The Benefits of Diversity
Organization Behavior
The Benefits of Diversity
Affirmative action has been the center of many heated debates for decades now. Affirmative action policies are used in the United States to give advantages to racial minorities in areas of education, employment, health care, or government funding. These "minorities" are underrepresented groups in society, especially when defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Until the mid-1960's, legal barriers prevented blacks and other racial minorities in the United States from entering many jobs and educational institutions. Although women were rarely legally barred from jobs or education, many universities would not admit them and many employers would not hire them. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and employment, was the first modern legislation to address these barriers. A section of the act known as Title VII, which specifically banned discrimination in employment, laid the groundwork for the following development of affirmative action (Diversity Guidlines). As the view of management, I am in favor of affirmative action because I believe diversity comes with many benefits in the workplace. Diversity in the workplace can reduce lawsuits, increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image (Esty). In an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness, diversity is critical for an organization's success.
The business benefits of a diverse workforce are well known. Organizations that employ people from a wide variety of backgrounds are known to be productive and happier (Kiely). Quantitative measures of productivity include output quality, output quantity, and the time needed to complete a task. Greater output increases cost per unit, which in turn increases profits. Happier workers will raise the companies overall moral. Happy workers will drive down the turnover rate, and cost can be cut on training and development
The Benefits of Diversity
Affirmative action has been the center of many heated debates for decades now. Affirmative action policies are used in the United States to give advantages to racial minorities in areas of education, employment, health care, or government funding. These "minorities" are underrepresented groups in society, especially when defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Until the mid-1960's, legal barriers prevented blacks and other racial minorities in the United States from entering many jobs and educational institutions. Although women were rarely legally barred from jobs or education, many universities would not admit them and many employers would not hire them. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and employment, was the first modern legislation to address these barriers. A section of the act known as Title VII, which specifically banned discrimination in employment, laid the groundwork for the following development of affirmative action (Diversity Guidlines). As the view of management, I am in favor of affirmative action because I believe diversity comes with many benefits in the workplace. Diversity in the workplace can reduce lawsuits, increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image (Esty). In an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness, diversity is critical for an organization's success.
The business benefits of a diverse workforce are well known. Organizations that employ people from a wide variety of backgrounds are known to be productive and happier (Kiely). Quantitative measures of productivity include output quality, output quantity, and the time needed to complete a task. Greater output increases cost per unit, which in turn increases profits. Happier workers will raise the companies overall moral. Happy workers will drive down the turnover rate, and cost can be cut on training and development