The Impact of Stereotyping in the Workplace

Discuss about Stereotyping at Workplace.

A stereotype is related to the characteristics or it is a general image that is considered by the people who shows a specific type of thing.  Also, it can be stated that it is the thought which is taken into consideration in reference to a specific individual or the behavior that shows the entire group of individual. Personal characteristics of an individual are not considered in stereotype and it is seen that the things are related to a specific person because they are from a specific group. Stereotypes can be negative and positive. The personal self-reliance is affected by having positive and negative aspects. It is seen that in companies stereotyping can give direction to the employees or the managers to behave in a specific way by taking into consideration the preconceived notions (Bordalo e al., 2016). 

In stereotyping, there are diversity factors like culture, religion, and age which give a contribution to the company.  There are many managers in the company who take into consideration stereotypes at the time of communication with the employees who are from a different culture. It is done because they don’t want to give any statement which is against the culture.  It is also analyzed that heavy reliance can give impact in a negative way on the culture of the company and it can also create disputes between the employees in the company (Lu et al., 2015).  In this paper, the emphasis will be given on evaluating the overall impact of stereotypes in the company. Also in this paper merits and demerits will be elaborated by taking into consideration different theories of organizational behavior and at last recommendations will be stated. 

In the present scenario, it is seen that demand of the employees to conduct the activities of the company is enhancing day by day.  The company focuses on hiring the employees who are highly qualified so that the activities of the organization can be conducted with efficiency.  It is important for the company to recruit those employees who understand the working pattern of the company. If there is no proper knowledge of the activities to the employees then the negative impact can be analyzed on the productivity level of the company (Helmreich, 2017).

 It is seen that retention of the employees is a major factor for the company. To retain the employees in the organization it is seen that proper training and working environment should be offered so that growth can be achieved. If the environment of the company is good then it can be easy to retain the employees (Barak, 2016). Also, it is seen that by having good environment the company can easily promote diversity in the company. Human resource department plays a great role at the time of implementing the theories of organization behavior so that it can be ensured that the employees who belong from different religion and culture can conduct the activities in a proper manner.  Organizational behavior is related to the study of the individuals and it has a connection with communication. It helps in implementing the human resource management policies so that company can conduct the activities with diversity in the workplace (Saxena, 2014).  The activities in the company are conducted with different people who are from different culture and religion. The managers of the company rely more on stereotypes so that the employees who have different cultures and religions can be handled in an effective manner (Sailes, 2017).

Merits of Stereotyping

In the present scenario, diversity management helps the company to grow with the increase in the overall demand of the employees. It is seen that if misusing is done of the stereotyping then it can give negative impact on the employees (Schermerhorn et al., 2014).  Diversity management should be there in the company so that the overall productivity and performance can be enhanced. It helps to enhance the morale of the employees and by this; they give a positive contribution towards the activities of the company (De Meulenaere, Boone, and Buyl, 2016).

So, in the present scenario, it is important to have diversity management so that competitive advantage can be achieved. For instance: it is seen that Nestle tries to promote the diversity policies in the company so that equality can be maintained between the employees of the organization. The company is serious with the policies related to diversity and also it is seen that support is given to the employees so that the people from a different culture can be managed in a proper manner (Harvey and Allard, 2015)

There are many merits which are related to the use of stereotypes and also it is beneficial for the managers as it helps to create a positive relationship with the workers. It is seen that if negative words are told to the people then it can create a feeling of dissatisfaction. If the manager has proper knowledge about the culture and religion then it can be easy to interact in a proper manner.

It is also seen that at the time of dealing with the different clients the stereotypes can help the employees in evaluating and having proper knowledge of the customs of the company. Also, it is seen that assurance is given to the managers that culture should be considered at the time of dealing with the employees (Singh, 2018). The information that is organized in a proper manner is done by taking into consideration stereotypes. For instance: In Singapore, an individual emphasizes on punctuality if the comparison is made with the competitors.  Also, stereotypes assist the managers in fulfilling the information which is related to the person.  It is also analyzed that stereotypes focus on the relevant information and also employment discrimination can take place because of the problems. Each and every individual have some traits and it is important that people fit in the category of stereotypes. It is seen that if the manager tries to rely on stereotypes then the traits are given to the employees that are known as untrue. 

Demerits of Stereotyping

If the employee takes into consideration the stereotypes then it can be difficult to make changes in their belief about the traits of an individual. It is seen that if stereotyping is considered by the manager than it can enhance the overall abuse and mistreatment in the organization. If proper restrictions are not made on the employees for using stereotypes then it can create a negative environment in the organization.  It enhances the overall conflicts between the employees and managers that give negative impact on the overall productivity of the employees. Also, it is analyzed that teamwork is one of the important factors that can help to achieve overall success in the market (Schermerhorn et al., 2014).

Next issue is related to stereotyping in which the morale of the people is low and it gives impact on the environment.  It is also evaluated that managers of the organization feel difficult to motivate the employees. If motivation is not there then the negative impact is seen in the overall activities of the company. If the focus is given to ERG theory it is seen that it helps to divide the overall need of the employees (Nuttin, 2014). ERG theory divides the basic requirement of the employees into three categories. First is an existence which considers physiological and safety needs. There is also social relation needs and next is growth which is concerned with self-actualization needs (Kian, Yusoff and Rajah, 2014). This theory explains five needs that are given by Abraham Maslow Hierarchy of needs theory. If the managers of the company take stereotyping, then it is not possible to satisfy the needs of the workers (Miner, 2015). If managers are making discrimination between the employees by focusing on stereotyping then it can negatively impact on the overall performance of the company and it is difficult for the managers to enhance the motivation of the employees (Wlodkowski and Ginsberg, 2017).

It is seen that it is important to consider the actions so that stereotyping can be avoided in the company. Following actions that should be taken into consideration are: First it is related to the diversity training. It is important that company should give diversity training to its employees so that proper analyzes can be made about the religion and culture of the people.  It is also important that managers should conduct meetings so that stereotyping can be prevented. It is also important for the managers to give respect to the employees so that motivation can be enhanced by the people (Pinder, 2014).

So, it is concluded that stereotyping has its merits and also limitations so that diversity of the management can be promoted. Stereotyping helps the manager to ensure that the gaps are filled properly by interacting with the employees and also it is seen that positive environment can be maintained. There are also many limitations that create a negative impact in the workplace.  The discrimination is seen which gives impact on the morale of the employees.  It is also seen that stereotyping can give impact on the overall motivation factor of the employees. Also, the productivity level is reduced of the employees.

References

Barak, M.E.M., 2016. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications.

Bordalo, P., Coffman, K., Gennaioli, N. and Shleifer, A., 2016. Stereotypes. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 131(4), pp.1753-1794.

De Meulenaere, K., Boone, C. and Buyl, T., 2016. Unraveling the impact of workforce age diversity on labor productivity: The moderating role of firm size and job security. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 37(2), pp.193-212.

Downey, S.N., Werff, L., Thomas, K.M. and Plaut, V.C., 2015. The role of diversity practices and inclusion in promoting trust and employee engagement. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(1), pp.35-44.

Harvey, C.P. and Allard, M., 2015. Understanding and managing diversity: Readings, cases, and exercises. Pearson.

Helmreich, W., 2017. The things they say behind your back: Stereotypes and the myths behind them. Routledge.

Kian, T.S., Yusoff, W.F.W. and Rajah, S., 2014. Job satisfaction and motivation: What are the difference among these two. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 3(2), pp.94-102.

Lu, C.M., Chen, S.J., Huang, P.C. and Chien, J.C., 2015. Effect of diversity on human resource management and organizational performance. Journal of Business Research, 68(4), pp.857-861.

Miner, J.B., 2015. Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge.

Nuttin, J., 2014. Future time perspective and motivation: Theory and research method. Psychology Press.

Pinder, C.C., 2014. Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.

Sailes, G.A., 2017. Social Myths and Stereotypes. African Americans in Sports, p.183.

Saxena, A., 2014. Workforce diversity: A key to improve productivity. Procedia Economics and Finance, 11, pp.76-85.

Schermerhorn, J., Davidson, P., Poole, D., Woods, P., Simon, A. and McBarron, E., 2014. Management: Foundations and Applications (2nd Asia-Pacific Edition). John Wiley & Sons.

Singh, N., 2018. Prospective and Strategies Managing Cross Culture Diversity in Workplace. GST Simplified Tax System: Challenges and Remedies, 1(1), pp.166-168.

Wlodkowski, R.J. and Ginsberg, M.B., 2017. Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults. John Wiley & Sons.