Managing for Effective Workforce Diversity

Abstract

To measure the success of actual employee-diversity initiatives, this article reports on the workplace experiences of 74 hospitality managers and supervisors who themselves represent a diverse population by virtue of their gender, race, and ethnic background. Through content analysis, this study collected from those 74 managers hundreds of isolated accounts of their organizational experiences. Those experiences were coded and then clustered according to the inherent meaning the managers gave them. The emerging clusters, or themes, formed a comprehensive model that managers can use to create a climate that encourages diversity and to optimize multiculturalism in the workplace. The three main themes that emerged are: culture (organization-wide image and concern for equality); opportunity (career development and hiring practices); and leadership (management practices). The most important factors relating to a climate where diversity is valued concerned management practices. That finding highlights the need to hire and develop top-level staff members who are sensitive to the concerns of multicultural employees.