Chapter 3: Managing Diversity and Regulatory Challenges
3.1 South Africa’s Diverse Population
3.1.1 Population groups
South African population comprises four population groups: black Africans, coloured
people, Indian or Asian people and white people.
Population groups – people classified according to common traits and customs
3.1.2 Women
3.1.3 The age of the workforce
The following suggestions are made for integrating Generation X and Y employees into the
workforce:
• Explain to them how their work contributes to the bottom line
• Always provide full disclosure
• Create customised career paths
• Allow them to have input into decisions
• Provide public praise
• Treat them as a sophisticated consumers
• Encourage the use of mentors
• Provide access to innovative technology
• Consider new benefits and compensation strategies
• Offer opportunities for community involvement
• Emphasise ‘you can do it your way – in a collegial work environment’
3.1.4 South Africans living with disabilities
Disability – a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activity
,Various types of special needs result from disability and should be considered by employers.
• Physical disabilities entail physical impairments like quadriplegia (loss of use of all
four limbs), hemiplegia (loss of use of limbs on the right or left side) and sensory
disabilities (blindness, hearing and speech impairments, etc.), to mention but a few.
• Learning disabilities include dyslexia and other disabilities that impair a person’s
learning ability.
• Personal problems can affect everybody from time to time and may include, for
instance, death in the family or experiencing a hijacking. Problems like these can
affect employees in their daily activities; they may need to attend training or
counselling.
Managers should overcome misconceptions about people living with disabilities such as the
following:
• They do not have the right skills. People with disabilities develop important other
strengths, traits and qualities including perseverance, problem-solving, goal setting
and determination, all of which make them valuable and marketable in the
workplace.
• They are too costly to employ. Many employers believe that they will have to
change their physical structures, every desk and every doorway, to accommodate
people with disabilities. However, research done in America found that the vast
majority (73 per cent) of employers reported that their employees living with
disabilities did not require special access arrangements.
• Co-workers will be uncomfortable with colleagues with disabilities and their
productivity will be negatively affected. In fact, employees with disabilities have a
positive effect on co-workers. Watching someone who has overcome a major
challenge in his or her life and is able to manage the disability on the job raises
morale and provides a good working environment for everyone. Most organisations
have found that, after employing people with disabilities, employee morale and
productivity increased and there was a noticeable decrease in turnover.
• Getting information on how to hire people with disabilities is time-consuming and
complicated. There are a number of NGOs in South Africa that look after and
promote the interests of people with disabilities, including the South African
National Council for the Blind, the Quad Para Association of South Africa and the
Association for the Physically Disabled. See the Internet resources at the end of the
chapter for more information.
, 3.1.5 Sexual or Affectional orientation
Organisations should put policies in place that prohibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation. These policies should reflect the ILO’s (International Labour Organization) call
for equality and non-discrimination in the workplace. HR policies should therefore promote
diverse workplaces where the rights of all employees are respected and equal opportunities
for advancement are offered irrespective of sexual or affectional orientation.
3.1.6 HIV and AIDS
3.1.7 Religion
According to the Constitution, everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion,
thought, belief and opinion.
3.2 Managing Diversity
Managing diversity – the development and implementation of organisational policies and
practices intended to embrace employee differences and promote inclusion with the aim of
leveraging each employee’s unique contribution to the organisation
There are many potential advantages for organisations that embark on a managing diversity
process. These include:
• Maximising employee potential and tapping into a range of skills that the
organisation did not have before
• Attracting, retaining and using the best talent
• Enhancing communication, understanding and trust between groups and individuals
• Promoting greater productivity as a result of greater flexibility
• Developing enhanced creativity, innovation, adaptability and problem-solving and
the accompanying timeous responses to diverse customers and markets
• Using all people to the maximum and creating improved relations and
communication between organised labour and management
• Extending the breadth of understanding in leadership positions
• Enhancing global competitiveness
3.1 South Africa’s Diverse Population
3.1.1 Population groups
South African population comprises four population groups: black Africans, coloured
people, Indian or Asian people and white people.
Population groups – people classified according to common traits and customs
3.1.2 Women
3.1.3 The age of the workforce
The following suggestions are made for integrating Generation X and Y employees into the
workforce:
• Explain to them how their work contributes to the bottom line
• Always provide full disclosure
• Create customised career paths
• Allow them to have input into decisions
• Provide public praise
• Treat them as a sophisticated consumers
• Encourage the use of mentors
• Provide access to innovative technology
• Consider new benefits and compensation strategies
• Offer opportunities for community involvement
• Emphasise ‘you can do it your way – in a collegial work environment’
3.1.4 South Africans living with disabilities
Disability – a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activity
,Various types of special needs result from disability and should be considered by employers.
• Physical disabilities entail physical impairments like quadriplegia (loss of use of all
four limbs), hemiplegia (loss of use of limbs on the right or left side) and sensory
disabilities (blindness, hearing and speech impairments, etc.), to mention but a few.
• Learning disabilities include dyslexia and other disabilities that impair a person’s
learning ability.
• Personal problems can affect everybody from time to time and may include, for
instance, death in the family or experiencing a hijacking. Problems like these can
affect employees in their daily activities; they may need to attend training or
counselling.
Managers should overcome misconceptions about people living with disabilities such as the
following:
• They do not have the right skills. People with disabilities develop important other
strengths, traits and qualities including perseverance, problem-solving, goal setting
and determination, all of which make them valuable and marketable in the
workplace.
• They are too costly to employ. Many employers believe that they will have to
change their physical structures, every desk and every doorway, to accommodate
people with disabilities. However, research done in America found that the vast
majority (73 per cent) of employers reported that their employees living with
disabilities did not require special access arrangements.
• Co-workers will be uncomfortable with colleagues with disabilities and their
productivity will be negatively affected. In fact, employees with disabilities have a
positive effect on co-workers. Watching someone who has overcome a major
challenge in his or her life and is able to manage the disability on the job raises
morale and provides a good working environment for everyone. Most organisations
have found that, after employing people with disabilities, employee morale and
productivity increased and there was a noticeable decrease in turnover.
• Getting information on how to hire people with disabilities is time-consuming and
complicated. There are a number of NGOs in South Africa that look after and
promote the interests of people with disabilities, including the South African
National Council for the Blind, the Quad Para Association of South Africa and the
Association for the Physically Disabled. See the Internet resources at the end of the
chapter for more information.
, 3.1.5 Sexual or Affectional orientation
Organisations should put policies in place that prohibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation. These policies should reflect the ILO’s (International Labour Organization) call
for equality and non-discrimination in the workplace. HR policies should therefore promote
diverse workplaces where the rights of all employees are respected and equal opportunities
for advancement are offered irrespective of sexual or affectional orientation.
3.1.6 HIV and AIDS
3.1.7 Religion
According to the Constitution, everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion,
thought, belief and opinion.
3.2 Managing Diversity
Managing diversity – the development and implementation of organisational policies and
practices intended to embrace employee differences and promote inclusion with the aim of
leveraging each employee’s unique contribution to the organisation
There are many potential advantages for organisations that embark on a managing diversity
process. These include:
• Maximising employee potential and tapping into a range of skills that the
organisation did not have before
• Attracting, retaining and using the best talent
• Enhancing communication, understanding and trust between groups and individuals
• Promoting greater productivity as a result of greater flexibility
• Developing enhanced creativity, innovation, adaptability and problem-solving and
the accompanying timeous responses to diverse customers and markets
• Using all people to the maximum and creating improved relations and
communication between organised labour and management
• Extending the breadth of understanding in leadership positions
• Enhancing global competitiveness
