Throughout this article the author talks about managing diversity and how it has many more advantages than affirmative action. The author explains the key concepts of managing diversity and shows one the ways in which it can ultimately benefit our societies businesses.
Essentially, managing diversity is a way of thinking toward the objective of creating an environment that will enable all employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of organized objectives. On the other hand affirmative action assumes that the individual employee alone will do the necessary adjustment to assure a good fit with the organization. For example, managers must do their adjustments for the success of the enterprise. These factors cannot be compromised. This means that some individuals will be too diverse for a given organization. .
Affirmative action focuses on recruitment, upper mobility, and retention, while managing diversity centers on full utilization of employee potential. Affirmative action tries to get rid of undesirable practices as soon as possible regardless of the use of artificial means and managing diversity places a priority on bringing about relief naturally. Managing diversity is also about helping the manager learn how to tap the potential of all the employees. .
Managing diversity also differs significantly from an approach known as valuing differences. Managing diversity includes improvement of relationships among different people who are different, but recognizes that changes in organizational culture and systems may also be required to create an environment that enables all employees. After more than 20 years of affirmative action effort, many managers find themselves frustrated with limited progress. Looking move beyond frustration, executives like these are willing to explore alternatives.
Managers also are nothing that employees are more inclined to celebrate differences, and less willing to fit in.