sensitize the workplace

[unpakwon]

Please explain the following in bold in easy English.

In an increasingly cross-cultural world, there are many societal assumptions that hinder progress within an organization. A focus of the '80s and '90s was to sensitize the workplace and make it increasingly more tolerant to the changing demographics of our times. While politically correct termonology creates a platform of sensitivity in addressing people with differences, the more important need is to address the foundation of societal assumptions within work boundaries.

Thank you.

[jlinger]

To sensitize a workplace means to teach the workers to be tollerant of others' differences, culturally, racially, etc. It means that now, in what are called "politically correct" times, it is not acceptable to tell jokes that belittle another's nationality or race, or to stereotype (which means, to assume that all of one group are the same). Sensitizing reminds people that even well-intended gestures or words may be interpretted by your workmates as offensive, or "insensitive."

[Raymott]

Please explain the following in bold in easy English.

In an increasingly cross-cultural world, there are many societal assumptions that hinder progress within an organization. A focus of the '80s and '90s was to sensitize the workplace and make it increasingly more tolerant to the changing demographics of our times. While politically correct termonology creates a platform of sensitivity in addressing people with differences, the more important need is to address the foundation of societal assumptions within work boundaries.

Thank you.

sensitize the workplace. "make the people in the workplace more sensitive/aware to cultural differences".
a platform of sensitivity in addressing people with differences
a policy basis for personal awareness of people who are different (eg. racially, sex, religion, disabilities).