Socially Diverse Workplace And Customer Service

Scenario 1: Language Barriers

Task 1  

1. Fairness and equity allows employees to have equal rights while at work. Other employees at ACA Restaurant Café are ignoring the aspect of fairness and equity aspects towards Maria. Their actions are considered to be harassment since they are not creating conducive working environment for Maria who is a new employee at the restaurant. Laughing at her will completely change her courage and also lower her self-esteem which will prevent her from working freely in the restaurant environment (Namkung & Jang, 2019). They are also considering themselves more unique than the newly employed Maria due to her ascent when she communicates.

2. Equal employment opportunity legislation is law that prohibits discrimination of both employees and other potential applicants of a particular organization based on their race, age, religion among other parameters (Burns, 2016). From the scenario, the management of the restaurant is adhering to Equal Employment Opportunity Legislation by employing Maria is employed irrespective of where she came from. Fellow employees in the restaurant are violating the legislation when they laugh at Maria when she make mistakes while talking instead of correcting her and showing her the way to go.

3. The restaurant team members have the responsibility of understanding Maria’s characters and support her weakness. They should find a way of making Maria to understand their language rather than laughing at her. They should also involve Maria in their teams so that she can learn their language. They should also embrace her weakness and encourage her to improve with time. They can also have a team member who can teach and interpret for Maria before she adopts to the organizations activities.

4. The team can focus on only using plain language that can be understood by Maria. Slang language should be prohibited since it will tampers with the level of understanding among employees thus creating confusion. The team members can also interpret information to Maria when she struggles to understand the new language (Kenesei, & Stier, 2017). They should also refrain from their habits of laughing at Maria’s weakness and encourage hers to cope with the prevailing situation as time goes by. The can also use body language to convey messages that Maria does not understand. Applying such strategies will solve language berries between existing and new employees in the restaurant.

5. People who use English as a second language find it difficult to speak and also to understand. Through trainings, the team will be trained through forums that will enable them to deal with new employees. Thorough training, employees will be trained on how to handle new comers with speaking problems (Ogbu, 2019).

Scenario 2: Disability Discrimination and Customer Service

Developing teamwork will also enable employee to solve the issues of understanding among themselves. Teamwork will comprise of both new and existing employees. Existing employees will have the opportunity teaching new staffs like Maria on how to communicate effectively.

Training manuals can also be incorporated in the restaurant to give new employees like Maria an opportunity to refer from them when she fails to understand something. Training manuals can be made available in hard copy or softcopy such that they are easily accessible when required. These manuals will help ease communication difficulties thus smooth running of the restaurant.

Task 2

Scenario 2

You are working as a Team Leader at ACA Restaurant Café when a customer who has a vision impairment enters the establishment with her guide dog. A young wait staff (Imogen) comes over to you and asks if she should tell the customer to leave her dog outside. She is a teenager who has not been working in hospitality for a very long time and has little experience assisting customers who have a disability. She also has minimal knowledge in regard to anti-discrimination legislation.

1. As a team leader, I will explain quickly to Imogen in a low tone on the type of customers that come for our services including those with disabilities. Without wasting time, I will individually demonstrate to Imogen how to handle such customers until they are served in the restaurant. I will direct the customer towards the restaurant and ensure that he/she is served well so that I can impact Imogen to do the same when other customers with such conditions visit our restaurant in my absence.

2. Disability discrimination aspect has been reflected in the scenario. It is vital for each employee to have knowledge of anti-discrimination to be able to handle various costumers with different disabilities without violating their rights as disabled people. Understanding legislations will save on the time that will be taken while enquiring how to serve such customers in the restaurant. Delay in serving such customers normally makes them feel being discriminated because of their conditions.

3. The best advice to give Imogen will be to be to be patient with the customer and allow the customer to enter with the dog because stopping the dog from entering the premises will tamper with the dog’s responsibilities of guiding the customer’s movements. Imogen should also sensitive on how to treat the customer so that the customer does not feel his rights being violated in the restaurant due to his/her disability.

Scenario 3: Religious Differences in the Workplace

4.

1. The restaurant staffs should treat such customers with respect that they deserve without looking at their current conditions. Disrespecting such customers will make them uncomfortable in the restaurant which may lower the reputation of the restaurant.

1. Such people should also be acknowledged despite having their self-assistance or not. Those serving the customer should directly communicate with the customers with disability unless otherwise. Acknowledging them also make them to feel that they are not discriminated based on their disability(Carroll, et al., 2018).

1. Service providers in the restaurants should also be flexible to handle different cases of disability. For instance, some customers may require written information or verbal descriptions of services offered in the restaurant. All employee should be equipped to handle such scenarios well without straining.

1. How can the restaurant ensure new and existing employees are informed in regard to culturally and socially inclusive work practices in the future?2 Marks

5. The restaurant management should provide training services that are meant to demonstrate how employees can handle different customers due to difference backgrounds that customers come from. Creating awareness simplifies the task of employee while handling employees. Training can be inform of organizing seminars or teams where qualified speakers illustrates procedures required in handling people without disabilities.

Task 3

Scenario 3

1. Multiculturalism in Australia emphasizes on the need to recognize and respect the cultural diversity among its citizens (Metz et al., 2016). This encourages peace and unity among citizens since the rights of citizens are not violated in any way. The four principles of Australian national multiculturalism are:

1. National language. Australia has a common language that is can be spoken an understood by all citizens. The hotel should also stipulate a common language that is favourable to all employees to avoid language barriers to both new and existing employees.

1. Rule of law. The country also has rules and regulations that must be abided by all citizens. The hotel should also define their rules which must be obeyed by all employees. Failure to obey the et rules should attract serious punishments like suspension from the hotel.

1. Acceptance. The term refers to the compliance to the set rules and orders of a country. For the case of the hotel, the manager is responsible for setting orders in the hotel. The set orders calls for acceptance by complying with the set orders by all employees.

1. Equality. The hotel members are equal while at work. No one should be considered as unique than other employees irrespective of their status or race.

1. Charlie has been getting frustrated at work, as Fathima prays 5 times daily as part of her religious practices and this sometimes leaves Charlie at reception by himself during peak times. Charlie knows little about Islam. He has complained to you (Sam the waiter) when you have worked with him and made jokes about Fathima. What social and cultural issues might be causing this conflict?

2. Religious differences are the parameter that is causing conflict between Fathima and Charlie. The two have different religious views thus a misunderstanding that is resulting into conflict. From the scenario, Fathima is being discriminated based on her religion.

3. First I can try to settle the arising conflict by listening to both parties and advising where possible.

I can also inform the manager to intervene and enquire much about conflict and solve it. This will be the best way since both parties will mostly follow the manager’s advice for resolving the conflict.

1. Describe the steps that can be taken by ACA Café management to ensure that this cross-cultural misunderstanding between Charlie and Fathima is managed before it escalates.

4. Step1: The management should identify the cause of conflict between the two parties. For the case of the hotel, religious differences are the cause of conflict between the two parties.

Step 2: The management can then listen from both parties to identify where conflict is arising. While listening, the management should remain neutral among the two parties (Danso, 2018).

Step 3: After listening, can make decisions by considering the cultural differences for the conflicting parties. They should ensure that no culture is violated while making the decision.

Step 4: the management can then consider seeking forgiveness among the conflicting parties. This will enable the two parties to forgive each other and continue working together as team (Louis & Montiel, 2018)

1. It is important to respect and understand your colleagues’ varying cultural backgrounds in order to work well as a team. What beliefs may be part of Sam’s cultural background as an Indigenous Australian? What would be the possible cultural requirements and provisions for Sam at work?

5. Being an indigenous Australian, Sam does not believe in the existence of God but rather his culture believes in material things on the earth (Christian, 2017). He does not believe in life after death. Therefore, Sam finds it strange with what other believers practice. It is therefore a requirement for Sam to be accommodative with other employee beliefs to foster a better working environment for each employee

6. Having different cultural groups in the restaurant, I will organize for common meal that will favour all the party attendants. This will prevent complains concerning violation of ones culture by organizing for meals from one culture and not all culture for all employees.

Scenario 4: Interacting with International Customers

Task 4

Scenario 4

You are at ACA Restaurant Café and you host large groups and business groups from overseas. Your Restaurant Café has a diverse customer base, all with different needs. You notice a young Japanese man looking stressed at the front of the Restaurant Café. He has been separated from his colleagues. You know that his colleagues are in the private dining room, but you cannot speak Japanese. You know that an interpreter is travelling with the group and is also in the private dining room. You approach the man to offer assistance.

1. I will approach the young man in a professionalism way and greet him without fear. I will ask for her small introduction like her name then I will also introduce myself and tell him about my need for him.

2. By using simple English will enable the young to easily understand where his colleague is located. Simple vocabularies should be used for easily understanding (Deslandes, 2017).   

Body language. I can also use body language to convey to him the message of where his colleague is located.

I should also speak slowly for him to capture what I will be telling. Speaking faster may prevent the young man from understanding my message.

3. When I fail to assist the gentlemen, I will involve the manager who may be having better skills in handling such scenarios. The manager will deal with the case until the gentleman finds their college. An interpreter can also be involved to assist the gentleman.

4. Hiring interpreters serves as the best way of handling diverse groups in the restaurant. Employees can also be trained to acquire some knowledge on how to handle such guests when they in the future. Having such resources in the restaurant will enable improve ther hotel services to their prospect clients.

Task 1  

Socially diverse workplace promotes increased innovation in the workplace. Different talents are integrated to come up with new ideas (Utami et al., 2017).

It also reduces staff turnover since employee are able to work with minimum pressure based on their culture.

It increases workplace productivity since different skills are employed in the performance of the organization.

It also increases the workplace reputation due to the portrayed respect for peoples cultural diversity

Finally, it promotes peaceful workplace environment since employee cultural diversity is recognized and respected. Conflicts relating to cultural violations is minimal thus peaceful working environment for all employees (Lambert, 2016). 

Task 1: Benefits of a Socially Diverse Workplace

Task 2

Reading and understanding basic legislation:

Go to the following website at the “Human Rights Commission” relating to discrimination acts, pp and answer the question below:

Read the information about each of the following acts below and briefly explain the purpose of each act:

This act was meant to prevent age discrimination in all sectors including education, employment among other sectors. There should be also equality when offering goods and services despite the age bracket of individuals.

This Act was passed by the government to protect people with disability against discrimination in areas of employment, education, public services among other area that the disabled people can access.

It was to discourage violation of the disabled rights and recognize their strength despite their conditions.

This Act was introduced during the reign of Gough Whitlam. The purpose for this act was to promote equality among the Australian citizens irrespective of their race, color or place or origin. It was illegal to discriminate citizens according to the mentioned factors failure to adhere to the Act attracted penalties against individuals who violated the Act.

This Act was amended for the purpose of protecting Australian citizens against discrimination based on the sex or gender, marital status among others. Citizens were to be given equal opportunities in education, leadership or employment without basing on a particular gender (Temple et al., 2019). Individuals were not allowed to receive opportunities in exchange with sex. It was unlawful to discriminate against this act and when found, serious punishment was dictated against those who boycotted the Act.

References

Burns, J. L. A. (2016). US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Plaintiff, v. Salum Revilla Enterprises, LLC, dba Achiote Restaurant, and Does 1-10 Inclusive, Defendants.

Carroll, C., Guinan, N., Kinneen, L., Mulheir, D., Loughnane, H., Joyce, O., … & Lyons, R. (2018). Social participation for people with communication disability in coffee shops and restaurants is a human right. International journal of speech-language pathology, 20(1), 59-62.

Christian, S. (2017). Workplace Antidiscrimination Policy Effect on Transgender Employee Job Satisfaction.

Danso, R. (2018). Cultural competence and cultural humility: A critical reflection on key cultural diversity concepts. Journal of Social Work, 18(4), 410-430.

Deslandes, A. (2017). Promoting cultural understanding. Australian Ageing Agenda, (Sep/Oct 2017), 36.

Kenesei, Z., & Stier, Z. (2017). Managing communication and cultural barriers in intercultural service encounters: Strategies from both sides of the counter. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 23(4), 307-321.

Lambert, J. (2016). Cultural diversity as a mechanism for innovation: Workplace diversity and the absorptive capacity framework. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 20(1), 68.

Louis, W. R., & Montiel, C. J. (2018). Social movements and social transformation: Steps towards understanding the challenges and breakthroughs of social change. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 24(1), 3.

Metz, I., Ng, E. S., Cornelius, N., Hoobler, J. M., & Nkomo, S. (2016). A comparative review of multiculturalism in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa. In Research Handbook of International and Comparative Perspectives on Diversity Management. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Namkung, Y., & Jang, S. C. S. (2019). Effects of perceived service fairness on emotions, and behavioral intentions in restaurants. European Journal of Marketing.

Ogbu, J. U. (2019). Understanding cultural diversity and learning. Educational researcher, 21(8), 5-14.

Temple, J. B., Kelaher, M., Brooke, L., Utomo, A., & Williams, R. (2019). Discrimination and disability: Types of discrimination and association with trust, self?efficacy and life satisfaction among older Australians. Australasian journal on ageing.

Utami, T. L. W., Indarti, N., Sitalaksmi, S., & Makodian, N. (2017). The Effect of knowledge sources on innovation capabilities among restaurants and café businesses in Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business: JIEB., 32(1), 33-50.