Organizational Behavior - Descrimination

In this vast, competitive business world, companies need to gain competitive advantage in their market. The past years have brought on a permanent shift in the workforce from a homogeneous, white male workforce, to a muti-gender, multi-ethnic, and even older workforce. It’s obvious to see that not all employees are the same; there are many factors that differentiate individuals, such as age, race, and gender. In order for an organization to function optimally and gain competitive advantage, an employer must utilize these differences to add company value, and thus profit, by attracting a variety of consumers, satisfying their needs with new innovative ideas and values, and developing strong customer-employer relationship.
There are many advantages to having a diverse workforce of employees from different racial backgrounds, education, and even age. For one, many companies are legally obligated to be non-discriminatory. If an organization fails to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which “enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information” . or Affirmative Action legislation, can result in fines and/or loss of contracts with government agencies. Thus, it is only logical that a company utilizes a diverse workforce .
Diversity can also be seen as a marketing strategy. By having a variety of people from different cultures, life experiences, abilities, etc. a company is better able to ensure that their products appeal to diverse clientele2. Furthermore, having a variety of different employees is more likely to attract a plethora of clients who will feel more welcome, comfortable, and can relate better than if the workforce was homogeneous. The idea is that a workforce can be most effective when it mirrors the company’s clients and customers .
A company’s