Diversity

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diversity is the presence of a wide range of variation in the qualities or attributes under discussion. The term "diversity" implicates a wide range of subject matter and connotations.

[edit] Radio and telecommunications

A diversity scheme refers to a method for improving the reliability of a message signal by utilizing two or more communication channels with different characteristics, in order to combat fading and interference.

There are four main types of diversity techniques in telecommunication:

1. Space diversity–techniques involving several physical transmission paths, for example using antenna diversity.
2. Frequency diversity–techniques where the signal is spread out over a larger frequency bandwidth or carried on multiple frequency carriers.
3. Time diversity–techniques aimed at spreading the data out over time.
4. Polarization diversity. Multiple versions of a signal are wirelessly transmitted and received via antennas with different polarisation.

[edit] Business context

In a business context, appearance diversity (ethnicity, gender, color, orientation) is approached as a strategy for improving employee retention and increasing consumer confidence. The "business case for diversity", as it is often phrased, is that in a global and diverse marketplace, a company whose staff embrace ethnic representation and gender composition which mirrors the demographics of the marketplace it serves is better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company whose appearance is out of step with its market's appearance.

Still, US anti-discrimination law prohibits employers giving any consideration to customers’ preferences for being served by employees of a given gender, ethnic group, colour or orientation.

Another part of the business case is how well a company utilizes its diversity. This is often referred to as inclusion. If a company is diverse in makeup, but all the decision makers are of one primary group, diversity does not add much value.

Business diversity consultants and diversity trainers often treat the social consequences of diversity as secondary; their primary focus is to enable the company to function in a heterogeneous or global economy.

Since there is no authoritative definition of diversity, and no research-based body of knowledge, self-proclaimed diversity consultants are free to assert nearly anything the market will bear.

Diversity issues change over time, depending on local historical and dynamic conditions. Companies with diversity programs are usually national or international in scope, or are composed of large groups of workers who come from differing backgrounds but they may on some occasions overlook the diversity 'needs' of other than 'caucasian' cultures.

Different kinds of diversity exist, e.g. superficial or "surface-level" diversity (e.g. differences in gender, ethnicity, nationality) and "deep-level" diversity (e.g. differences in knowledge and differences in cultural values) (see Harrison et al, 1998, for the first appearance of these terms; see also Harrison et al., 2002; Jehn et al 1999). Increasing amounts of interaction between individuals reduce the importance of superficial diversity and increase the importance of deep-level diversity for how a team functions. With regard to superficial diversity: its negative effects are stronger to the extent that a faultline develops, separating a group into clear subgroups. This occurs when observable characteristics of individuals in a group correlate, e.g. all the marketeers in a group are young and female, whereas the engineers are old and male (Lau and Murnighan, 1998, 2005). With regard to deep level diversity, informational diversity (differences in knowledge base) has been found to have positive impact on performance, but value diversity (differences in what individuals find important) has been found to have negative impact (Jehn et al 1999).

Certain processes in groups help to get the benefits of informational diversity. First, it is essential that individuals with diverse sources of knowledge share their unique perspectives with others. This does not always occur as groups tend to preferably discuss not unique information, but common information, i.e. information held by multiple group members (Stasser et al 1992). To increase the odds that unique perspectives are shared it is important to create an awareness in the group about who has access to what knowledge (see work on transactive memory systems). Second, apart from information sharing it is important to foster debate: critically challenging and defending the unique perspectives of group members. With such deep information processing positive performance consequences are more likely to result (see Simons, Pelled et al 1999). Source: academic papers in Academy of Management Journal and Administrative Science Quarterly 1998-2005.

The term is also used in the context of investing. Experts universally agree that investors should diversify their portfolios, meaning that they should invest in multiple companies, industries, and mediums (eg. stocks, bonds) so as to reduce the risk of a financial disaster wrought by the significant decline in value of a specific investment.

However the implementation of diversity is often limited to the HR department when there is also a good economic case for UK companies to use it as a tool to reach new market shares. See Diversity: an extra marketing tool

Many countries are also introducing anti-discrimination laws (for example the DDA in the UK) forcing companies to be more aware of diversity.

[edit] Exemplary Additional Topics Relating to Diversity in a Human Context

• Cultures,
• Ethnic groups
• Languages
• Generational diversity
• Physical features, especially if they are recognized by members of that population to constitute characteristics of a race - (see also human variability)
• Socio-economic backgrounds
• Opinions
• Religious beliefs
• Sexuality
• Gender identity
• Neurology
• Queens

Possible attitudes to this situation are discussed in the Politics section.

At the international level, the preservation of our planet's formidable linguistic and cultural diversity in the context of world-wide economic integration is the object of great concern to many people at the turn of the 21st century.

See also: social model of disability and inclusion (disability rights)