Teen Subcultures Management free essay sample

Reflecting on teen subcultures allows for the opportunity to discuss the potential impact teen subcultures have on valuing diversity, how they bond diverse people together and help them understand one another, and discover how they can also result in the formation of cliques and foster stereotypes. By discussing these developmental, teenaged experiences; long- term, adult social impacts can then be concluded. Such conclusions can then be applied to the workplace to address the following questions: What are the challenges for organizations that are seriously attempting to value diversity?What are the benefits to these organizations? How do organizations train people about cultural and subcultures differences without falling into stereotyping? Teen subculture experiences can result In individual value of diversity. The common theme among teen subcultures seems to be the feeling Of belonging. Although, the general environment Of schools may not be very diverse, for example some schools are predominately made up of African American or Caucasian students; subcultures can allow for some degree of diversity by bringing together teenagers of different cultures, anemographic or personal differences. We will write a custom essay sample on Teen Subcultures Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For instance, in the subculture of the in-crowd, popular students were more interested in partying than achieving good grades. This common focus can allow for teenagers with varying cultural backgrounds, financial situations or personalities to experience diversity and therefore appreciate individual differences because of being brought together with something in common. Teen subculture experiences can also bond diverse people together and help them understand one another. Another example of being brought together due to common interests, the grunge subculture brought students together that commonly appreciated similar music and art.For those that were artists, art classes often brought numerous subcultures together and thus bonds were formed through the common talent of the students, eliciting a different kind of subculture. The diverse individuals were then able to understand one another through their interactions within the classroom. Teen subculture experiences can also result in the formation of cliques or foster stereotypes. Since many teen subcultures can be identified through the way they dress and behave, territories can be fostered. If one appears to fit a certain category or subculture, then assumptions are often made about that person.Back to the us Becquerel of the in-crowd, sis once they were known to value partying and expensive clothes, it was assumed that if an individual did not dress well they didnt have money and would therefore not fit into that subculture. Behavior also allows for individual perceptions and misconceptions. If partying is the common interest of a specific subculture, then regardless of dress, if another individual is perceived as belonging to the nerds, which are assumed to be non-partiers based upon their collective behavior, then they will not likely be accepted into the in-crowd partiers.As these developmental experiences shape long-term, adult perceptions; it could be concluded that workplace interactions will also be affected. So, what are the challenges for organiza tions that are seriously attempting to value diversity? According to Chuck Williams, surface-level diversity, defined as easily observed individual traits such as age, ethnicity, gender and physical differences, and deep-level perversity, defined as differences in personality, beliefs, attitudes and values, can lead to discriminatory hiring and/or promoting practices within organizations, thus inhibiting diversity within the organization (Williams, 201 3, up. 54-255). What are the benefits to organizations that value diversity? Williams asserts that diversity in the work place elicits cost savings, the attraction and retention of talented employees, and that a diverse workforce drives the growth of the business (p. 252). For example, costs savings result from diversity as fewer employees quit, miss work, or file law suits (p. 52). Talented employees are more likely to be attracted to the organization and less likely to go elsewhere if it has an established, diverse environment (p. 52). Finally, as the marketplace becomes more global and therefore more diverse, businesses benefit when they hire a diverse workforce that understands diverse customer needs. Improved problem solving is also a result of the diverse perspectives of team members as they identify issues and develop a variety of options (p. 252). Finally, how do organizations train stereotyping? Williams describes awareness training using both ImplicitAssociation Tests (TAT) and skills-based training, as a way organizations can overcome individual biases and stereotypes in the work place (p. 266). Awareness training, defined by Williams, as training centered upon increasing employee awareness of diversity problems that shall engages individual perceptions, can include AT. TAT are tests that identify the degree of an individuals negative and positive reactions to surface-level diversity (p. 266). TAT identifies biases while skills-based training helps individuals overcome some of the effects of bias.For example, skills-based training helps managers obtain skills, such as problem solving, negotiation, conflict resolution and adaptability, to effectively manage a diverse workforce (p. 266). Diversity pairing is another method, described by Williams, that organizations can use to overcome stereotypes by having individuals pair up to interact with others of diverse cultures, ethnicities or gender (p. 266). It seems clear that individual perceptions of diversity are shaped by the experiences of their youth, specifically from their exposure to the various vestures within schools and communities. As organizations attempt to benefit from having a diverse workforce, it is important for them to be diligently aware of individual attitudes and perceptions, whether positive or negative. Organizations will likely benefit from training practices to overcome any potentially negative impacts and effectively utilize the positive contributions elicited by diversity.