In today society, the American workforce is more diverse than ever before and is increasing at an incredible rate. "According to workforce 2000, eighty-five percent of the twenty-six million new workers who join the American workforce will be members of a minority group, women, and immigrants" ("Embracing Cultural", n.d.). For an organization, to maximize their full potential, they first need to understand the importance of having a diverse organization. When one hears the word diversity, they automatically refer to categories of gender, ethnicity, and disabilities, but it goes as far as education backgrounds as well as cultural influences ("An Increasing Diverse", n.d.). The Department of Labor states, in 2010 the baby boomers will be between the ages of 46 to 64, which will account for a major share of the labor force. Women in the workforce, from all ages will account for forty-eight percent of the labor force in 2010. Asian and Latino's will increase at a faster rate than any other minority group making up an incredible forty-four percent and thirty-six percent of the force. The black labor force is expected to increase at a rate of twenty-one percent, while the white labor force will increase at the rate of nine percent (Avant, 2002).
As for as the sport industry, the participation rate for minorities is at an all time high, but the same can not be said for the managerial positions. While the participation rate is high, there is not a reflection of this in the front offices. In the National Football League (N.F.L.), minorities held eighteen percent of the management level positions, but only held six percent of the jobs in the front office. The National Basketball Association (N.B.A.) has twenty-one percent of minorities having professional staff jobs and seventeen percent are holding top positions. In Major League Baseball (M.L.B.), minorities working in the central office accounted for twenty-eight percent, including twenty-one percent being executive or department heads.