Organizational Diversity Programs and Cultures †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Organizational Diversity Programs and Cultures. Answer: Introduction The basic objective of this assignment is to make cultural analysis of the American multinational corporation, Nike, Inc. Nike is considered to be the largest supplier of apparel and athletic shoes and a chief manufacturer of sports equipment. The mission of Nike is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. This report provides brief introduction regarding the operations of the company along with its current position. Another segment of this report provides information regarding the cultural analysis and the role played by national culture in Nikes corporate culture with the help of Hofstedes cultural dimension model. Furthermore, the strengths and weaknesses of Nike have been highlighted through a SWOT analysis. Moreover, this report also presents the assessment regarding the culture of Nike along with the conclusion regarding the findings and recommendations about the factors which can assist in the development of companys culture. Nike is a multinational corporation from America that is engaged in designing, developing, manufacturing, marketing and sales of apparel, footwear, accessories, equipment and services all across the globe. Nike was founded in the year 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports and officially acquired the name of Nike, Inc. in the year 1971. Nike is the largest supplier of apparel and athletic shoes in the world. The products of Nike are marketed under their own brand, as well as Nike +, Nike Pro, Nike Golf, Nile Blazers, Air Jordon, Air Max, Air Force 1, Converse and Hurley International. Its branch offices and subsidiaries are located in a number of countries including Brazil, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Vietnam, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. Various high-profile sports team and athletes are sponsored by Nike across the globe, with highly acknowledged trademarks of the Swoosh and Just do it logo. The total number of employees employed by Nike is estimated to be 74,400 (Statista, 2017). In the year 2017, the brand value of Nike amounted to $29.6 billion and its revenue and total assets were estimated to be US$ 34.4 billion and US$ 23.26 billion (Nike, 2017). This part addresses the models and terms related to the topic. Organizational culture covers two elements. Firstly, it considers the performance of the organization in relation to the allocated tasks and secondly, it also takes into consideration the emotional feelings of employees regarding their work and organization. For supporting this idea, Andrew Brown (1998) explained organizational culture refers to the form of values, beliefs and learned ways of dealing with experience gained during the course of an organizations history, and which tend to be established in its material arrangements and in the activities of its associates. Levels of Organizational Culture Different authors propose different explanations and definitions of organizational culture. Organizational culture includes everything in the organization and assists the employees in achieving common goals. Organizational culture is defined as the set of values, artifacts and assumptions that arise as a result of interactions among the members of organization (Driskill Brenton, 2010). Organization culture is considered to be a pattern of basic assumptions that re regarded as valid and are imparted to the new members in the form of ways to think, feel and perceive in the organization (Nelson Quick, 2010). Three levels of organizational culture have been suggested by Edgar Schein namely artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions. Ceremonies and rites- Nike celebrates its values with the help of ceremonies. It is strongly believed by Nike that the employees should be rewarded or compensated for their outstanding performances. This is ensured by providing rewards and benefits such as creating a positive working environment, ensuring the wellness of employees and providing them the opportunity to stay healthy and fit. Such reward occasions play an important role in motivating the employees and providing them recognition. Ceremonies such as annual meetings and conferences are held from time to time (Burkus, 2014). Stories- It includes stories regarding success and failures that play an important role in shaping organizational culture (Coe, 2017). Nike invests in their culture and offers their employees security, financial, competitive health, and work-life benefits. This in turn creates a sense of security among the employees. Nike offers opportunities for career benefits and personalized benefit options which allows an individual in attaining full potential. This has led Nike to reach new heights of success. Relocation facilities are also provided to the employees in case they find their placement at faraway places. Rituals- Nike believes in diversity and equality in the workplace. They encourage their employees to be innovative and creative by thinking out of the box. The efforts of the employees are valued by rewarding them. A positive working environment is aimed to be created by taking such steps. Symbols and Motto- Nike has a swoosh symbol that represent the wing of the renowned Greek Goddess of Victory. The motto of Nike is Just do it which encourages the employees to give their best efforts in taking the organization to new heights. Espoused Values- Espoused level is the second level of organizational culture which represent the clearly specified norms and values that are favored by an organization (Kinicki, 2008). The code of ethics of Nike provides a number of values. Nike believes that every employee must reflect their loyalty, honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, accountability and concern for others in their business. Nike is sensitive in keeping their good reputation and using good judgment in conducting business. Basic Assumptions- Basic assumptions are considered to be the most important level. The existence of Nike is for the purpose of serving athletes. Innovation is introduced in the products taking into consideration the needs of worlds best athletes. At Nike, every employee is considered to be an explorer. It is in its nature to innovate. Nike is passionate regarding believe that everyone should have the required tools for reaching their potential. Investment made by them in their employees is for inspiring new ideas, products and methods that drive the future of sport. Types of Culture Power- there are various organization in which there is centralization of power and decisions are made only by those who hold power (Persily, 2013). Nike does not have a centralization of power. It has delegated its decision making authority to the local market level. This mover towards decentralization by Nike is considered to be the reason behind rapid increase in international sales. Such decentralization has further increased the job satisfaction level of employees which in turn has subsequently reduced employee turnover (Peretz, Levi Fried, 2015). Excellent relationship is cited by the employees with management and fellow employees. Task- task culture is followed by the organization in which teams are formed for achievement of organizational goals. The working environment of Nike is similar to task culture. Every employee of Nike contributes to the achievement of the goals of the organization by providing their best efforts and ideas. Nike believes that success of the team is possible when everyone make equal contribution. Person- this type of culture puts greater emphasis on individuals. Individual specialization and expertise is essential. Nike gives greater importance to the hiring process. Biasness is completely eliminated from the critical moments of the process of hiring. The employment of individuals is completely dependent on their talent. Therefore, there is hiring of diverse individuals by supporting blind resume reviews and excluding data collection regarding the salary history for informing hiring decisions. In other words, diversity is followed in the organization. Role- It is a type of culture in which role are emphasized rather than individuals. This culture is a bureaucratic one in which rules and regulations are required to be followed strictly. This type of culture is not followed in Nike. Employees are not bound by rules and regulation instead they are given freedom for bringing their experiences, creativity and innovation. There is flexibility with respect to working hours in the organization which in turn provides the work-life balance to employees. Motivation System of Nike The guiding philosophy adopted by Nike has the power of influencing, inspiring and challenging employees on everyday basis. The employees are challenged through brainstorming sessions and group exercises for defining their possible future and the steps for reaching there. Nike invests in the providing learning and development opportunities which helps in amplifying the energy, talent and capabilities of employees. Successful employees are rewarded by Nike through excellent rewards and benefits. Competitive total compensation is offered by Nike including benefits opportunities for staying fit, ensuring wellbeing of their families and creating a positive working environment. As a multinational company, health coverage, time off, fitness center memberships, retirement savings, etc. varies in accordance with the geographic location. Total benefit package offered by Nike is dependent on location, position and years spend with company and includes paid vacation, holidays, health insurance, disability insurance, life and accident insurance, product discounts, employee stock purchase plan, retirement savings plan, transportation allowance, etc. The characteristics of corporate culture of Nike such as talented, diverse and inclusive helps in sustaining the business and market competence (Miller, Ngunjiri LoRusso, 2017). Such characteristics of the corporate culture of Nike helps in sustaining talent and infrastructure required for the production of most popular athlete shoes, apparel and equipment of the world. The diverse workforce is encouraged to openly share their ideas which facilitates the maximization of product development cycles in terms if creation of new designs for apparel, sport shoes and equipment (Christiansen Chandan, 2017). Inclusiveness is emphasized in the organizational culture of Nike Inc. which minimizes workforce problems supports streamlining apparel, athletic shoes and designs of equipment and process of production. The Role of National Culture in the Corporate Culture of Nike The total number of employees employed by Nike is estimated to be 74,400 (Statista, 2017). The largest concentration of its employees is in North America. The employees belonging to European Headquarters of Nike comes from more than 70 countries. The Greater China Campus of Nike which is Shanghai-based is home to several thousand employees. Nike Greater China is still concerned with the development of local talent along with making the discovery of varied range of candidates from the communities across the globe. Nike believes in breaking down the barriers, overcoming the differences bringing people together. The diversity of its employees is visible from the collection of its employee resource groups. Such networks assist in increasing cultural awareness, delivering career developmental experiences and demonstrating their commitment to diversity (Rice, 2015). This highlights the inclusiveness of all the communities. There are eight communities that are formed and managed by the empl oyees in Nike Inc. It includes Asia Pacific and Friends Network, Ability and Friends Network, Black Employee and Friends Network, Pride Network, Latino and Friends Network, Nike Military Veterans and Friends Network, Women of Nike and Friends Network, and Native American and Friends Network. Nike believes in unleashing the capability of every athlete by paying attention to the voices of each culture, country and community. Power Distance- Power Distance Index (PDI) is used at the time of considering the levels of inequality in the organization in terms of management styles, agreement between subordinates and superiors, etc. (Sun, 2009). In U.S., South Africa and Netherlands, the power distance is low while in other countries such as China, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, etc., the power distance is high. The world headquarters of Nike is situated in North America where there is low power distance. Therefore, this dimension does not affect Nike in North America. However, in some countries where it operates such as Mexico, Brazil, Chile, the high power distance influence its day to day working. Uncertainty Avoidance- Uncertainty avoidance refers to the preference of the country people regarding situations that offer clear rules relating to prices along with standards that govern behavior in case of uncertain changes. The employees in the offices do not want to take risk or stress in relation to the changes that have the capability of influencing their future. In U.S, Europe and Africa, the uncertainty avoidance index is low to medium which means the employees of Nike in such countries are not afraid of losing or leaving their jobs. In case they feel dissatisfaction with any of the factors such as environment, salary, working conditions, etc., they leave the job (Lee Kramer, 2016). Individualism- it means the preference of people to act as an individual or as a group or team (Hofstede, Hofstede Minkov, 2010). Individualism is high in U.S. and Africa. Employees of Nike in such countries handle the entire situation as an individual and not as a group. All the responsibilities and decisions are handled on their own. However, it is low in China, Chile, etc. where people want to act as a team. Masculinity- the higher side of this dimension represents masculinity which is defined by competitiveness and assertiveness. On the other hand, the lower side of this dimension demarcates feminine traits such as concern with the environment, laying stress on the quality of life, etc. China, South Africa and U.S. are considered to be masculine countries which in turn have subsequently increased the competitiveness among the employees. This is done with the help of excellent volunteering programs which encourages and motivates the employees to give their best for attaining a better position in the company (Luthans Doh, 2018). Long term/ Short term Orientation- this dimension is considered to be Confucian work dynamism which is dependent on the strategy of the company whether long term or short term. The goals and image of the Nike represents that the vision of such a big multinational company cannot be short term. Therefore, the location of the offices of Nike does not affect its long term vision. These dimensions assist in concluding that a significant role is played by the national culture in every multinational company. Diversity among the employees is openly accepted in Nike. Employees from all countries and cultures are given equal importance. All the employees are made comfortable at the workplace by incorporating a variety of programs that resolve their issues and queries in no time (Stahl Tung, 2015). SWOT Analysis of the Cultural Practice of Nike The Just do it approach adopted by Nike makes it a competitive organization which in turn shapes the attitude of employees towards the business. Cultural diversity is respected in Nike by emphasizing equality as an essential element of corporate culture (Downey, Werff, Thomas Plaut, 2015). Employees of Nike are motivated by offering various, financial, security, competitive health and work-life benefits. Employees want to work with the organization for attaining their full potential and personalized benefits. The work-life balance is impossible for the employees of Nike as Nike expects its employees to be available for the company 24/7. Growth of the employees in Nike is mainly dependent on networking. The company is considered to be weak in the authenticity of appraisal process. Therefore, employees finds slow growth rate in the organization. There is opportunity for Nike in improving its organizational culture by introducing programs that creates social integration among the employee (Alvesson Sveningsson, 2015). It will subsequently assist in building better community with more engaged employees. Nike should take steps for reducing the work burden on employees and allow them better growth opportunities then their competitors such as appraisal schemes. Other benefits should be offered such as savings from expenses related to work, vacations, health insurance, health savings account and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The biggest threat for the organizational culture of Nike is that the employees are switching to other companies as they find less opportunity for growth in the organization (O'Neill, Beauvais Scholl, 2016). Nike should focus on providing growth opportunities to employees in order to reduce the employee turnover otherwise it will result in heavy costs for the organization. Assessment about the Culture of Nike Analysis regarding the organizational culture of Nike provides that Nike aims to include a variety of perspectives as the contribution of each person results in the success of team. Groups are required to be formulated for characterizing the company into apparels, footwear, accessories and equipment. There are five stages of the group development model provided by Tuckman namely forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Norming and performing stage seems to be appropriate for Nike since Nike is taking steps for resolving the differences between the employees along with taking initiatives for increasing social integration between them (Egolf, 2013). Performing stage is highlighted in the fact that Nike is able to achieve its teams goal with the help of the structures and processes set for this purpose. The different kind of views of the employees belonging to different countries, cultures and background are effectively managed in the organization by giving equal preferenc e to everyone (Guillaume, Dawson, Otaye?Ebede, Woods West, 2017). This is in turn allows effective decision making in Nike. The offices of Nike are situated in almost every part of the world. In each countrys office, employees are organized as a team for the completion of specified goals. Employees are given full freedom to express their views and suggestions regarding various issues for their improvement. As far as the type of team is concerned among problem-solving team, work group, quality team and virtual team, Nikes team comes under problem solving teams as such teams are temporary and assist in providing solution to specific problems. The makeup of the team is cross functional which helps Nike in analyzing the problem various perspectives (Uhlig, 2018). Among the four types of culture identified by Deal and Kennedy namely the tough-guy/macho culture, the work-hard/play-hard culture, the bet-your company culture and the process culture, the culture of Nike is similar to tough-guy macho culture where employees face stress as a result of high risk. Rapid feedback is provided to the employees with greater focus on their resent performance. This leads to impossibility in their work-life balance and greater frustration. Conclusion Nike is the leading company for athletic shoes, apparel and sports equipment. the organizational culture of Nike is does not have a severe impact on its working as employees understand that Nike is a multinational company which needs to handle a variety of issues in its branches across the world. The employees still want to work with Nike for gaining the experience of a multinational company. Various steps have been taken by Nike for motivating its employees including higher salaries, incentives and other benefits. The cultural equality in the workplace further motivates the employees to give their best efforts for the achievement of the organizational goals. The culture of Nike assists its employees in reaching their full potential. Recommendations The employees should be offered growth opportunities for their personal development. This should be in the form of improving the rewarding system. Increments, incentives for outstanding performances, promotions, awards, etc. should be provided to employees from time to time. This will assist in reducing the employee turnover of Nike and will significantly increase their satisfaction at workplace. The employees are expected to be available for company all the time. Nike should limit the working hours of the employees by specifying the work required to done in such time. If the employees work for extra hours, they should be offered good pay. The employee engagement can be improved with the help of communication trainings or social integration programs which will assist in team building by improving the communication skills and tolerance level of employees. References Alvesson, M. and Sveningsson, S., 2015.Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge..Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge. Brown, A. D. 1998. Organisational Culture. Financial Times. Burkus, D. 2014. How to Tell if Your Company Has a Creative Culture, [Online]. Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/12/how-to-tell-if-your-company-has-a-creative-culture [Accessed on: 11 April 2018]. Christiansen, B. and Chandan, H. C. 2017. Handbook of Research on Organizational Culture and Diversity in the Modern Workforce. IGI Global. Coe, C. 2017. Managing Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Stories of Success and Failure. Routledge. 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. Driskill, G. W. and Brenton, A. L. 2010. Organizational Culture in Action: A Cultural Analysis Workbook. SAGE Publications. Egolf, D. B. 2013. Forming Storming Norming Performing: Successful Communication in Groups and Teams (Third Edition). iUniverse. Hofstede, G, Hofstede, G. J. and Minkov, M. 2010. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Third Edition. McGraw Hill Professional. Hogan, S.J. and Coote, L.V., 2014. Organizational culture, innovation, and performance: A test of Schein's model.Journal of Business Research,67(8), pp.1609-1621. Kinicki. 2008. Organizational Behavior 3E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Lee, Y. and Kramer, A., 2016. National Culture, Organizational Culture, and Purposeful Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2016, No. 1, p. 11858). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management. Luthans, F. and Doh, J.P., 2018.International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior. McGraw-Hill. Miller, D.W., Ngunjiri, F.W. and LoRusso, J.D., 2017. Human resources perceptions of corporate chaplains: enhancing positive organizational culture.Journal of Management, Spirituality Religion,14(3), pp.196-215. Nelson, D. L. and Quick, J. C. 2010. Organizational Behavior: Science, The Real World, and You. Cengage Learning. Nike. 2017. NIKE, INC. REPORTS FISCAL 2017 FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR RESULTS, [Online]. Available at: https://news.nike.com/news/nike-inc-reports-fiscal-2017-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-results [Accessed on: 7 April 2018]. O'Neill, J.W., Beauvais, L.L. and Scholl, R.W., 2016. The use of organizational culture and structure to guide strategic behavior: An information processing perspective.Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management,2(2). Peretz, H., Levi, A. and Fried, Y., 2015. Organizational diversity programs across cultures: effects on absenteeism, turnover, performance and innovation.The International Journal of Human Resource Management,26(6), pp.875-903. Persily, C. A. 2013. Team Leadership and Partnering in Nursing and Health Care. Springer Publishing Company. Rice, M.F., 2015.Diversity and public administration. ME Sharpe. Stahl, G.K. and Tung, R.L., 2015. Towards a more balanced treatment of culture in international business studies: The need for positive cross-cultural scholarship.Journal of International Business Studies,46(4), pp.391-414. Statista. 2017. Number of employees of Nike worldwide from 2009 to 2017, [Online]. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/243199/number-of-employees-of-nike-worldwide/ [Accessed on: 7 April 2018]. Sun, S., 2009. Organizational culture and its themes.International Journal of Business and Management,3(12), p.137. Uhlig, D. K. 2018. 5 Teams Every Organization Needs, [Online]. Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-teams-organization-needs-33992.html [Accessed on: 13 April 2018].