees, customers, vendors, and shareholders, the organization will gain competitive advantage. For instance Wal-Mart’s mission is to “save people money so they can live better” (Wal-Mart, 2001, para. 2). Wal-Mart increased vendors of minorities and women-owned business and develops their associates’ skills, they were able to meet and exceed expectations and “. . . provide customers with the right merchandise and exceptional shopping experience and quality services by understanding the needs and diversity of their customers (Wal-Mart, 2001, para. 3).

Managements must be aware of the diverse talents and skills of their employees to delegate tasks efficiently and to ensure employees are contributing to their full potential. Wal-Mart invests in their associates to develop their skills and promote from within all levels of the organization to foster “. . . higher levels of team building, engagement, and creating a culture of peak performance “(Wal-Mart, 2001, para. 4).

When implementing steps in achieving goals, management has to ensure that each step is ethical and legal under all circumstance. In Wal-Mart’s Statement of Ethics it states if the statement goes against the local laws and policies, associates must abide by the local authorizes. However, if the local laws and policies are more relax than Wal-Mart’s Statement of Ethics, all associates must abide by the Statement of Ethics (Wal-Mart, 2008). Managers have the ability to create a diverse ethical culture in an...