Making Diversity Work

Increasingly, organizations throughout the world are seeking to build the diversity of their workforce to adapt to globalization. Yet workforce diversity brings many problems. This study uncovers some of those problems and identifies ways to mitigate them. Through participant observation, ethnographic interviewing, and secondary analysis of newspaper reports, a group of Laotian, Latino, and Anglo custodians were studied during a conflict with management. Culture is viewed as three sets of factors that influence the setting in various ways. The influences of these cultural factors on organization, communication, and conflict among employees, and between employees and management are described. Three key problems of intercultural interaction are identified; the problem of diversity, of combining culturally different ways; the problem of truth, of knowing who and what to believe; and the problem of voice, of other cultures being heard within the dominant culture. Finally, two models are presented illustrating how managers and employees can cope with diversity. Managers, consultants, educators and researchers alike will find this book useful.