In: Operations Management
outline how the perceptions of diversity has evolved within the last half century and the implication of these changes to our countrys work force.
Solution -
Diversity has gained momentum as a core value in many organizations today. It was not like this aspect was not valued before but about half a century ago diversity was more generic like people had stigma against color and sex but today such stigmas have been shirked and new stigmas related to employer and management attitudes along with communities have stepped in. This has been due to economies opening up and with the culture of multinationals.
Many researchers believed that diversity perceptions were more localised before like people had self defeating prophecies with certain ingrained throughts. Today their is a race to be judgemental on issues and this has been so vivid that one comes up with stigmas everyday. As the workforce starts getting rid of old perceptions newer perceptions take its place.
The trainings on diversity have also grown in number over the last half century and this has also changed a lot of perceptions. It all started with compulsory regulations and today diversity trainings are highly appreciated and provides an insight on what to expect in terms of culture within an organization. The workforce of today has become more sensitive and tolerant towards diversity and the mutual empathy has increased. The stereotype attitude still persists and the perceptions around it are extremely quick and dynamic than what they were in yester years. This is because value system were far more rigid in previous years but with flexibility the perceptions have become dynamic.
Today diversity is welcome but too much of it is still resisted. This is because of group knowledge and understanding that has become more prevalent today and much more unified which encourages diversity within certain limits. Today workforces welcome skill and hardly give importance to demographic difference but still in critical times familiar aspects are more preferred. This has been the reaction stimuli which has to undergone a drastic change through the decades but still their are certain values that have not yet become truly global. The workforce today has become more open and this obviously cannot be denied.