This paper provides a comprehensive overview of workplace diversity in American and international business contexts. It examines the nature of diversity, including legally protected classes under U.S. law such as race, gender, age, and disability, as well as broader diversity dimensions not fully covered by legislation, including generational differences and global cultural variation. The paper surveys scholarly perspectives on the business benefits of embracing diversity, such as improved profitability and a wider customer base, while also acknowledging the challenges, including societal prejudice, cultural differences, the glass ceiling, and post-9/11 discrimination against Muslim employees. Finally, it outlines both general and specific organizational strategies for implementing effective diversity programs, emphasizing top-down leadership, inclusive corporate culture, communication, and structured training initiatives.
The paper demonstrates effective synthesis of multiple sources around a single theme. Rather than summarizing each source in isolation, it groups scholars by the position they support (e.g., diversity improves profitability; diversity presents cultural challenges) and uses direct quotation strategically to anchor generalizations in specific evidence. This technique is especially useful for literature-survey-style essays covering a topic with many contributing voices.
The essay opens with a scoped introduction that previews all major sections. It then moves sequentially through: legal context (Title VII, ADA, ADEA); broader diversity factors (globalization, four generational cohorts); employer benefits and scholarly disagreement; group-specific and general challenges; general organizational responses; and specific program frameworks, including two referenced diagrams. A summary conclusion recaps all threads. This transparent, enumerated structure is well suited to broad survey-style business essays.
Diversity is a fact of American and international business and is a broader, more complex issue than one might initially believe. A universally vital element of global commerce, diversity has spawned an abundance of theorists, journals, and specialists. Addressing its remarkable breadth and complexity, this essay reviews: the nature of diversity; legally protected classes within the United States; aspects of diversity that fall outside the scope of U.S. legal protections; the benefits of diversity for employers; the differences and challenges presented by diversity for employers; general business adjustments and accommodations for diversity; and suggested specific business adjustments and accommodations for diversity. Though this work cannot exhaustively address all aspects of diversity, it is meant to give a solid overview of modern businesses' diversity issues and possible solutions.
As Tillery and Rutledge state, "Diversity is also a broadly conceptualized term, used in multiple ways. It can be used to categorize differences in thought, actions, beliefs, value sets, needs as well as groupings codified by race, gender, age, skin-color, educational levels or other attributes" (Tillery & Rutledge, 2009, p. 36). Consequently, in order to discuss diversity fully, this paper will address both the legally protected classes and the other assorted groups that a company must consider.
When we think of diversity, we typically think of classes protected by federal and state laws. Edward Powers sets them out clearly: "The purpose of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA) was to eliminate all of the workplace barriers that result in discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and national origin. Age was added as a 'protected class' in 1967 by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and in 1990, disability was included by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)" (Powers, 2009, p. 49). These legally protected classes pose both challenges and opportunities for American business, as they become increasingly important in the business community.
The aging workforce, for example, is becoming a reality that all businesses must face and accommodate. As Howard and Ulferts state, "The number of young people entering the workforce over the next few decades will be considerably fewer than the number of people retiring. The result will be a decline in the workforce in many countries, which will probably start happening around 2014. As fewer young people join the workforce, recruiting will become more difficult. Employers will have to create more flexible working arrangements to retain older employees. Americans over 50 make up 35% of the nation's population, and have 77% of the financial assets and 57% of the discretionary income. This, coupled with the proportion of the workforce over 45 in the next decade, will force employers to reexamine how they are going to retain and accommodate the aging population so as not to lose that level of experience in the workforce" (Howard & Ulferts, 2007, p. 7).
Another rising protected class in the workforce is employees with disabilities, not only in the classic sense but also due to aging. According to Howard and Ulferts, "One in five people are living with a long-term impairment and/or disability. An individual with a disability is a person that has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities/functions. As people age, they are likely to experience changes that may affect hearing, vision, cognition and mobility. While older adults may not think of themselves as having disabilities, they often seek out businesses that accommodate the changes they have experienced" (Howard & Ulferts, 2007, p. 8). Though only aging and disability have been highlighted here, the classes of race, color, sex, religion, and national origin also pose new opportunities and challenges for business.
In addition to legally protected classes, U.S. businesses operate in a shrinking globe in which worldwide commerce is a constant reality. As Akbari stated, there are three factors involved in successful global business: "the exponential rate of increase in the presence, use and impact of globalization, Internet and communication technologies on our everyday lives and experiences. These three, combined with the increasing pace and diversity of the populations immigrating to the western industrial societies, have already forced all fields, including management, to begin a process of developing new competencies for the present and future managers" (Akbari, 2008, p. 57). This globalization of business forces U.S. companies to deal with people whose cultures, languages, and customs are as varied as all the countries on the planet. Consequently, it is no longer smart business to rely exclusively on uniquely American ideas, customs, and ways of doing business.
Another element of diversity that is touched on but not completely addressed by U.S. age discrimination law is the fact that businesses must now manage four generations of workers simultaneously. Comperatore and Nerone identify these four generations: "Veterans or Radio Babies as they are sometimes called were born between the years of 1925 and 1945. Baby Boomers are the people born between 1946 and 1964. Generation X'ers were born between 1965 and 1981, and Gen Y'ers, also called the Millennium Generation and Echo Boomers, were born between 1982 and 2000" (Comperatore & Nerone, 2008, p. 15). As Comperatore and Nerone observe, "For the first time in American history, corporations are challenged with managing four generations of employees at once, each with different values, expectations, and attitudes" (Comperatore & Nerone, 2008, p. 15). Dealing with four generations of workers with different values, expectations, and goals has become a defining fact of U.S. business.
The nature of diversity is shown to be much broader than the classes legally protected by U.S. law; it also includes global issues created by international business and classes, such as the four generations of American workers, extending far beyond the narrow confines of U.S. legislation. As the sources reviewed in this paper demonstrate, there are many benefits for companies that embrace diversity — not only in "doing the right thing" but also in the basic business advantages of greater employee skills, broader consumer appeal, and greater profitability.
You’re 28% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 3 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.