The promise of diversity : over 40 voices discuss strategies for eliminating discrimination in organizations

Abstract

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 truediversityin 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.

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