The sun is source of light, human body consists 70% of water, without soil vegetation cannot grow, living beings need air to breathe and sky is multi-hued. The basic elements in our environment consist the basic colors and are they are differently structured. The sense of colors is an extension of life. Each season has its color, therefore colors plays important role and it has been an important dimensions of human life.

India is known for her diversity and therefore the country is home to numerous interpretations and illustrations of symbols and colors. Colors represent different emotions of people living in different regional and geographical states. Each color has a different meaning and notion, and it differs from place to place. Some of the universally celebrated colors find their origins in the spices: turmeric which is used all over the country by each religion is yellow, it is also used in ceremonies and while offering prayers. Yellow symbolizes sanctity and is an essential herbal ingredient applied on the body and face by people. Cardamom is green, clove and pepper are black, chilies are red, cinnamon is dark brownish, coriander seeds and cumin are greenish brown, nutmeg is grayish brown so on and forth. Each spice has its color.

Indians are religious at heart; each god is associated with a complexion. Vishnu, Ram and Krishna are depicted in blue, the reason being blue is the color of the sky and of divinity. Whereas Shiva is fair, he is described as ‘Karpura-Goranga’ meaning he who is as fair as camphor. Most goddesses are fair complexioned except Kali. She is depicted in dark complexion.

India is an agrarian economy therefore green plays most important color. Green symbolizes a new beginning, harvest, and happiness. It is also the revered color of Islam which has a large religious presence in India. Green is a manifestation of God himself.

Some of the obvious differences between the perception of color in the West and the East are due to the simplest elements in history. Royalty, in the West and in the Christian culture, is represented by a deep, mystical shade of gray and purple, while in India, it is the deep hues of red and ochre that symbolize wealth and dignity. Perhaps one of the most affecting factors in the perception of colors in the Indian psyche is the religious undertones that coexist at almost every phase of life. India is steeped in tradition, culture, and a rich and a fabulous history. Kings and kingdoms, saints and followers, rebels and fighters have traversed the paths of its glorious past and they have all played an important role is forming the perception of colors.

Another fact why Indians are so obsessed with colors is because in ancient and medieval India textiles was the prime business. Some rulers were favorably inclined towards the arts and they encouraged weaving. Differentiation was made between the rural textiles woven for the masses and those made in state workshops for royalty and the well-to-do in other countries. The best workmanship was found in the ritual drapes for temples and palaces. Then, fabric names apparently represented the places where they were woven, and details about weaving techniques were not recorded.

It was Marco Polo who left detailed accounts of the people and industries of the coastal regions of India in the late thirteenth century. He has mentioned after seeing the Coromandel Coast the finest and most beautiful cloth in all the world-buckrams like the tissues of spider webs, and he observed dyeing with indigo in the great tex­tile center of Cambay and spinning of cotton in Gujarat. Under the Sultan of Delhi (1325-1351) price controls for food, cloth, and other commodities were initiated to help fight inflation. A permit was required to buy silks, satins, and brocades, and only the well-to-do were allowed to have them. The sultan employed four thousand silk weavers who made robes of honor, hangings, and gifts of gold brocade for foreign dignitaries.

Even today Indian textile heritage has been preserved by the women’s sari, which often reveals fine weaving, delicate textures, beautiful colors, and rich patterns. A formal sari might be of silk or a cotton which is brocaded in floral patterns formed with many tiny bobbins, each holding a different color. Some saris are exquisitely block printed with gold or silver floral sprays or show allover spot patterns of tie-dye. Kanjivaram, Dhakai, Paithani, Sambalpuri, Pattu, Asssam Silk, Banarasi, Poachampally, Gota, Chanderi……..the list is big. Each saree is woven with the threads of tradition. They are famous more for their tradition and culture than a mere fashion.  There is a legacy behind every type of saree. The “rani” pink of mystical Rajasthan, the pastel hues of southern India, the joyous, bright hues of the northern frontier, and the balmy bright colors of the east offer a multicolored insight into an almost perfect blend of history and modernism. And perhaps a trip down its many roads will lead to an understanding of its pulse.

Colors usually symbolize anxiety, conformity, faith, joy and trust. India remains colorful and vibrant in more ways than one. It stands strong as perhaps the most enduring example of unity in a world in its diversity. The colors hold it together are the colors of faith, pride, and love – feelings that overcome all differences. Black in India has connotations with lack of desirability, evil, negativity, and inertia. It represents anger and darkness and is associated with the absence of energy, barrenness, and death. Black is used to ward off evil. This can be found in an age old custom where you see little black color kajal spot on infant’s cheek, for that matter, anyone looking really spectacular is often seen with a little black dot on the chin or under the ear to ward off the evil eye.

White is the absence of color; white, as a color, repels all light and colors and therefore, when a person wears white, he/she disconnects from the pleasures and luxuries of active and normal participation in society. We usually see the devout and pious people use the white color. It is an inherently positive color associated with purity, virginity, innocence, light, goodness, heaven, safety, brilliance, illumination, understanding, cleanliness, faith, beginnings, sterility, spirituality, possibility, humility, sincerity, protection, softness, and perfection. In short friends, colors have their effect on us to the extent that they stimulate even our highest-level thoughts and intelligence.

Since the 60s the idea of single monoculture is on a slow extinction.  It has given way to pluralistic society that continues to evolve through cultural integration and influence.  These changes are evident in fashions, dietary habit, entertainment, music, literature and sports.  Diversity adds spice to life.

Distinguished management experts have asserted that diversity in organization is a good thing because it forces teamwork, because people know that they must cooperate with each-other to get results, and for a cohesive work culture. Designing and maintaining a consistent workforce with diverse features is a tough managerial task.  Diversity in organization occurs when the organization hires people who have a broad range of background, when the demographics vary on a large scale with difference in age sex, culture and physical challenges.  Cultural ethnicity is one major issue, which needs to be handled with care.  When the pool of resource is large and diverse in nature maintaining equality is a hurricane task.  The reality of globalization is that the boundaries of nations have shrunk, communication speed has increased and the entire world has become a global village.  It is important therefore we respect, accept and celebrate diversity.

Chester Bernard, author of the management classic ‘The functions of the executive’ has described informal organization as any joint personal activity without conscious joint purpose, even though contributing to joint result.  Thus the informal relationships established in-group of people during various celebrations like a dance party, a birthday celebration or a wedding anniversary may aid in achievement of the organizational goals. Globalization, migration and communication challenge organizations to develop broad perspectives of management.  Organizations have to mix and merge people from different parts of world for various operations.  People accept change in cultural diversity if it is a non-issue.  Organizations should constantly but subtly   coach its people to accept change in and around them.

Progressive companies all over the world recognize the advantages of integrating worker from culturally diverse backgrounds. These companies view diversity as a business plan as in today’s global marketplace companies interact with different clients with cultures and different code of conduct.  In the early stages, International business was conducted with an ethnocentric outlook that means the orientation and type of operation was based on the parent company.  The modern multinational corporations have geocentric orientation. The total organization is viewed as an independent system operating in many courtiers.  The relationships between headquarters and subsidiaries are collaborative.  Communication flowing from both directions encourages viewpoints of workers at all levels.  Furthermore, managers of different nationals occupy key positions.

In short, the orientation of multi-national corporations is truly international and goes beyond a narrow nationalistic viewpoint. MNCs have recognized the business opportunities in many different countries.  It can raise money for its operations throughout the world.  Moreover, multinationals firms benefit by being able to establish production facilities in countries where their products can be manufactured more effectively and efficiently.  Companies with worldwide operations sometimes have access to natural resources and materials that may be available to domestic firms only.  Also a large MNC can recruit management and other professionals from a worldwide labor pool.   Companies have recognized the various pros of diversity.

 Increase in Creativity: When different people are put together towards a common solution there is no one best answer to any question because the organization can obtain more and more ideas.  Different cultures of the employees can offer insightful alternatives to a problem.

 Increase in Productivity: When people of variety of culture and variety of backgrounds are made to work together it increases their productivity exponentially. This happens because it kills monotony of work culture, brings freshness in work atmosphere.  Different people have different styles of performing work.  Every employee motivates the other with his difference of style.

Negotiation skills: Negotiating is a part and parcel of life.  Everyone is busy negotiating on some or the other matter.  Every culture has it own philosophy on negotiation.  Americans hate negotiating, they rarely negotiate; you will find them negotiating except for buying a car or a home.  But when Americans have to work with different cultural backgrounds of co-workers they realize the art of negotiation.  Negotiation should always be a win-win situation.  There should be a common ground for negotiation; it should not leave a feeling of hurt on any party.  Germans are called tactful negotiators.  So this can be learnt when diverse people come together to work.

New Business Processes:  Diverse people have diverse attitudes to business.  Companies need to adapt newer business skills and newer processes.  The cross-cultural workforce can bring in better and newer work processes.

New language skills: People can learn new languages while working in organization from their co-workers.  By learning each other’s language the barriers can be reduced.  The companies pay a high sum to language interpreters.  By motivating people who love to learn new languages, companies can curtail expenses.  By learning new languages people can get insight of other countries.  They can improve their communication skills.  After all multi linguistics are always preferred by an organization.

But, Prof.Stephen Bainbridge of University of Illinois Law School argues that homogeneity should be maintained at the workplace as it increases productivity and profitability.  He further states that people feel at home while working with people like them therefore they work more effectively.   He recognizes that people have problem communicating their idea and emotions to people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.   It is a waste of time and energy to work on diverse workforce he comments.

 Prof.Ron Burn a Professor of Sociology and Strategy at the Chicago Graduate School of Business has published several papers on diversity.  He is of the opinion that diverse workgroups are more innovative as they not only have more variety in experience but they are also connected to different source of information in their environment.

Kent State University located in the heartland of America allows students, faculties and staff to learn about variety of cultures from around the world.  Dr.Sheryl Smith – an Associate Dean of students and Director of Campus Life says that the university environment encourages students to explore and understand and appreciate the difference and similarities among cultures especially with diverse student organizations   through events sponsored by these groups.  Students, faculties and staff can experience food, music, dance and sports from wide variety of culture.  The philosophy is simple: students will have to work some day with people of different culture and they will encounter differences.  They should feel at ease and poise when they enter their professions.

Managing cultural diversity is simple.  We all need to address the myths, stereotypes and cultural differences that interfere with our daily chores.  The age-old gender fact that only male and females exist in organizational workforce has lost ground; today we have gay and transgender individuals making vital contributions to our economy. Nations and workforce are both becoming more diverse. The share of people of different color, cast, creed, religion, tradition, language, diction, practice, and ethnicity is part of organizational workforce.

 We are witnessing more women entering the labor force; while taking increasingly the forefront. They are occupying vital roles and are the decision makers in more organizations. It is an open fact that businesses that embrace diversity have a more solid footing in the marketplace than others. Whatever color, black or brown or white.  That is it.   The word “global village” may appropriately describe the world we live in today.  The fiber optics, aerospace and computers link all that exists is a part of our lives. The geographical boundaries are shrinking day by day.   Let’s give up obsolescence and move on to improve productivity.