WORK PLACE DIVERSITY

A.  Work Force Diversity 
B.  Sources of work force diversity
C.  Managing the diversified work force


OVERVIEW
One of the greatest challenges facing organizations today is managing workforce diversity in a way that both
respects the employees' unique attitudes and promotes  a shared sense of corporate identity. This chapter
explores the issues that are intrinsic to diversity management. In the United States, as abroad, the design and
implementation of HR programs cannot ignore the diverse nature of the work force. Thus, by the end of this
chapter the reader should have a better grasp of diversity issues and how to handle them successfully

  A. Work Force Diversity Any perceived difference among people: age, functional specialty, profession, sexual orientation, geographic origin, life style, tenure with the organization, or position. Diversity simply refers to human characteristics that make people different. The sources of individual variations are complex, but they can generally be grouped into two categories: those over which individuals have
little or no control and those over which individuals have more control. Unless effectively managed, diversity among employees may have a negative impact on productive teamwork. Affirmative action is not diversity management. Affirmative action emerged from government pressure on business to provide greater opportunities for women and minorities. Managing diversity is an outgrowth of natural or environmental trends such as demographic.

B. Sources of work force Diversity
Today diversity refers to far more than skin color and gender. It is a broad term used to refer to all kinds of
differences. These differences include women in business, dual-career families, workers of color, older workers persons with disabilities, immigrants, young persons with limited education or skills, educational level of employees. 
i.  Racial & Ethnical Groups
ii.  Older Workers
iii.  Gender
iv.  Education
v.  Dual-career Families
vi.  Religions & Culture
vii.  Persons with Disabilities
viii. Immigrants
ix.  Young persons with limited education or skills
x.  Competitive advantage though work force diversity
xi.  Marketing
xii.  Creativity, innovation, and problem solving
xiii. Flexibility
 
changes and international competition. Moreover, diversity is
considered an asset in terms of improving organizational
functioning and reflecting the customer market.