Diversity Essay -- essays research papers

By the year 2050, nonwhites will represent close to half of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau projections. By 2005, the ethnic minority share of the workforce is expected to grow to 28 percent, up from 18 percent in 1980 and 22 percent in 1990. Although the African American population is now the largest minority group, the Hispanic and Asian populations are growing much faster. In 1994, the African American population was estimated to be 33 million, or 12.7 percent of the total population, up from 11.7 percent in 1980. By 2025, African Americans are expected to represent 14 percent of the total. The Hispanic population is 10 percent of the total U.S. population in 1994, it is projected to be 17 percent by 2025. The Asian population was 3.4 percent of the total U.S. population in 1994, it is expected to more than double by 2025. With all of that stated, the above statistics should erase any doubt that workforce diversity is a critical business issue with serious, bottom line consequences, the Texaco lawsuit has erased those doubts forever. But a well publicized racial discrimination lawsuit is just one example of how an organization can be hurt if it is not actively working to manage and leverage workforce diversity. Other organizational costs could include depressed employee morale and loyalty, increased turnover and poor productivity. On the other hand, if managed well, a diverse workforce can boost productivi...