Organizational Diversity Planning Presentation

Team D – Omegeia Banks-O’Hara, Arleen Orozco, and Nicole McLamb

Introduction

The American Red Cross is established on a diversity- positive leadership that expands across all

of the American Red Cross lines of service. They recognize the importance of diversity, and for this reason

tries to utilize peoples’ differences in their effort to help the community. This is displayed by, and with the

help of their employees, and volunteers. The diversity vision of the American Red Cross is to encourage

and welcome all people of different cultures, products, and services, all while combining a variety of

business strategies, decisions, and policies that is culturally decent and sensitive. This slide share will give

brief background information on the organization, identify the need for improvement, identify legal issues

and obstacle, outline a training/development plan, and provide a recommended course of action.

Its about support for Military families

Its about Disaster Relief

It’s all about the People

Its about educating our people

Its about saving our community

Its about International Services

Planning Improvement Ideas

The dominant culture letting go of their assumptions about the universal rightness of their own values and customary ways of doing things and to become receptive to other cultures.

Cultural Transformation –monitoring the attitude in the workplace

To monitor hiring for ability instead of for family

More training for the communities

Training ~ Align diversity efforts with organizational business objectives to achieve Diversity and Inclusion

Training will educate internal and external

employees, volunteers, supply and service

providers, with the online resources available

to review the American Red Cross Code of

Business Ethics and Conduct.

Educate employees, volunteers, supply, and

service providers on the resources available to

report conduct contrary to the Code of Business

Ethics and Conduct.

Renew the commitment to the Code of Business

Ethics and Conduct by providing a forum for

discussion concluding with online

acknowledgement of the Certification of

Commitment to the Code of Business Ethics

and Conduct.

Introduce the function of the Office of the

Corporate Ombudsman, their methods of

conflict resolution such as facilitation,

conciliation, shuttle diplomacy, and

mediation to help resolve issues.

Instruct service providers and volunteers

with The Concern Connection Line, a

worldwide, 24-hour, anonymous,

confidential, toll-free number for reporting

concerns or questions regarding illegal,

unsafe, or unethical conduct observed or

revealed within the organization.

Training ~ Align diversity efforts with organizational business objectives to achieve Diversity and Inclusion

Beginning August 1, 2014 each internal and external employees, volunteers, supply and service provider will be required to attend a 2-hour virtual classroom to discuss the American Red Cross Code of Business Ethics and Conduct.

The virtual classroom session will take place online through internet access at GoToMeeting/arc.com

A temporary ID and password will be provided to each attendee prior to their email invitation to attend.

Completion reports generate weekly until 100% completion has occurred.

The virtual classroom session will be added to the new employee, volunteer, supply and service provider orientation presentation.

Issues and Obstacles

There are many legal issues and obstacles the American Red Cross could encounter. For example it could be hiring or

accepting volunteers who do not embrace diversity (Lindblad, 2014). Therefore, this could further cause a decrease in

the mature Americans being hired or allowed to volunteer due to age discrimination (Lindblad, 2014). 

Unexperienced workers and volunteers who are not trained will not know what to do, how to help, and where to go confidently where help is needed the most. Salmon (2012)

People are more inspired to give to

organizations that have or share the

same religious beliefs they have,

instead of donating to where it is

needed (Shaw- Hamilton, 2011).   

Allowing to many non trained unexperienced workers to be placed in situations where they are not being instructed to help is poor management. Especially so for those who do not know how, or is afraid to take the initiative without being told what to do. It is also the fault of poor management when equipment is not used or placed in areas where it is not needed (Salmon 2012).

Issues & Obstacles

Poor Communication

Recommended Course of Action

1. To facilitate a training in which we would instruct how to establish good communication channels within the organization; locally and throughout the individual branches.

2. To have all complete a webinar training on understanding diversity, and being acceptable of all cultures; despite variations in religious customs. This would help to develop partnerships which promote humanitarian efforts showing that they are a neutral area.

3. The Red Cross would change their employment strategies to include an assessment of qualifications for the job, and ensure that all are thoroughly trained before entering into areas that need help. This is to ensure that effective services are rendered to those in need.

4. The Red Cross will also ensure that those in managerial positions are aware of the mission statement, and have excelled in communication, and effective customer service skills to better function in their roles of management.

Research into “The Red Cross” has shown that they are an organization that values diversity;

this in turn has helped them to become successful in humanitarian efforts across the globe. Even in

this however, it is found that certain aspects of their diversity strategies have suffered due to a lack of

understanding and training in certain areas. For instance nepotism in certain areas run strong, giving

cause to discrimination by family relation. It is for this reason that this slide share was presented, to

show how, and what areas need improvement. We have shown that the mission of the “Red Cross”

focuses on the people in every respect. We have also presented what we believe should be focused on

to enhance the success of diversification within the organization. We have also shown how training

aligns with efforts to increase diversity and inclusion, and lastly the issues the organization can

encounter along with a recommended course of action to combat these issues. This is Learning Team

D’s Organizational Diversity Planning presentation.

Conclusion

Reference

American Red Cross. (2014). Retrieved from http://from http://www.redcross.org/about-us/governance/corporate-diversity

American Red Cross troubles/PBS news hour. (1996- 2014). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health-july-dec05-redcross_12-14/

The top issues regarding diversity in organizations- Diversityinc. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.diversityinc.com/ask-the-white-guy/the-top-issues-regarding-diversity-in-organizations /

Holt, M. (2014). Key tools to manage work place diversity. Retrieved from http://

smallbusiness.chron.com/key-tools-manage-workplace-diversity-3027.html

Johnson, R. (2014). Examples of diversity problems in the work place. Retrieved from http://

smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-diversity-problems-workplace-19389.html

Lindblad, M., Media, D. (2014). Cause and effects of diversity in the work place/Chron. Retrieved from http://

smallbusiness.chron.com/causes-effects-diversity-workplace-26003.html

Salmon, F. (2012). Felix Salmon/Analysis and opinion. Retrieved from http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/11/12/the-problem-with-the-red-cross/

Shaw- Hamilton, J. (2011). Cross-cultural collaboration building partnerships- Humanitarian practice network. Retrieved from http://

www.odihpn.org/humanitarian-exchange-magazine/issue-50/cross-cultural-collaboration-building-partnerships