Workforce America
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- Date Submitted: 10/21/2014 09:21 AM
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Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource
By: Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener
“During the next decade, women and people of color are expected to fill 75 percent of the 20 + million new jobs created in the United States. By the year 2010, white men will account for less than 40 percent of the American workforce.” Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource by Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener maintains that in order to stay competitive in the global marketplace, employers must learn to value the diversity of their employees.
The primary dimensions of diversity are age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race and sexual orientation. Loden and Rosener use the term “others” to describe people that are different from us or from the dominant group. Aren’t we all “others”? Diversity goes much deeper than the primary dimensions. Each person is unique because of his or her life experiences. To me, valuing diversity means respecting each individual for who they are, how they communicate, and what they can bring to the table. Valuing diversity requires maturity.
Many people think Affirmative Action and The Equal Opportunity Act and “workplace diversity” are all the same thing. Affirmative Action and The Equal Opportunity Act insure that a workplace is diverse by stating that employers cannot discriminate based on race, gender, physical ability and ethnic background. These laws insure that the numbers are there. How do we ensure that diverse resources are used to their fullest potential? Just because the workforce is diverse doesn’t mean that all employees necessarily have the same opportunities. This is the job of management.
Managers should not try to mold people into something that they aren’t. I agree with Rosener that we can no longer expect people to conform. We must allow them to “be themselves” while providing the opportunity for them to grow. It is the manager’s responsibility to develop...
By: Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener
“During the next decade, women and people of color are expected to fill 75 percent of the 20 + million new jobs created in the United States. By the year 2010, white men will account for less than 40 percent of the American workforce.” Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource by Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener maintains that in order to stay competitive in the global marketplace, employers must learn to value the diversity of their employees.
The primary dimensions of diversity are age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race and sexual orientation. Loden and Rosener use the term “others” to describe people that are different from us or from the dominant group. Aren’t we all “others”? Diversity goes much deeper than the primary dimensions. Each person is unique because of his or her life experiences. To me, valuing diversity means respecting each individual for who they are, how they communicate, and what they can bring to the table. Valuing diversity requires maturity.
Many people think Affirmative Action and The Equal Opportunity Act and “workplace diversity” are all the same thing. Affirmative Action and The Equal Opportunity Act insure that a workplace is diverse by stating that employers cannot discriminate based on race, gender, physical ability and ethnic background. These laws insure that the numbers are there. How do we ensure that diverse resources are used to their fullest potential? Just because the workforce is diverse doesn’t mean that all employees necessarily have the same opportunities. This is the job of management.
Managers should not try to mold people into something that they aren’t. I agree with Rosener that we can no longer expect people to conform. We must allow them to “be themselves” while providing the opportunity for them to grow. It is the manager’s responsibility to develop...