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CHAPTER 6 Human Resources Management 219

Case in Point

Workforce Diversity at McDonald’s

The McDonald’s Corporation is strongly Council of La Raza, the NAACP, and the
committed to workforce diversity, and Rainbow/Push Coalition. McDonald’s has won
indeed to diversity with respect to all numerous awards for its workforce diversity efforts,
its various stakeholder groups, franchisees, suppliers, including being named the Best Employer for Asians
and so on. Its mission with respect to corporate and as one of the Top 25 Companies for People with
diversity is to “leverage the unique talents, strengths Disabilities.
and assets of our diversity in order to be the world’s
Source: http://www.McDonalds.com/corporatediversity.
best quick service restaurant experience.” To achieve
this mission, the company has a clear vision of
Questions
ensuring that its employees “reflect and represent
the diverse populations McDonald’s serves around 1. Why is workforce diversity so important to a com-
the world.” The company has a wide-ranging pany like McDonald’s?
diversity education program including special 2. What are some financial mechanisms McDonald’s
seminars on topics such as female, Hispanic, African might use to achieve better franchise diversity?
American, and Asian career development. In fostering 3. What are some specific approaches McDonald’s
its workplace diversity, McDonald’s has established might take to develop even closer relationships
close relationships with a wide range of groups with groups like the NAACP and the National
including the National Urban League, the National Council of La Raza?

Having a highly diverse workforce, though, arguably has both pros and cons and
raises a number of important issues.

Advantages and Challenges of a Diverse Workforce

There are numerous obvious advantages to having a diverse workforce. Clearly a
highly diverse workforce can bring very helpful insights into marketing goods to a
highly diverse customer base. A diverse workforce may also be more creative and
innovative than a more homogeneous one. On the negative side of things, however,
a diverse workforce may be less cohesive and have more communication problems
than a homogenous work group. In addition, there may be some mistrust and ten-
sion in a diverse workforce, especially if some colleagues are seen as having gotten
their jobs through preferential treatment.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 8
Analyze the difference between equal employment opportunity and affirmative
action, the impact of this difference on workplace diversity, and recent
developments in affirmative action and workplace diversity.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Versus Affirmative Action equal employment opportunity The
principle that all groups of employees
Laws such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are equal employment oppor- should be treated equally in the
tunity laws; they are laws that mandate that employees of all kinds of backgrounds employment relationship
be treated equally in the workplace. The concept of equal employment opportu- affirmative action The principle that
some groups of employees should
nity is considerably different, though, from the concept of affirmative action.
receive a degree of preference in the
Affirmative action involves an organization taking special steps to recruit, hire, and employment relationship

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