Benefits and challenges of workplace diversity management: a case study of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres in Kenya

Abstract

CGIAR centres by the nature of their work and presence in many countries especially in the developing world have had a diverse workforce in terms of nationality. culture. education and other differences dictated by circumstances. This study sought to assess the benefits and challenges associated with the work place diversity management at CGIAR centres in Kenya.

The objectives of this study were to establish the benefits of work place diversity management and to determine challenges of diversity management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Centres in Kenya. To achieve these objectives, the study used a questionnaire and an interview guide to collect primary data from 12 respondents at CGIAR centres in Kenya. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and results presented in tables and figures.

The study found that high performance is exhibited where teams include diverse age. ethnicity, nationality gender and other differences. Employee diversity was also found to enrich knowledge and skills of the organization as well as improving organizational creativity. It was revealed that work place diversity is not fully entrenched in CGIAR Kenya centres. On the benefits of work place diversity it was found that women empowerment has seen more women managers being included at management level.

The training offered have empowered employees in knowledge on how to live in multicultural environment. Work place diversity management was also found to have impacted positively on the employees' career growth, improved on their inter-personal skills in a working environment. On challenges of work place diversity management, diversity objectives were found in some cases to precede merit considerations during recruitment and promotions. It was also reveaied that employee diversity has created divisions between the IRS and NRS at CGIAR centres in Kenya.

The study also revealed that there was over emphasis on female scientists who have benefited the most from G&D programme neglecting employees in other careers and or fields. This study recommended that inequalities between IRS and NRS should be looked into to ensure that the power and benefits of work place diversity are reaped by CIGIAR.