Some of the changes that the workforce is experiencing are that women and minorities and increasing in numbers. Two-thirds of all new entrants into the United States workforce between now and the year 2000 will be either a women or a minority. There are also 45 million physically and mentally challenged but capable workers who are entering this workforce. All these changes and differences mean future colleagues, customers, and staff will be made up of people with different races, ages, religion, and education. As managers managing and incorporating diversity will be both a challenge and an opportunity.
Diversity is a very complex issue.
Simply stated diversity can be defined as the host of individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other. These differences and similarities include people's race, gender, age, religion, lifestyle, culture, military status, and language to name a few. It is important that future managers learn to appreciate the differences in his or her employees. These two concepts and diversity cannot be used interchangeably. The major difference between the terms is that managing diversity is voluntary while EEO and Affirmative Action is mandated by law.