Essay Example on Inclusive Learning: An Integral Part of Modern Learning Culture

Introduction

Inclusive learning is an integral component of a modern learning culture in the organization and workplace. Generally, an inclusive learning organization is one that successfully leverages the diversity in its workforce to channel the innovation and creativity arising from different perspectives to accomplish organizational goals. Gotsis and Grimani (2016) defined inclusive organizations as open systems of opportunity that allow all stakeholders access to essential resources, information, and the capacity to contribute to their functioning adequately. Driven by equity and broad participation, such systems support and make use of employees’ collective and individual talents. An inclusive institution embraces diversity at every level within the organization. Multiple languages, traditions, beliefs, cultures, and lifestyles are prevalent in both the customer populations and the workforce and also respected without discrimination. They view individuals as people who work together to coordinate action towards the realization of common goals. Bolman and Deal (2017) perceived learning multiple frames or perspectives as an essential way of creating an inclusive learning organization. They defined frames as mental models or sets of assumptions and ideas that individuals or leaders in their management. This paper presents a reflection on the development of inclusive organizations that promotes learning.

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The Roles Issues of Social Justice or Multiculturalism in Public Organizations

The social justice or moral case asserts that each individual has value in contributing and helping achieve organizational goals; it assumes that companies must address historical factors and barriers that lead to unfair conditions for marginalized populations. Without diversity in our organizations, we will never achieve our vision of inclusion. Therefore, I suggest that this is the best for diversity practitioners to re-educate themselves on leadership skills and the current social issues to ensure diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice are not interchanged but understood and addressed appropriately to promote inclusion in various organizations. However, inclusion cannot be successful without diversity; therefore, acknowledging social justice is necessary to establish diversity and inclusion.

Social justice entails care, respect, and equity, with a consciousness about the impact of gender, race, class, marital status, religious or political conviction, age, disability, and family status or family responsibility. By recognizing each individual’s dignity, we seek to create a healthy community based on social justice; this encourages diversity and inclusion. Some benefits of a sufficient diversity and inclusions initiative can be evident within the organization’s talent pool by different perspectives, better problem solving, boosted innovation, decreased impediments, and less employee churn (Van Dijke & De Cremer, 2016).

Structuring Organizations to Promote Social Justice

Organizational structure refers to the framework in which the group gets organized and the foundations keeping the coalition functioning; it is the operating manual that shows members how the organization works. The structure also describes how members are accepted, how the organization chose leadership, and make decisions. I believe that an organization that builds an environment that respects and values individual differences along varying dimensions and prioritizes equity, diversity, and inclusion promotes social justice. Also, inclusive organizations foster cultures that minimize bias; they recognize and address systemic inequities, which, if unaddressed, can create a disadvantage for specific individuals. These efforts should be reflected in organizational vision, mission, and values; they should also be incorporated into strategic plans and cascaded throughout the organization.

I also suggest that the organization structure diversify its team and look at the whole business through a lens of inclusion. Having a diverse team provides knowledge and support for the different beliefs and cultural systems of individuals that need to be respected. Having them as spokespeople for blog posts and other discrimination content can also be a way to promote particular practices and policies related to economic and racial justice.

Again, I believe that establishing social justice programs in organizations structure would promote diversity and inclusion, thus creating an inclusive learning environment. Whether or not we perceive our organizations as having a core focus on social justice, it is necessary to incorporate intersectional social justice programming in every organization structure.

Organizations sometimes face tensions in reconciling their ethical and social values with daily practice. Drawing from more extensive literature across sectors, it emerges that social justice management is an approach with valuable preparations for all businesses. Learning to balance moral value with material interest can help organizations remain flexible, stay on top of change, and gain more employees’ commitment. Social justice-based strategies for management help organizations reconcile tensions and remain true to their values.

Strategies to Build Leaders’ Capacities for Creating an Inclusive Organization

Leadership is an essential topic of study in organizational inquiries. Leadership research has been multi-dimensional, where evaluation is made based on varying perspectives. Bolman and Deal (2017) described leadership as the ability to support and enable a team of individuals to accomplish a common task. They noted that managers often use only one or two frames; however, effective leaders should use three or more frames (multi-frames). They also recommended that the ability to use several frames and switch from one to another may reflect a higher cognitive ability level. This model has proven how managers’ thinking relates to management effectiveness, and that a multi-frame orientation yields the most effective leaders.

I also suggest the Bolman and Deal’s Four-Frame Model as a suitable strategy to build leaders’ capacities for creating an inclusive organization. These leadership theories include structural, political, human resource, and symbolic frames. The structural frame emphasizes goals and efficiency; it assumes that managers operate by setting clear, established goals. The companies differentiate individuals into specific roles and conduct diverse activities through rules, policies, and chain of command. Structural leaders set clear directions, value analysis and data, hold coworkers accountable for results, and seek to solve organizational dilemmas with new rules, policies, or restructuring the organization.

The human resource frame centers attention on human needs; it also assumes that businesses that meet basic needs will operate better effectively. Human resource leaders usually value feelings and relationships and try to lead through empowerment and facilitation. They tend to settle problems in interpersonal or individual terms and search for techniques to modify the organization to fit employees or adjust the individuals to meet the organization’s values and goals. The political frame assumes that businesses are composed of combinations of interest groups and individuals competing for scarce resources. Political leaders spend much of their time negotiating compromises, building a power base, bargaining, networking, creating coalitions.

The symbolic frame perceives a chaotic world where predictability and meaning are social creations, while facts are interpretative rather than objective. Companies develop culture and symbols that shape human behavior unobtrusively and provide a shared sense of identity and mission; symbols are created to lessen confusion. Ceremonies, sagas, myths, and rituals help individuals to find meaning from their experiences. Symbolic leaders inspire a sense of commitment and enthusiasm through charisma and drama. They give diligent attention to the ceremony, myth, stories, and other symbolic forms.

Cultural Barriers Exist That Prevents Inclusivity and How to Overcome Them

Zimmermann (2015) defines culture as a plethora of differences that characterize the modern world. Anthropologist Cristina De Rossi stated that culture encompasses language, clothing, marriage, religion, food, music, how we behave with loved ones, and what we believe is right or wrong (Zimmermann 2015). Most of such cultural dimensions contribute to an organization’s success and character; however, employee cultural diversity may sometimes create cultural barriers in the workplace. Therefore cultural barriers can also be defined as challenges to cross-cultural communication within an organization. When individuals from different cultures have different cultural beliefs, speak different languages, or use different symbols and gestures to communicate, their cultural differences might become barriers to workplace success. However, I believe that this happens because of a lack of cultural awareness, knowledge, and communication. Diversity recruiting’s ability to produce creative outcomes has limits within the workforce’s ability to share a cultural experience. Therefore, I would recommend various organizations to establish diversity training programs; these programs can encourage teamwork and leadership, create new opportunities, potentially foster inclusive work culture, and thereby create a positive work culture.

Although the collective imaginations of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds produce excellent outcomes for society and the economy, the barriers to overcome still exist in cultural stereotypes and biases widespread in some organizations. Identifying these barriers in our organizations is critical to success. Therefore, I prefer we eradicate them to allow for the effective operation of our organization. I usually assume that diversity is just like being invited to sit at a table that is already set; However, I believe that inclusion is being asked to partner with the host to help set the table. Therefore, if an organization has a diverse workforce but lacks an inclusive workplace culture, the business still has work to do to reap the full benefits of inclusion. One of the primary practice or action is to create an environment that ensures social justice.

Conclusion

As evident, collective contribution and knowledge sharing produce creative outcomes. Knowledge from diverse cultural experiences and backgrounds stimulates cultural inclusion and results in innovation. Therefore, it is advantageous for organizations and individuals to make knowledge sharing an essential part of their culture. I also recommend that organizations establish social justice management in their structure and daily operations. Social justice management involves applying the goals of social justice to universal management principles by balancing moral values with material value. The social justice management perspective can help enshrine good and needs-based organizational practices and lead to positive internal and external strategies; this will also help create inclusive organizations that promote learning.

References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. John Wiley & Sons. https://www.worldcat.org/title/reframing-organizations-artistry-choice-and-leadership/oclc/987212421

Gotsis, G., & Grimani, K. (2016). The role of servant leadership in fostering inclusive organizations. Journal of Management Development. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMD-07-2015-0095/full/html