Kelvin Wong
April 26, 2011
MGT 295
Professor Berry
“It’s a small world.” How many times do we hear this in our everyday life? The internet, mass media, telecommunications, and mass transportation have all contributed to the shrinking of the international market. As companies become more and more diverse, it’s becoming more and more important for the employees to understand and manage it. For my research paper, I’ve decided to find out the competitive advantage and disadvantage between minorities and women in the workplace.
Diversity in the workplace is a topic that many industries and organizations spend an abundant amount of time and training on in order to ensure its presence. Today’s workplace is more diverse than it has ever been in the history of America. 1 out of 4 Americans belong to a minority or is foreign-born. Women are making up less than half of the work force. Whether you are a business owner, executives, salesperson, or customers, your success will increasingly depend on your ability to function in a culturally diverse marketplace. Women, people of color, and immigrants will soon hold almost ¾ of all jobs in this country.
In order to effectively manage diversity and recognize it as a source of strength instead of conflict, we will need to be educated and reprogrammed to accept and embrace diversity. In the world today, it is a face that a lot of people believe that racism is no longer exists. Little do they know, as of 2010, the National Organization of Women believes that the U.S. still needs an affirmative action plan. African American women earned 63 cents to a dollar for the jobs that men do, and Hispanic women earn 57 cents to the dollar and Blacks have twice the unemployment rates of whites.
Minority and immigrant groups are often disadvantaged in gaining access to jobs for which they are educationally qualified and earn less than their