Managing Work Force Diversity

Work force diversity means that organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity. But the term encompasses anyone who varies from the so-called norm (Robbins: 1996).

The challenge for organizations, therefore, is to make themselves more accommodating to diverse groups of people by addressing their different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles. The melting pot assumption is being replaced by one that recognizes and values differences.

Managers will need to shift their philosophy from treating everyone alike recognizing differences and responding to those differences in ways that will ensure employee retention and greater productivity—while, at the same time, not discriminating (Robbins: 1996).