RIILSEC2

SECTION 2: CASE STUDY AND MENTORING Complete this section based on activity step 5=4 and use the information in your Simulation Pack (Part A) to develop the answers below. Conflict Provide a summary of the conflict that has occurred. Discuss whether you believe that the conflict situation involves harassment, bullying or discrimination and explain the reason for your answer. The conflict that has occurred is that the HR Support Officer has complained during the meeting that the Administration Officer often made discriminatory remarks about her clothing (burka) and would also use negative facial expressions when referring to her working from home arrangements. This is a conflict situation that depicts discrimination and bullying at the same time. This is because, the Administration officer might not be loving the clothing but the same is allowed by the organization. The facial expressions are also a sign of bullying to the new employee’s style of working.

Cultural differences Discuss the cultural differences that resulted in the conflict situation. The cultural differences that exist between the employees is the hate on the Burka clothing as well as raising of the eyebrows when it come to the HR support officer leaving office early to take care of the picking of the kids from school. Networks Identify at least two networks you could use to assist you with resolving the conflict i.e., information/advice sources. Explain how the networks have enabled you to resolve the issue above. Mentorship program would be a great network to solve the conflict. This has helped me in ensuring that the employees are culturally aware of their colleagues’ cultures and the need to respect them. Another network is through training programs that are meant to ensure that the employees understand workplace cultural diversity and the need to embrace it while delivering their daily tasks at workplace. Solution Provide feedback on what you consider is an appropriate solution. You should identify at least three possible solutions and ensure that you response shows what you consider is your preferred responses. The following are the solutions that once implemented, there will be a diverse workplace environment: • Ensuring that managers understand the importance of diversity at workplace • Coming up with more inclusive workplace policies thus no room for discrimination • Communicating clearly and ensure the organisation embraces employee led task forces. • Creating up a mentorship and training programs • Encouraging employees to work in diverse teams that every age, ethnicity, gender, language is represented. Amongst these solutions, the best solution is to ensure that there are mentorship and training sessions for the team. Problem solving Regarding the above activity, identify your own values and principles around conflict. Write down at least two values/principle that you have. Consider different values/principles that another person may have around conflict and that contrast with yours. Write these down. Explain how these contrasting points of view/beliefs/assumption could impact on a decision on conflict. On my values and principles in solving such conflicts, I possess the following: • Open communication • Trustworthiness On the values of the other person, the following are the values that held: • Open communication • Respect for others • Integrity These values would be useful to solving a cultural diversity conflict at workplace in an amicable way.

arrangement is going based on the progress report provided by the mentor. In your email, ensure you address the personal and workplace barriers that you believe have been overcome/still need to be overcome to ensure positive working relationships. Dear mentee, It is my trust that this email finds you well. I am writing this email to inform you that, following the mentorship program that was implemented on you based on the conflicts that you had with the HR support officer, the mentor has reported that there has been a positive change towards your behaviour but there is also a pending issue with you raising eyebrows on the HR support officer while she is leaving early. Please work on ensuring that this is ended thus ensure a positive workplace relationship for the benefit of us all as a team. Kind regards Team leader. Reflection As a final part of this assessment task, you are to share your ideas on the challenges and barriers there are to supporting diverse work teams, as well as your ideas on how these can be overcome to improve individual and organisational outcomes. Discuss at least two challenges/barriers and two ideas to address these. The barriers that are against supporting a diverse workplace are: • Language barriers at workplace • Lack understanding different cultural backgrounds The following are the strategies that need to be utilised when overcoming these barriers: • Use of a simple language that can be understood by all • Avoiding slang at all costs • Embracing etiquette whenever we are communicating to people of different cultures • Practicing active listening • Avoiding the use of closed questions • Undertaking cultural training to gain skills and knowledge that will help respect different workplace cultures.