IMPERATIVE OF AGE DIVERSITY AND CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Corporate sustainability in Nigeria is culture specific and for this reason, it has been affected substantially by the local context. Consequently, the abundance of age, gender and ethnic diversity in Nigeria has provided a paradigm shift in the approach to sustainability concept as the MNCs have the opportunity to draw extensively from the highly diversified Nigerian labour market to effectively engage their regions based on the perspectives offered by most indigenous workers or staff. From this point, it can be argued that such diversity within the workplace offers MNCs a variety of options and views that suggest adequate or effective ways of tackling their sustainability
problems and the modes most suited to the people of the region. It also facilitates the effective embeddedness of MNCs within the institutional framework of their context. Frynas (2009) noted that a key feature and premise of corporate sustainability development is the process and modes of managing the human activities of the organization in such a way that they meet physical and psychological future needs of the individual, without compromising the ecological, social or economic base, which enable these needs to be met. Consequently, Hart (2007) noted that the alignment of values and orientations within the organization is key to its functionality and overall consistency in the pursuit of its goals and objectives. In his view, multinational corporations are the only organisations with resources, technology, the global reach, and, ultimately the capacity to achieve sustainability. To him, this depends on the level of harmony and collaboration within the organization.