1. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Diversity
– In the
workplace, this
refers to ethnic,
racial, gender,
age, and other
differences
among workers.

2. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Diversity defined
– Culturally Diverse Organization - An
organization that has a workforce
representative of many different cultural
groups.
– Multicultural Organization - An
organization that values, encourages, and
affirms diverse cultural modes, in which
each point of view is valid and different
cultures contribute to decision making.

3. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Changing demographics and
legislative initiatives
– Gender
– Age
• Workforce data is available through: U.S.
Department of Labor at www.dol.gov and
Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov
– Culture

4. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace –
Changing Demographics
• Differences in physical ability
– Americans with Disabilities Act - A
federal law that enables people with
different physical abilities to enter the
mainstream with greater ease by mandating
that organizations and businesses provide
the appropriate accommodation (for
example, accessible lavatories, parking, and
so on) for all.
– www.ada.gov

5. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace –
Changing Demographics
• Equal opportunity/affirmative action
– Equal Opportunity - A federal law that
prohibits discrimination against certain
groups, such as women or minorities, in the
workforce.
– U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission at www.eeoc.gov
– Affirmative Action - A federal law that
requires giving hiring preference to
previously disenfranchised workers.

6. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Benefits of diversity
– Larger worker pool with diverse
experiences
– Increases diversity of customers
– Creates beneficial environment for
workers
– Increased ability to satisfy diverse
customers

7. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Drawbacks of diversity
– Xenophobia
– Sabotage by employees
– Loss of employees
• Goals of diversity in the workplace
– The goal of diversity in the workplace
is to provide a work environment in
which everyone is a contributing
member of the organization.

8. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Diversity in the Workplace
• Compliance
versus
commitment
• Diversity training

9. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Conclusions
• Diversity in the workplace includes
embracing differences among workers,
which include, but are not limited to,
race, culture, gender, age, and
differences in physical abilities.
• As society moves toward achieving the
goal of a truly diverse workforce, the
problems encountered will be
overshadowed by the enrichment of the
workplace that diversity brings.

10. © 2006 Thomson-Wadsworth
Conclusions
• Diversity in the workplace includes
embracing differences among workers,
which include, but are not limited to,
race, culture, gender, age, and
differences in physical abilities.
• As society moves toward achieving the
goal of a truly diverse workforce, the
problems encountered will be
overshadowed by the enrichment of the
workplace that diversity brings.