Diversity in Organizations : New Perspectives for a Changing Workplace

The changing demography of the workforce presents challenges and opportunities to individuals and to the organizations of which they are a part. This volume examines how diversity in organizations affords benefits such as a broader talent pool, but at the same time can lead to tension, misunderstanding and, at times, outright hostility.

Signaling the changing demography of the workforce, the largest percentage of new workers in the coming decades will be individuals often labeled as "nontraditional" employees. This new diversity presents both challenges and opportunities to individuals and to the organizations of which they are a part. Benefits include a broader talent pool and the opportunity for individuals to more fully develop their potential. At the same time, however, new perspectives on creativity, innovation, and performance can be perceived as intrusive and lead to tension, misunderstanding, and even hostility between old and new, creating problems of coordination and cohesion for diverse organizations. The editors of Diversity in Organizations gather forces to work out the difficulties generated by diversity and reap the rewards. Applying varied perspectives and approaches--such as analysis of individual psychology, dyadic interactions, small group dynamics, and organizational outcomes--the contributors provide scholarly coverage of a topic that is both contemporary and foresightful. The current interest in diversity in organizations makes this book a boon to scholars and students in a variety of fields, including psychology, social psychology, management and organization studies, sociology, social work, cross-cultural studies, and public administration, as well as to interested readers who seek a deeper understanding of the problems and promise inherent in diverse organizations.