Page 98 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

CHAPTER 3 • Integrative Managerial Issues 97
Diversity has been “one of the most popular business topics over the last two decades.
It ranks with modern business disciplines such as quality, leadership, and ethics. Despite this workforce diversity
Ways in which people in a workforce are similar
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popularity, it’s also one of the most controversial and least understood topics.” With its and different from one another in terms of gender,
basis in civil rights legislation and social justice, the word “diversity” often invokes a variety age, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural
of attitudes and emotional responses in people. Diversity has traditionally been considered a background, and physical abilities and disabilities
term used by human resources departments, associated with fair hiring practices, discrimina-
tion, and inequality. But diversity today is considered to be so much more.
We’re defining workforce diversity as the ways in which people in an organization are
different from and similar to one another. Notice that our definition not only focuses on the
differences but also the similarities of employees, reinforcing our belief that managers and
organizations should view employees as having qualities in common as well as differences
that separate them. It doesn’t mean that those differences are any less important, but rather
that our focus as managers is in finding ways to develop strong relationships with and engage
our entire workforce.

Watch It 2!
If your professor has assigned this, go to the Assignments section of mymanagementlab.com to
complete the video exercise titled CH2MHill: Diversity.

What Types of Diversity Are Found in Workplaces?

Diversity is a big issue, and an important issue, in today’s workplaces. What types of diver-
sity do we find in those workplaces? Exhibit 3–4 lists several types of workplace diversity.

AGe. The aging of the population is a major critical shift taking place in the workforce.
With many of the nearly 85 million baby boomers still employed and active in the work-
force, managers must ensure that those employees are not discriminated against because
of age. Both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act of 1967 prohibit age discrimination. The Age Discrimination Act also
restricts mandatory retirement at specific ages. In addition to complying with these laws,
organizations need programs and policies in place that provide for fair and equal treatment
of their older employees.

Exhibit 3–4 Types of Diversity Found in Workplaces

Age

Other Gender

Race and
GLBT
Ethnicity

Disability/
Religion
Abilities