Clarke
1
Darius Clarke
Management, Theories, & Practices BUS109
May 3, 2017
Diversity In The Workplace
Topic: The importance of maintaining a diverse workplace to help a company
compete globally.
Summary: Maintaining a diverse workplace is not only important for the management,
but also for the employees. There are challenges that will arise when trying to create a
diverse workplace or sustain a diverse workplace. But competing globally with a diverse
workplace does not exactly mean you are competing with other companies. What this
means is, companies within America are trying to broaden their horizons when it comes
to hiring employees of different demographics.
Clarke
2
“Demographics of the US population have changed dramatically in the last three
decades. These changes directly impact the healthcare industry in regard to the patients
we serve and our workforce” (Borkowski, 2012). In fact, Voutsas (2011) argues that the
U.S workforce is the most demographically heterogeneous workforce in the world and he
believes that this is due to major changes and diversity. Borkowski (2012) also states that
the significant changes in the US populations have been seen greatly in regards to gender,
age, and race and ethnicity.
In 1960, Gathers (2003) reports that white males made up 60 percent of the U.S
workplace. In 2000, Gathers (2003) reports that the workforce was composed of
approximately 12 percent African Americans, 4 percent Asians, and 10 percent
Hispanics. By 2050, Voutsas (2011) projects that the workforce would compose of
approximately 24 percent Hispanics, 14 percent African Americans, and 9 percent Asian
Americans and other ethnic groups. Gathers (2003) argues that the workplace would be
predominantly composed of females and or members of racial or ethnic minorities. Both
Gathers (2003) and Voutsas (2011) predict that the number of white males in the
workplace would decline dramatically. Voutsas (2011) projects that there would be an
increase women labor force and by 2050, the women labor force would compose
approximately 48 percent and whites would only compose about53 percent in the U.S
population.
Bauer and Erdogen (2012) define diversity as “the ways in which people are
similar or different from each other” (p.29). They state that within the workplace,
diversity can be any characteristic that varies from individual to individual such as
gender, race, age, education, or background. According to McConnell (2010), “the
Clarke
3
greatest increase in diversity is currently seen in the health care industry.” Service
workers, such as food service workers, aides, attendants, housekeepers, and maintenance
workers are often the most multiracial and culturally diverse components of a health
institution (McConnell, 2010,p.252). Gathers (2003) mentions that although, the
percentage of minority workers has increased in the health care workforce, a
corresponding increase in minorities in executive ranks has failed to take place. Thus, for
example, he reports that African Americans occupy about 5 percent of healthcare
executive positions. The Institute of Diversity in Health Management, maintains that only
1 percent of CEOs in health services organizations are minorities (Gathers, 2003).
Weech-Maldonad, (2012) believes that these changes have created a more diverse
workforce and clientele. Voutsas (2011) believes that the workforce would continue to be
diverse in terms of culture, ethnicity, gender, and age. As the population becomes even
more diverse, health care organizations will be required to respond appropriately. Brown
and Mack (2011) states that “in order for American industry to out-innovate the rest of
the world diversity matters”. Gathers (2003) is of the opinion that organizations should
mirror the communities and societies that they represents. Therefore, organizations must
adjust their missions, visions, goals, values, strategies, and cultures in order to reflect the
diversity of their communities and play an active role in preparing their employees for
these changes. Due to these major changes in the U.S population, health care
organizations must be culturally competent. According to Weech-Maldonado,
Dreachslin, Dansky, De Souza, and Gatto (2012) cultural competency is define as the
“ongoing commitment or institutionalization of appropriate practice and policies for
diverse population”. Cultural competency also involves linking “professional knowledge
Clarke
4
with cultural knowledge to address the patient’s health needs and cultural preferences”
(DeRosa& Kochurka, K, 2010). DeRosa and Kochurka (2010) state that healthcare
organizations that are culturally competent are able to reduce staff stress and conflicts
and improve patient satisfactions. Although, it is the aim of organizations to become
culturally competent, it is through diversity management that they can truly achieve this
goal of being “culturally competent” (Weech-Maldonado et al., 2012, p.112).
Diversity management can be defined as “the ways in which managers hire,
supervise, use the skills of, and promote or otherwise reassign employees of varied
backgrounds” (McConnell, 2010, p.252). It is also explained as “a strategically driven
process” (Weech-Maldonado et al., 2012, p.112). Diversity management establishes skills
and policies to deal with the change in the demographics of the workforce population.
