MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT WORKPLACE: THE HR CHALLENGE AND ITS IMPACT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE - A STUDY OF SINGAPORE

Abstract

The research paper has the primary objective which is to assess and determine the impact of cultural diversity on the organizations in Singapore. The research objectives that guided the research process are as follows: (1) to examine whether cultural diversity in the workplace has a positive effect on customers’ related issues. (2) To determine whether employee cultural value system affect organizational performance. (3) To establish what organizations are doing to manage diversity and (4) to propose a solution on how to handle cultural diversity in the workplace.

The research applies to administer of questionnaires as the primary method of data collection. To gather quantitative data, the interviews were done through email where the respondent filled the questionnaire from various organizations. The interview covered employees and customers from different organizations within Singapore. The data collected for the project was analyzed using the SPSS software and regression analysis descriptive data while the qualitative data, content analysis approach was used.

The study found that there was a positive correlation between cultural diversity and organizational performance. The study found a strong positive relationship between cultural diversity and productivity of the organization and in customer service delivery. Among the challenges that the research explored in cultural diversity in the workplace includes 1) Ethnic and cultural differences, 2) belief accommodation, 3) respect and acceptance and 4) gender equality issues among different cultures. The study recommends various measures that an organization can use to overcome challenges associated with cultural diversity. The recommendations include: 1) diversity training among the employees, 2) Widening the recruitment base, 3) offering language training and 4) creation of an evaluation form.