Diversity And Diversity Of Diversity

     Diversity can be defined as a situation that includes representation of multiple and ideally all groups within a prescribed environment, such as a workplace (University of Maryland, 2000). The success of an organization depends on the workforce of the organization. A workforce made up of diverse individuals from different backgrounds can bring the best talent to an organization. There are many types of diversity and demographic characteristics and each one has an impact on individual behavior. Ethnicity, gender, age and personality traits diversity will be discussed along with an examination of the impact each of these have on individual behavior.

Diversity is what makes people different, not just culturally but in human differences. Having a multitude of differences in the workforce gives an organization the ability to use many ideas to reach a common goal. A person could say that a diverse group of people together in one room can accomplish greater achievements than a room filled with the same types of individuals. Managers understand the concept of diversity, and how important diversity is to the success of a company’s ability to implement programs that continue to develop a harmonious and diverse workplace. The recognition that diversity is a reality in the workforce has generated an enormous amount of activity over the years among leaders in business, government, and civil

? The benefits to the workplace, according to the journal, Industrial Relations, include: increase productivity, and rise in profit

Diversity is engagement across racial and ethnic lines consist of a broad and varied set of activities and initiative (Milem, Chang, and Antonio 2005). Diversity is about recognizing that each individual is unique and have differences. These differences include the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs or other ideologies. Diversity is meant to bring respect, understanding, and tolerance, accepting, embracing the different dimension of diversity. Student’s that report frequently hanging out with persons of a different racial/ethnic background are more likely to report that their understanding of people different from them has increased.

What diversity are we talking about? We have ethnic mixes, cultural differences, racial diversity, and religions across the spectrum, wide age ranges, class mixes, and sexual orientation options. The world is so connected that we are doing business by e-mail and computer transmission all over the globe at all hours of the day and week. We encounter a staggering variety of people every day. We have so many types of people in the workforce today that we must define what we mean by diversity.

Next, as organizations promote diversity, employees and workers need to as well. It is important to note that the word diversity does not mean varied morals and values, rather, varied backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. “One surprising finding from research is that appreciating diversity encourages both open discussion and productive conflict management, “(Kouzes & Posner, 1995). Employees of different generations need to stop neglecting one another’s differences, in terms of experience, and communicate to promote these

In this assignment, I will deliberate the theoretical framework of two authors, Vidu Soni and David Pitts on the topics of diversity and work performance. I will discuss a brief review of Soni’s theoretical model of receptivity to diversity and summarize her findings. Secondly, I will examine the relationship between diversity and work related outcomes presented by David Pitts. Thirdly, I will consider the assumptions of diversity and work performance and lastly, address the theories and recap the conclusions.

This paper is aimed at providing a framework for discussion of diversity and how it pairs with demographic characteristics. It is divided into four parts. Part I represents diversity in the workforce, which reflects the rational of organizations and how they handle diversity in the occupations of their workers. Parts II characterize diversity and age, as it responds to the fact that older people have the skill set to keep them working well past retirement age. Part III denotes religion, where as more employers are beginning to recognize the need to allow employees to take time to pray. Part IV symbolizes the personality traits in diversity and how “different” is not always viewed as wrong but can be an incentive to other

Diversity is a term that we can all relate to in some way or another. The term diversity represents the multitude of individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other, (Kinicki&Kreitner, 2009). Although some people view diversity as an issue of age, race, gender, religion, or sexual preference, it is actually much more than that. It actually pertains to the differences that make each individual special or unique and this is why it becomes important to learn how to interact and grow with one another. In order for this to take place in the workplace, establishing a strong diversity management program is essential to the success of any organization.

Workforce diversity includes the obvious differences we see when we look around: race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion and ethnicity. But it’s also the less obvious traits, the subtle differences that often register with us unconsciously, such as socioeconomic status, marital status, educational background, language, accent and appearance. We all have something that makes us unique, some special talent or ability that we bring to the table that differentiates us from our colleagues. That’s diversity at its best.

Managing diversity and demographical changes in the workplace presents many dilemmas. Confronted with constant change, management, business educators, and organizational consultants continue to meet the challenges of a new and diverse workforce in a number of ways. Diversity can be defined in numerous ways. Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. It is all inclusive and recognizes every individual and every group as part of the diversity that should be valued. A broad definition includes not only race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion and disability, but may include sexual orientation, values,

Diversity in an important aspect in the work place since the world is changing and organizations are forced to evolve with changing times. Diversity in the workplace entails bringing together different people from various backgrounds, education levels, point of views, and ways of thinking. This kind of diversity promotes innovation and is a major contributor to the cultural identity of successful organizations. Global demographic trends coupled with social cultural shifts have brought about increased pressure on organizations to embrace diversity, especially in U.S. As stated by McInnes (1999), “more and more organizations are embracing policies and practices to value diversity in their work forces as a way to increase competitiveness, build talent, expand organizational capabilities, and enhance access to diverse customers.” Diversity becomes an important strategy in an organization only when it is intentionally promoted and encouraged. When we allow diversity to become a vital factor in decision-making and planning, it becomes a powerful business strategy because it allows room for discussion and expression of ideas from various demographics and backgrounds. If truly embraced and cultivated, diversity can be a strategic advantage that moves an organization to higher levels.

When most people envision diversity, the first things which come to mind are age, sexual orientation, race and gender. In Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource, diversity is defined as: “otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet present in other individuals and groups.”

The need for one organization to outperform the others has given rise to a diverse workforce comprising of different individuals who significantly differ from one another. Diversity in the workplace has been defined as the differences and similarities among the employees that make up an organization in terms of age, cultural background, sex, religion (Anon., n.d.). The diversity in the workplace in terms of age is more often referred to as generational diversity.

There are numerous ways in which various individuals have defined diversity. Definitions of the term range from narrow to very broad. Narrow definitions tend to reflect Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law and define diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion and disability (Wheeler, 1994). Broader and more inclusive definitions may also include sexual/affectional orientation; values; personality characteristics; education; language; physical appearance; marital status; lifestyle; beliefs; and background characteristics such as geographic origin, tenure with the organization, economic status, and other ways in which we differ (Carr, 1993; Hayles & Russell, 1997; Triandis, 1994). More precisely, diversity refers to the presence of differing cultures; languages; ethnicity; races; sexual orientations; religious sects; abilities;