Document Type
Seminar Paper
Date of Original Version
2011
Abstract
Workforce diversity has become a reality in the United States as a majority of organizations now offer diversity initiatives and diversity training. Given this reality, the purpose of this research was to examine the reasons for a diverse workforce, the ways in which organizations create a diverse workforce, and how organizations manage a diverse workforce once it is in place. It was found that organizations will be motivated by one of three motives in increasing its diversity: legal compliance, branding, or value-in-diversity. Depending on their motives in increasing diversity, organizations will respond in different ways to diversity by ignoring, assimilating, accommodating, or integrating the differences. Most important to this research is the instance in which organizations want to benefit from the value of diversity by integrating diverse perspectives. This study used a literature review to examine the effects of diversity on group effectiveness. From the review of literature, this research proposes a number of strategies for development in team composition, processes, and communications that will allow organizations to create inclusionary environments in which diverse perspectives are considered in decision making.