Managing the Diverse Workforce; Changing Demographics and Opportunities

Author

Cornelius Carey, Fontbonne College

Year of Award

1991

Degree

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

College

College of Business & Professional Studies

Degree Program

Business

Department

Business Administration

Keywords

diversity, African-American, Blacks, Hispanics, management, employees, minorities, discrimination, Asians, lgbtq

Abstract

Several decades ago, corporations nationwide were required to take a hard look at how they treated their employees and if they were being treated the same. Spurred on by the social idealism of the nineteen sixties and following legal rulings resulting from the civil rights and feminist movement, most companies developed policies dealing with color and gender. Much of private industry, government and academic institutions tried to treat everyone the same regardless of who they were or where they come from. However, the American work place did not become the melting pot.

Businesses .are discovering in the nineteen nineties that it is better to acknowledge rather than ignore cultural, gander and race differences. Understanding, how to capitalize on a diverse work force may be the key factor needed to propel American industry profitably into the twenty-first century.

In a tighter labor market, companies will have to maximize diverse human resources. During the nineteen nineties a prosperous decade is predicted by many leading economists, and the competition will be keen i for human resources, and not for products. In order to maintain a competitive edge in the world market place, American organizations must attract, develop and manage a top performing, diverse staff. This diverse staff will include Afro-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, other minorities such as women, gays and senior citizens.

According to Work force Two Thousand, a study done by the Hudson Institute for the US Department of Labor, women, minorities and emigrants will comprise eighty five percent of the increase in workers over the next ten years. This thesis will.attempt to show managing a diverse work force will be a major advantage in a companies profitability and survival.

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Recommended Citation

Carey, Cornelius, "Managing the Diverse Workforce; Changing Demographics and Opportunities" (1991). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 393.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/393