American Workforce Diversity
The Impact of Diversity on Human Resources
Entering the new millennium, businesses throughout America faced a new challenge. Analysts believed that this new challenge would have a powerful impact on our future as a productive society. However, few American businesses seemed adequately prepared to deal with the new challenge-the increasing cultural diversity of the American workforce (Online.Diversity).
Today, the challenges and potential opportunities posed by employee diversity in the American workplace are a growing reality. Since 1970, the number of women in the labor force has doubled. In 1990, they constituted 46% of the workforce. In 1985, people of color made up 13% and by 1988 that percentage had risen to 18%. During the next decade, …show more content…
Our society has been changing rapidly: Since the 1990’s the demographics within the American workplace has undergone dramatic shifts away from the European-American, male majority of the past towards a more diverse and segmented populace. This new plurality includes women and men of all races, ethnic backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles. It includes people of diverse sexual orientation and religious beliefs, some with physical disabilities, other physically able-bodied, who will need to work together effectively (Johnston, Packer 45).
Managing the increased workplace diversity has posed many challenges for American businesses. Today’s employees want to maintain their unique ethnic and cultural heritages; they no longer are willing to deny their cultural identities to fit into the organization’s mainstream to receive the respect and support of their bosses and colleagues. Employees assert that being valued as diverse people that in return they can bring added value to their work (Loden, Rosner …show more content…
This attitude was the result of a lack of understanding about the meaning of affirmative action and a strong belief that they would be forced to compromise their standards (Online
Diversity).
The ability to innovate is critical to marketplace success. To prosper in today’s changing world, organizations must constantly introduce new products and services in response to changing customer needs. Companies need to view change as normal and healthy. They should see the task in society and in the economy as “doing something different rather than doing better what is already been done” (Drucker 26).
The ability to innovate is equally critical the successful management of human resources. Many companies today are still attempting to manage employee diversity through the method of assimilation. Other progressive companies are taking the effort to value diversity as a competitive resource. Instead of following the old rules, they are rewriting the rules in response to today’s workforce realities (Online.
Entering the new millennium, businesses throughout America faced a new challenge. Analysts believed that this new challenge would have a powerful impact on our future as a productive society. However, few American businesses seemed adequately prepared to deal with the new challenge-the increasing cultural diversity of the American workforce (Online.Diversity).
Today, the challenges and potential opportunities posed by employee diversity in the American workplace are a growing reality. Since 1970, the number of women in the labor force has doubled. In 1990, they constituted 46% of the workforce. In 1985, people of color made up 13% and by 1988 that percentage had risen to 18%. During the next decade, …show more content…
Our society has been changing rapidly: Since the 1990’s the demographics within the American workplace has undergone dramatic shifts away from the European-American, male majority of the past towards a more diverse and segmented populace. This new plurality includes women and men of all races, ethnic backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles. It includes people of diverse sexual orientation and religious beliefs, some with physical disabilities, other physically able-bodied, who will need to work together effectively (Johnston, Packer 45).
Managing the increased workplace diversity has posed many challenges for American businesses. Today’s employees want to maintain their unique ethnic and cultural heritages; they no longer are willing to deny their cultural identities to fit into the organization’s mainstream to receive the respect and support of their bosses and colleagues. Employees assert that being valued as diverse people that in return they can bring added value to their work (Loden, Rosner …show more content…
This attitude was the result of a lack of understanding about the meaning of affirmative action and a strong belief that they would be forced to compromise their standards (Online
Diversity).
The ability to innovate is critical to marketplace success. To prosper in today’s changing world, organizations must constantly introduce new products and services in response to changing customer needs. Companies need to view change as normal and healthy. They should see the task in society and in the economy as “doing something different rather than doing better what is already been done” (Drucker 26).
The ability to innovate is equally critical the successful management of human resources. Many companies today are still attempting to manage employee diversity through the method of assimilation. Other progressive companies are taking the effort to value diversity as a competitive resource. Instead of following the old rules, they are rewriting the rules in response to today’s workforce realities (Online.