The importance of diversity is increasing due to a number of factors including the increasing numbers of women working outside of the home. A little over 30 years ago, married women made up 32 percent of the American work force; but that figure changed to 60 percent by 1990. At the same time, women with children under 6 years of age are the fasting growing segment within the U.S. workforce. Other countries also report increases in the female work force.
The presence of older people working past what was considered retirement age is another aspect of diversity. As general sanitation practices and medical technology have improved, the age customarily considered appropriate for retirement has risen due to workers in good health and able to make positive contributions to the organization.
The globalization of the world economy also has a positive effect on diversity. National borders are no longer considered the defining scope of an organization's boundaries. Bavarian Motor Works (BMW), a German automobile maker, builds cars in the United States. American companies such as Gillette, Coca-Cola, and International Business Machines (IBM) receive over 60 percent of their income from overseas sales. In addition, globalization and improved means of transportation have resulted in increasing geographic mobility. This mobility has, in turn, resulted in cross-cultural exchanges and language diversity.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Scope of Diversity
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