Workforce Diversity and Employee Performance: Ethnic and Socio-Cultural Diversity in Kenya

Abstract

customer base, sales, and brand power among other measures. Organization has diverse workforce with challenges but a positive work force climate assist in performance of the organization. Educational level, gender and age are dimension of diversity in management of the organization. Diverse environment has resulted into job satisfaction, conducive working environment, effective management and high employee output. It has also enable organization put more effort in work which has increased its performance (Gacheri, 2012). Abstract Performance of employees in banks among other institutions has numerous human resource related issues. Workforce diversity has been a very critical issue in human resources due to increasing globalization. Organizations that want to remain competitiveness recognize that employing people with very diverse backgrounds with different capacities of thinking boosts their ability to stay ahead of the competition. Some of these key diverse characteristics in human resources includes age, race, social status, ethnicity, gender, education level, ability, religion, norms and believes. This paper discussed in detail all the aspects that affect organizations in terms of workforce diversity. The purpose of the paper was to investigate ethnic and social cultural diversity and its effects on the performance of the employees in ABC Bank. The study used Social Identity Theory and Social Categorization Theory. This research problem was solved through the use of a descriptive research design. The study focused on the middle and lower level management of ABC Bank Westlands. The research used census, all 71 employees were given questionnaires and data was collected using questionnaires. This was done using stratified sampling technique. This study collected both qualitative and quantitative data using self-administered questionnaires. Quantitative data collected was analyzed, using descriptive statistics, it was measured using mean standard deviation and percentages The results indicated that ethnic diversity through language, cultural diversity, norms and believe affected the accountability of service delivery. It also found that social classes, work group and age socio-cultural have affected number of customers served. The study concluded that work diversity through diversity in ethnic and socio-cultural affected the employee performance. The study recommended that ethnic equality should be encouraged by the government to ensure high employee performance. Further studies should be done on the diversity and strategic consensus as well as issues of group process and group thinking.