1. Cultural Diversity in the Workplace MGT450 M2-2 Laura OBrien Argosy University

2. The Global Demographic Trends Impacting Diversity

• • Population trends

• • Working-age population movements

• • Racial and ethnic trends

• • Sexual-orientation trends

• • Gender trends

• • What the potential impact of the changes are on the firm

• • What measures the firm should implement to sustain a diverse workforce.

3. Role of Diversity

From Argosy University (2011):

4. Population Trends

From 1990 to 2013, Latino purchasing power is projected to grow by 560 percent, while white purchasing power during the same period is only projected to grow by 211 percent (Selig Center for Economic Growth).

From 1990 to 2007, the nation's Black population increased by 27 percent, compared with 15 percent for the white population and 21 percent for the total population (American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau)

In 2007, the Black share of total buying power was 8.4 percent, up from 7.4 percent in 1990. This was expected to rise to 8.7 percent by 2012, which accounts for nine cents out of every dollar spent nationwide (Selig Center for Economic Growth).

About 78 percent of LGBT people and their friends and relatives would switch brands to companies that are known as being LGBT-friendly(Witeck-Combs/Harris Interactive).

All of The Diversity Inc Top 50 Companies for Diversity have LGBT employee-resource groups versus 30 percent five years ago (DiversityIncBestPractices.com).

Over a 12-year period , f rom 1995 to 2007 , t he purchasing power of people with disabilities increased by 26 percent, the equivalent of $45 billion (U.S. Census Bureau) .

In August 2009, the unemployment rate of people with a disability was 16.9 percent, compared with 9.3 percent for people with no ADA-defined disability (Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Six million veterans have disabilities, including loss of hearing and hypertension

(U.S. Census Bureau).

Since the Iraq/Afghanistan wars, 9,100 veterans have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (U.S. Pentagon)

Between 2005 and 2016, college enrollment for U.S. Latinos is expected to increase by 45 percent, compared with 17 percent for the general population(U.S. Census Bureau).

Approximately 2.4 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, up from 0.6 percent in 2000 (Fortune).

Twenty percent of the highest-paid employees at Fortune 500 companies are women (Catalyst) (Diversity Inc. (2010).

5. Population trends continued

According to Workforce 2020, Hudson Institute (GilDean Group, 2006)

6. Working age population movement

Technology has increased healthy human longevity

The older generations bring experience and wisdom along with years of talent

The younger generation infuses new thoughts and fresh, innovative ideas (Argosy, 2011)

7. Racial and ethnic trends

Scientists are beginning to dismiss the concept of race as it has no scientific basis. It is believed that people are mixed with a least 2 or more races (Argosy, 2011)

Racial discrimination is not only illegal, but creates negative energy rather than celebrating differences.

Ethnicity refers to groups within a larger society that are distinguishable such as religion, language, cultural values and activities.

Ethnic differences are not racial differences, but focuses on how a race may offer different cultural values.

8. Sexual orientation trends

Sexual orientation describesa persons sexual preference regardless of their gender, or their sexual behavior

It needs to be recognized that both genders have both masculine and feminine traits

Those that are of a different sexual orientation need to be tolerant of such differences, and not make assumptions.

Discrimination is illegal.

9. Potential impact of changes

Understanding & accepting diversity in the workplace:

• • Developing awareness of ones own cultural assumptions, values, and biases.

• • Understanding, both cognitively and emotionally, the worldview of culturally different people.

• • Acquiring appropriate skills, intervention strategies, and techniques for working with culturally different clients.

• • Acquiring the ability to develop treatment plans based on cultural understanding (ACA, 2005).

Such training will help formulate cohesive and enriching experiences for all employees on a personal and work environment level

Happy employees are productive employees!

10. Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism

Cultural diversity refers to the dynamics resulting from culturally different people coexisting. In other words, multiculturalism describes the landscape multiple cultures within society, and cultural diversity is what we strive to do within that landscape, namely, coexist respectfully. Further, the overall goal of cultural diversity is not only to tolerate those who are different from us, but also to allow the differences of others to enrich our view of the world and to learn to work cooperatively with them.

What this means is that all people should strive to understand and accept one another for their sameness, and their differences.With such awareness, acceptance, and tolerance, we should be able to peaceably co-exist in harmony and that is multiculturalism at its best (Robinson-Wood, 2009)!

11. Measures to ensure diversity

Define diversity in broad terms including all dimensions of diversity instead of in more narrow, rigid terms

Integrate diversity management principles throughout the organization into all aspects of the business, including organizational structures and organizational systems

Focus on establishing and serving diverse market segments and a diverse customer base

Manage the global aspects of the business, including strategizing global positioning and geocentric attributes of operation (Argosy, 2011).

Offer constant and consistent diversity training within the workplace.

12. References:

ACA, American Counseling Association, (2010). Ethics.2005 ACA Code o

Ethics . Article retrieved March 16, 2011 from:http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CodeOfEthics/TP/Home/CT2.aspx

Argosy University (2011).Cultural Diversity in the Workplace, Module 2 . Retrieved March 14, 2011 from:http://myeclassonline.com/re/DotNextLaunch.asp?courseid=4891007

Diversity Inc. (2010).Diversity Management.Retrieved March 15, 2011 from:http://www.diversityinc.com/department/168/Diversity-Facts/

GilDean Group (2006).Diversity Statistics . Retrieved March 15, 2011 from:http://www.diversityhotwire.com/business/diversity_statistics.html#gl

Lieberman, S., Simons, G., and Berardo K. (2004).Putting Diversity to Work: How to Successfully Lead a Diverse Workforce . Retrieved March 14, 2011 from:http://www.axzopress.com/downloads/pdf/1560526955pv.pdf

Robinson-Wood, T. (2009);The Convergence of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender3 rdEd., Pearson Education Inc.; Upper Saddle River, NJ