The Promise of Diversity: Over 40 Voices Discuss Strategies for Eliminating Discrimination in Organizations - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786303077 ISBN 13: 9780786303076

Publisher: Irwin Professional Pub, 1994

Synopsis

All the talk, all the new laws, all the seminars on learning to live with each other's differences - and still the workplace remains a hostile environment for too many people. Many organizations are still in the grip of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression, even after the Civil Rights Act, the Women's Movement, countless workshops, support groups, and organizational initiatives. Is it possible to truly eliminate discrimination? Why do some companies persist in their efforts to challenge the status quo? The answer: the promise that diversity can create powerful options for a highly productive, synergistic workplace. Forward-thinking executives and managers know that their workforces will only grow more diverse. The sooner the organization fosters an environment where individuals and teams learn to work well together, the faster it achieves a competitive edge in an increasingly challenging marketplace.
The Promise of Diversity is a contemporary, future-focused business anthology that represents the views of over 40 leaders, researchers, and practitioners who are actively working to address issues of oppression and diversity in organizations. Their enlightening essays cover such topics as throwing away the "melting pot" idea and regarding diversity as a strength, optimizing the value of individual difference through an organizational systems approach, developing cross-gender partnerships, the white male's current position at the intersection of race and gender, sexual orientation as a workforce diversity issue, and the problems faced by white women and women of color.
Here are the hopes, fears, and dreams of leading change agents regarding the promise (and perils) of true diversity in the workplace. Representing each author's voice, style, and point of view, this collection of insightful articles is itself a living example of diversity and is destined to become a classic reference in its field.

About this title

Reviews

Those seeking cultural diversity in organizations hope to promote the identity of both the individual and the group, not merely to assimilate minorities into the dominant group. This book is a compilation of articles written by academics and business consultants on the "struggle against oppression in organizations and the promise of diversity." Issues include racism, sexism, and discrimination based on sexual orientation, disability, age, etc. There are discussions of the history of oppression and of diversity in organizations, the challenges and opportunities faced, and what organizations would be like without discrimination. However, the most interesting section, "Voices of Experience," provides an individual's perspective on discrimination. The "chapters," while informative, are brief and appear more like journal articles. Recommended for academic libraries.
Kathy Shimpock-Vieweg, O'Connor-Cavanagh Lib., Phoenix, Ariz.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Terms such as workplace diversity and multicultural workforce have already been so bandied about that their importance and interest have been blunted. Behind the jargon, however, are the real issues of discrimination and equal opportunity, and many companies have instituted training programs and even hired "diversity directors." For trainers, program directors, and managers looking for resource material and background information, NTL Institute has compiled this anthology of articles, which emphasizes the value of diversity and thoroughly discusses the challenges involved in building a diverse workforce. Brad Hooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Irwin Professional Pub
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786303077
• ISBN 13: 9780786303076
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 370
• Editor: Judith H Katz, Frederick A. Miller, Edith W. Seashore, Elsie Y. Cross