Abstract

A while ago I read "A Peacock in the Land of Penguins," a story about corporate diversity that takes the form of a children's fable. Its hero is a flamboyant peacock whose talents go unappreciated and whose potential contributions are smothered by the conformity-based culture of the penguins, where everyone is expected to look and act alike. Though the penguins are disciplined and industrious, they can never break through to a richer life because they won't allow anything but similarity. (G Henderson p. 54) The story's moral is straightforward, when birds of a particular feather exclusively flock together; they are the poorer for it. But when we fail to respect and reward the many different colors and cultures that surround us, we lose the opportunity to make our own lives richer, and our workplace more rewarding. The importance of diversity in the workplace is what this paper outlines along with steps to achieving it.

Diversity in the Workplace,
What it Means and Steps in achieving It.

We live in a society often defined by its differences. Multiculturalism, gender politics, affirmative action, preferences, and mandates have become part of our national vocabulary. At one time our country was celebrated as the "melting pot" of America due to our differences; now we as a country seem more interested in identifying the separate ingredients (differences) that make up the stew. We categorize ourselves by gender, race national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, cultural norm, physical ability, and socioeconomic status. We have discovered that the melting pot we are poured into originated from a lot of diversity. This discovery is not just an enlightenment of who we are individually but what we can create when we m ...