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This article reports the results of a study on the current status and future trends in diversity initiatives in the workplace as perceived by a group of twelve experts. The experts were surveyed through in-depth, open-ended telephone interviews. The study identified barriers that have inhibited the employment, development, retention, and promotion of diverse groups in the workplace and the significant factors that are influencing diversity initiatives. It revealed that the primary reasons for managing diversity are to improve productivity and remain competitive, to form better work relationships among employees, to enhance social responsibility, and to address legal concerns. This article presents these findings as well as the best strategies for managing diversity. It also discusses components of an effective diversity training program and future trends related to diversity.
The American workforce is changing and is expected to change even more in the near future. This change represents a move away from dominance by the European-American male toward an increasingly diverse and segmented population (Bolick and Nestleroth, 1988; Johnston and Packer, 1987). Demographers have reported that the workforce population will include growing numbers of women, minorities (the words minorities and people of color will be used interchangeably in this article), people of different ethnic backgrounds, aging workers, and people with alternative lifestyles. Increasingly, the workplace will face the same issues and problems that public schools have faced as they have tried to understand and use the full range of human potential within a very diverse population. People from diverse backgrounds will be working together to keep businesses running competitively (Burack and Mathys, 1987; Goldstein, 1991; Griggs, 1995; Jamieson and O'Mara, 1991; Loden and Rosener, 1991; Thomas, 1991).
It is expected that the extent to which these demographic workforce shifts are effectively and efficiently managed will have an important impact on the competitive and economic outcome of organizations (Caudron, 1990; Johnston and Packer, 1987; Nelton, 1988; Thomas, 1992; O'Hare, 1993; Schmidt, 1988). Loden and Rosener (1991) stated that managers will increasingly face the challenge of dealing with large numbers of diverse groups in the workplace. Therefore, how well organizations deal with this demographic shift -- from a workforce made up primarily of European-American males to one including more nontraditional and diverse workers-will directly affect their...