EFFECT OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: THE CASE OF SAVE THE CHILDREN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Diversity is increasingly recognized and utilized as an important organizational resource with regard to whether the goal is to be an employer of choice, to provide excellent customer service, or to maintain a competitive edge. Workplace diversity is a multi-faceted concept that will continue to evolve as more industries move towards a global marketplace. It also has proven to have led to a perception of being fundamental for employee performance. This fundamental belief forces managers to embrace and comprehend the concept of workplace diversity, its barriers and benefits. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of work force diversity on employee’s performance. The research also focuses on workforce diversity which includes the gender, age, ethnic, culture and education background of the employees which is the most critical variables among all the others. The investigation was done by distributing 144 questionnaires to targeted 144 employees. Questionnaire with five-point Likert scale and semi structured interview issued to collect primary data. SPSS software 26.0 version is used to analyze the collected data by using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. It was discovered that Save the Children Ethiopia sees diversity as an importance factor that cannot be disregarded. To show it commitment to diversity and make certain that diversity policies are integrated into its corporate practices, the management created a diversity team that make certain that its acquires a diverse workforce. This is seen in its workforce characteristic such as; gender, age, ethnicity, culture, education, etc. The findings indicate that workforce diversity predicts employee performance.