Turning Diversity into Competitive Advantage: A Case Study of Managing Diversity in the United States of America
ABSTRACT: Esty, Griffin, and
Hirsch (1995) state that today’s workforce is truly a mosaic of different
races, ages, genders, ethnic groups, religions, and lifestyles. As a manager or
a supervisor, it is your job to make sure that the desperate pieces of a mosaic
fit together in a harmonious,
coordinated way, maximally utilizing the talents and abilities of each
employee. If skillfully managed, this diversity can bring a competitive
advantage to an organization. If not, however, the bottom line can be
negatively affected, and the work environment can become unwelcoming. Dealing
with a diverse work group is new terrain for most managers and supervisors. The
United States rose to the top using a-one-size-fits-all approach to managing
employees. This work in past because, historically, most of the work force was
white, and male. This has all changed. The following parts will clearly provide
a description about diversity, changes in the United States work force,
challenges and opportunities of the changes for organizations, and how managers
and supervisors as front liners deal with diversity and to turn diversity into
a competitive advantage.
Author: Eddy M. Sutanto
Journal Code: jpmanajemengg090012
