DOING DIVERSITY RIGHT: AN EMPIRICALLY BASED APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

摘要

Three recent workplace trends combine to illustrate the existence of a signifi-cant organizational problem: managing diversity. First, demographic diversityin the workplace is increasing. For instance, the proportions of (a) older work-ers, (b) women, and (c) those belonging to traditionally underrepresentedracial and ethnic minority groups in the labor market are rising around theglobe (Toossi, 2007; Wrench, 2007). Second, many forms of employment dis-crimination remain prevalent (e.g., Avery, McKay, and Wilson, 2008; Deitchet al., 2003; Murray and Syed, 2005; Ozgener, 2008; Tung, 2008; Wrench,2007) and claims seem to be rising as well (McDonald and Dear, 2008). Infact, the financial settlements associated with claims in the United States aloneclimbed nearly 600% between 1992 and 2005 (cf. Goldman, Gutek, Stein, andLewis, 2006). Third, companies appear more proficient at retaining employeesbelonging to dominant groups than those who do not (Hom, Roberson, andEllis, 2008; Windzio, 2008; Zatzick, Elvira, and Cohen, 2003). Collectively,these occurrences suggest that as demographic diversity grows, many organiza-tions are experiencing, and may continue to experience, considerable difficultymanaging it and capitalizing on its highly touted prospective benefits.