Page 43 - HMUN

Page 43 3170tthh AJuugnues2t 018

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

- Arya Jhaveri

“Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing

for a society to be without.” Diversity exists in a myriad of forms in our society. Difference in ideas

occur because of differences in upbringing, cultural background, financial strength, political

conditions, geographical differences and many more.

Differences in ideas and perspectives are necessary for innovation and creation. Innovation and
creation is the sole way to adapt to the ever changing market conditions.The product life cycle is
getting shorter and shorter every passing day which is pressuring companies to rapidly evolve as
technology is growing at an exponential speed. In the smartphones market because of Chinese
companies launching their newer versions in a very short span, Indian firms like Micromax are
thrown out of the market because of not having a diverse organization which can face global
competition. Globalisation has further intensified competition in all sectors making it more difficult
for smaller businesses to grow. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, stated,” A lot of people in our
industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they
end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem.The broader one’s
understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.” A more experienced person
will have an in-depth knowledge of the industry and also am awareness about the problems that can
occur. The newer-generation are well aware about the recent updates in an industry, therefore, the
duo of both helps in satisfying demand and sustaining in the competitive market. However, it is
expensive to diversify as more people need to be recruited, more capital is required to produce a
diversified range of products and because smaller business can’t afford diversity, they are unable to
bear the pressure. Also generation gap leads to differences which create lose-lose arguments as both
are right in their own way of thinking.

Today there are minimal places with people of only one cultural background because of easier
methods of travel. Hence, selling to a market with different cultural identity requires an organisation
which understands the different way of thinking. Google, an American search engine company, has
an ethnic diverse organisation. They have hired not only white Americans but also black, asian and
people from other minority groups. An ethnically diverse workforce can be beneficial as they can
understand consumer needs and satisfy them. As society is evolving more women are getting well