The effect of ethnic minority employees’ culture and identity in the workplace in the western province

Abstract

Sri Lanka has a multicultural society. Majorities, Minorities and Indigenous people are living in this country. Employees of ethnic minority groups experience great difficulties in the workplaces. The study explores how minority employees face cultural effects in the workplaces and how majority employees react on minority culture and majority employees’ perception about the minority employees. The main objective of the study is to identify the cultural effects of the minority employees and majority employees’ perception about minority culture. And also to analyze the discriminatory practices in culture and identity faced by minority employees in the workplace. Primary and secondary data were used for this study. 100 minority employees’ interviewed for this study. Questionnaires also used for the data collection. Qualitative Methodology used for this study. This study concludes that, Ethnic differences should be acknowledged and appreciated. Unfortunately some minorities may not outwardly manifest their ethnicity and religion. They leave their identity in the doorstep of the workplaces. Ethnic minority workers afraid of losing their job. Minority staffs face discrimination, stereotyping, and aggressive behavior, barriers in the carrier advancement, misunderstanding and conflict within the staffs.