The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. The University of Florida defines diversity as an acceptance, value, understanding and celebration of ethnic, age, gender, physical ability, class, religious and sexual orientation differences. The list is not extensive, but honoring the differences among all the individuals in the workplace is the key to symbiotic workplace diversity. As the workforce becomes more diverse, organizations and individuals must adapt to and value diversity so productivity and worker morale is not affected.

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Diversity refers to human qualities that are different from our own and those of groups to which we belong; but that are manifested in other individuals and groups. Dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities / qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification."

Diversity as a concept focuses on a broader set of qualities than race and gender. In the context of the workplace, valuing diversity means creating a workplace that respects and includes differences, recognizing the unique contributions that individuals with many types of differences can make, and creating a work environment that maximizes the potential of all employees.

Diversity Makes a Better Work Atmosphere When a company shows diversity, their employees will work with better attitudes and an exceptional work ethic. Allowing an employee who may not be as educated as another employee the opportunity to advance from an entry-level position to a managerial position is showing diversity. You are showing that you provide employment and growth for those who have not received a college degree but still value their work ethic, and showing that anyone with good working skills can work for your company.

Adapting to Workplace Diversity Some individuals who have started with a company from day one may have trouble adapting if the company is trying to embrace diversity. When people are used to seeing only those who look like them and share the same work ethic they do, they do not want anything to change. This will cause friction, and it may be harder to get things accomplished. A company should have diversity workshops to help ease the transition and make everyone feel comfortable, so the company does not suffer.

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A World Diversified With the many different cultures that are always increasing in the world, employers and employees have to find a way to assert and embrace diversity in the workplace, or get left out of the times. For example, when products are being manufactured, there are multiple languages in the instruction packages, showing how the world has diversified itself. To keep up with the changes of the world, the workplace must also diversify, or they may find their business going under. Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges, and the Required Managerial Tools1 Kelli A. Green, Mayra Lpez, Allen Wysocki, and Karl Kepner2

Introduction The world's increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from nearly every continent. For this reason, profit and non-profit organizations need diversity to become more creative and open to change. Maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity has become an important issue for management today.

Supervisors and front-line managers could benefit from reading this paper. Supervisors and managers are the targeted audience because they need to recognize the ways in which the workplace is changing, evolving, and diversifying. Since managing diversity remains a significant organizational challenge, managers must learn the managerial skills needed in a multicultural work environment. Supervisors and managers must be prepared to teach themselves and others within their organizations to value multicultural differences in both associates and customers so that everyone is treated with dignity.

This paper is designed for managers to effectively manage diverse workforce populations. It provides a general definition for diversity, discusses the benefits of diversity in the workplace, the challenges of managing a diverse workplace, and presents effective strategies for managing diverse workforces.

Diversity Defined Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1995).

Diversity issues are now considered important and are projected to become even more important in the future due to increasing differences in the U.S. population. Companies need to focus on diversity and look for ways to become totally inclusive organizations because diversity has the potential of yielding greater productivity and competitive advantages (SHRM, 1995). Stephen G. Butler, co-chair of the Business-Higher Education Forum, believes that diversity is an invaluable competitive asset that America cannot afford to ignore (Robinson, 2002). Managing and valuing

diversity is a key component of effective people management, which can improve workplace productivity (Black Enterprise, 2001).

Demographic changes (women in the workplace, organizational restructurings, and equal opportunity legislation) will require organizations to review their management practices and develop new and creative approaches to managing people. Changes will increase work performance and customer service.

Women in the Workplace The need to understand diversity is also driven by women in the workplace. Today's workforce has the highest levels of employment participation ever by women. The number of dual income families and single working mothers has increased. Change in the family structure means that there are fewer men and women in traditional family roles (Zweigenhaft and Domhoff, 1998). Therefore, diversity issues cut across both race and gender.

Organizational Restructuring There have been significant changes to organizations as a result of downsizing and outsourcing, which has greatly affected human resource management. Work practices have changed due to the impact of globalization and technology and there is a trend toward longer working hours (Losyk, 1996). Generally speaking, reorganizations usually result in fewer people doing more.

Legislation Federal and State equal opportunity legislation make discrimination in workplaces illegal. These laws specify the rights and responsibilities of both associates and employers in the workplace and hold both groups accountable.

Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace Diversity is beneficial to both associates and employers. Although associates are interdependent in the workplace, respecting individual differences can increase productivity. Diversity in the workplace can reduce lawsuits and increase marketing opportunities, recruitment, creativity, and business image (Esty, et al., 1995). In an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to

competitiveness, diversity is critical for an organization's success. Also, the consequences (loss of time and money) should not be overlooked.

Challenges of Diversity in the Workplace There are challenges to managing a diverse work population. Managing diversity is more than simply acknowledging differences in people. It involves recognizing the value of differences, combating discrimination, and promoting inclusiveness. Managers may also be challenged with losses in personnel and work productivity due to prejudice and discrimination and complaints and legal actions against the organization (Devoe, 1999).

Negative attitudes and behaviors can be barriers to organizational diversity because they can harm working relationships and damage morale and work productivity (Esty, et al., 1995). Negative attitudes and behaviors in the workplace include prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination, which should never be used by management for hiring, retention, and termination practices (could lead to costly litigation).

Required Tools for Managing Diversity Effective managers are aware that certain skills are necessary for creating a successful, diverse workforce. First, managers must understand discrimination and its consequences. Second, managers must recognize their own cultural biases and prejudices (Koonce, 2001). Diversity is not about differences among groups, but rather about differences among individuals. Each individual is unique and does not represent or speak for a particular group. Finally, managers must be willing to change the organization if necessary (Koonce, 2001). Organizations need to learn how to manage diversity in the workplace to be successful in the future (Flagg, 2002).

Unfortunately, there is no single recipe for success. It mainly depends on the manager's ability to understand what is best for the organization based on teamwork and the dynamics of the workplace. According to Roosevelt (2001), managing diversity is a comprehensive process for creating a work environment that includes everyone. When creating a successful diverse workforce, an effective manager should focus on personal awareness. Both managers and associates need to be aware of their personal biases. Therefore, organizations need to develop, implement, and maintain ongoing training because a one-day session of training will not change people's behaviors (Koonce, 2001). Managers must also understand that fairness is not necessarily equality. There are always exceptions to the rule.

Managing diversity is about more than equal employment opportunity and affirmative action (Losyk, 1996). Managers should expect change to be slow, while at the same time encouraging change (Koonce, 2001).

Another vital requirement when dealing with diversity is promoting a safe place for associates to communicate (Koonce, 2001). Social gatherings and business meetings, where every member must listen and have the chance to speak, are good ways to create dialogues. Managers should implement policies such as mentoring programs to provide associates access to information and opportunities. Also, associates should never be denied necessary, constructive, critical feedback for learning about mistakes and successes (Flagg, 2002).

Conclusion A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and marketplace. Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual differences will benefit the workplace by creating a competitive edge and increasing work productivity. Diversity management benefits associates by creating a fair and safe environment where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges. Management tools in a diverse workforce should be used to educate everyone about diversity and its issues, including laws and regulations. Most workplaces are made up of diverse cultures, so organizations need to learn how to adapt to be successful.

References Black Enterprise. (2001). Managing a multicultural workforce. Black Enterprise Magazine (July).

Devoe, Deborah. (1999). Managing a diverse workforce. San Mateo, CA: InfoWorld Media Group.

Esty, Katharine, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr-Hirsh (1995). Workplace diversity. A managers guide to solving problems and turning diversity into a competitive advantage. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation.

Flagg, Alex. (2002). Managing diverse workgroups successfully. United Behavioral Health website (members only section). Available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ubhnet.com. Date visited, February 8, 2002.

Koonce, Richard. (2001). Redefining diversity: It's not just the right thing to do; it also makes good business sense. Training and Development, December.

Loysk, Bob. (1996). Managing a changing workforce: Acheiving outstanding service with todays employees. Davie, FL: Workplace Trends Publishing.

Robinson, Kary-Siobhan. (2002). U.S. must focus on diversity or face decline in competitiveness. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Available on the World Wide Web at http://www.shrm.org. Date visited, February 8, 2002.

Rooselvet Thomas, R. Jr. (2001). Elements of a successful diversity process. The American Institute for Managing Diversity. Available on the World Wide Web at http://www.aimd.org/articles/elements.html. Date visited, February 8, 2002.

Society for Human Resource Management. (1998). SHRM survey explores the best in diversity practices. Fortune 500 firms outpace the competition with greater commitment to diversity. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Available on the World Wide Web at http://www.shrm.org/press/releases/980803.htm. Date visited, February 8, 2002.

Zweigenhaft, Richard L., and G. William Domhoff. (1998). Diversity in the power elite : have women and minorities reached the top? New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Communication As the economy increases its global initiatives and corporations expand their operations globally, the workforce becomes more linguistically diverse. You may find yourself working with individuals whose native language is not English. The Diversity Jobs Network explains that word pronunciation, communication styles and common phraseology can be difficult to understand

and communicate. In order to avoid confusion and a lack of teamwork, which can cause low morale, companies need to implement openness, so every employee can discuss ideas, challenges and strategies. Supporting employee interaction and offering additional training opens the door to greater communication.

Corporate Culture Third Sector New England indicates that companies with long histories and established corporate cultures may not recognize the need for or lack of diversity in their organizations. Upper management and individuals in leadership roles may not understand the need for diversity, especially if the company is already excelling in its industry. To overcome these smokescreens, upper management and the board of directors must recognize the benefits of a diverse workforce and develop strategies to increase diversity in the workplace.

Skill Preparation The University of California at Berkleys National Center for Research in Vocational Education states that skill preparation and career planning can also be barriers to diversity. Different cultures, societies and countries do not necessarily prepare their workforce in the same manner. Individuals from different cultures have vastly different values, including working values, which can cause conflict within the organization. Proper assessment of all incoming workers and additional training can combat this barrier to diversity in the workplace.

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Advancement of women in Mining Industry Mentoring and recognition are necessary to ensure the advancement of women across all industries. Mentoring enhances leadership skills and allows women to share business strategies. It also enables women to connect with others with similar challenges and career objectives. Secondly, recognition of women is important as it signals to them that their work and what they

have to offer is both valuable and meaningful. It also helps to inspire the next generation of women. Recognized women act as a source of empowerment, motivating others to ful ll their potential The CEO and Board need to make the advancement of women a priority and link it to the rms strategy. It must be a business imperative. The next step is to ensure that great developmental experiences are awarded to both women and men, not based on the informal network which tends to favour men. It is really important that women are encouraged to take on roles that give them operational experience leading business units and being responsible for pro t and loss. To level the playing eld, coaching, mentoring and sponsorship need to be deliberate and planned.

Education is key to creating a diverse workforce. Education is an important stepping stone in advancing ones career. It complements work experience and helps set individuals apart from one another. More importantly, deeper understanding and knowledge allows people to better serve their organizations and their communities. Education helps develop top talent employees hone a variety of skills, gain further knowledge, and build networks. Education and educators have a critical role in creating a diverse workforce. From educating students in math and science to preparing them for the trades, technical, and scienti c jobs needed by industry; to encouraging and mentoring students (especially women, Aboriginals and visible minorities), to considering non-traditional occupations the education system is key to developing a diverse workforce. Diversity in the education workforce will also help attract and recruit women to these jobs by providing positive role models for students and prospective employees