Managing Diversity Programs Through Communication "Organizations must look at diversity now as a critical factor in their future success, not just a social imperative… A diverse workforce is now an important competitive advantage." (Jose De Anda, assistant human resources director for the Southern California Region of Kaiser Permanente) Every ten years this great country of ours conducts the collecting of the U.S. Census. While still in progress at the beginning of this decade, we need only to look at the results of the 1990 census to begin to understand why diversity programs became so important in the nineties. This last census yielded important data, "Almost one in every four Americans in 1990 was of Asian, African-American, or Hispanic descent" (Healthcare Executive, Chicago Jul/Aug 1997, Julie Nilson). Expectations for the current census are that this will increase to one in three. Diversity programs had their beginnings in the late sixties and early seventies, with one of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society Programs, Affirmative Action. While there is some debate as to the longevity of Affirmative Action Programs one thing is clear, workplace diversity is here to stay. Affirmative action and diversity are fundamentally different approaches to differences in the workplace. "While diversity efforts try to foster a sense of fairness, affirmative action tries to force compliance." (David Benton, workforce policy adviser to the U.S. Coast Guard,Commandant in Washington, D.C.) Workplace diversity is not just about a person's race. It encompasses a wide variety of differences; including language, age, sexual orientation, martial status, education, and disabilities. With organizations now competing in a global marketplace, communicating with understanding and respect is a crucial element of their business, right up there with community involvement. This paper will discuss the methods used by managers and groups in the work environ...
