In “Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations,” Podsiadlowski, Groschke, Springer, et al (2013) present two different but related studies on how Austrian workplaces manage diversity. Both studies address ways organizations conceptualize diversity and leverage diversity. The first study uses interview data to gain insight into how organizational cultures reflect either a diversity approach or resist diversity. The second study involves the development of what could become a standardized test for diversity perspectives. Goals of the questionnaire include measuring perceived threats and benefits of diversity in the workplace. The authors acknowledge the importance of diversity management, and increasing understandings of how to develop a diversity framework that reflects the organization’s mission and values. Similarly, the authors emphasize the significance of developing a framework for diversity as globalization leads to more diverse workforces. To operationalize the definition of diversity, the authors suggest that all aspects of diversity including gender, age, and educational status—and not merely ethnic or national diversity—be included in the conversation. Defining diversity broadly has its drawbacks, but the authors show how a broad definition of diversity is critical for understanding the implications of diversity for human resources development, managerial styles, and organizational culture. Prior research has revealed that more...

Moreover, the literature suggests that diversity improves an organization’s ability to respond to change, and enter new marketplaces. The crux of diversity management is leveraging the different approaches to problem solving, diverse worldviews, communication styles, and ways of thinking. Essentially, a diversity strategy can become an important competitive advantage.
Apparently the terms diversity strategy, diversity orientation, and diversity perspective can be used interchangeably. This study also addresses the five diversity perspectives: Reinforcing Homogeneity, Color-Blind, Fairness, Access, and Integration and Learning (Podsiadlowski, Groschkw, Springer, et al, 2013, p. 160). Reinforcing homogeneity is essentially the same as resistance to change, or resistance to diversity, entrenched in company policy and organizational culture. In fact, reinforcing homogeneity is more than just denying diversity or denying the need to respond to it intelligently; reinforcing homogeneity is actively disparaging the principles of diversity and can be considered an overt or covert embrace of discrimination.

Color-blindness and fairness are two diversity perspectives that fall under the general rubric of discrimination-and-fairness models. These perspectives stress the importance of equality and fairness, but may overlook the importance of interpersonal differences and how…