Luther s respect for Guillermo is reduced one notch. James, who grew up in an inner-city black neighborhood, is being interviewed for a sales position by Lisa, who is white. Lisa notices that James does not maintain eye contact while listening to her. She forms an immediate impression that James lacks assertiveness, and will probably not be able to handle important clients. Considering these facts along with the warp-speed globalization of business, only the most myopic observer could fail to conclude that the days of white male hegemony in the arena of the workplace are over.
Workers comprise an increasingly rainbow coalition.
The challenge of managing culture-based differences at work is upon us. Many presentations at annual national conferences of the American Society for Training and Development and other human resource professional associations address cross-cultural issues. Consulting firms specializing in helping organizations manage cultural diversity abound. Luther seems unaware the Hispanics place a higher value on extended family relationships than do most Anglos. Lisa seems unaware that blacks from some subcultures within the United States keep eye contact while speaking but not while listening, the reverse of the pattern typical of majority-culture whites.