Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resources Initiatives

The importance of addressing diversity in the workplace has gained widespread recognition in recent years. Among the forces calling attention to diversity in the workplace are the changing nature of the workforce, globalization of labor and customer markets, and organizational restructurings, such as mergers and joint ventures, which bring diverse corporate cultures together. Most firms, however, are only beginning to evaluate and adjust policies that were originally designed for yesterday's more homogeneous workforce. The large-scale organizational changes attracting attention are, for now, the exception to the rule, but they do present examples of what can be accomplished. Toward that end, this volume describes how nine prominent organizations have responded to the challenge. Featuring descriptive case studies from such firms as Xerox, Digital Equipment, Pacific Bell, American Express, Coopers & Lybrand, and Pepsi-Cola International, it covers international diversity and merging corporate cultures, as well as ethnic, gender, and lifestyle differences.