Entering the new millennium, businesses throughout America faced a new challenge. Analysts believed that this new challenge would have a powerful impact on our future as a productive society. However, few American businesses seemed adequately prepared to deal with the new challenge-the increasing cultural diversity of the American workforce (Online.Diversity).

Today, the challenges and potential opportunities posed by employee diversity in the American workplace are a growing reality. Since 1970, the number of women in the labor force has doubled. In 1990, they constituted 46% of the workforce. In 1985, people of color made up 13% and by 1988 that percentage had risen to 18%. During the next decade, women and people of color are expected to fill 75% of the twenty plus million jobs created in the United States. By the year 2010, white men will account for less than 40% of the total American labor force. In addition, diversity in age, ethnic heritage, physical ability, religious belief, sexual orientation and work and educational background are also increasing in the workplace as American society continues to become more culturally segmented (Loden, Rosner 3).

erica, Loden and Rosner describes the reaction of a new hire for upper management (who has been out of the workforce for a few years) at a consumer products company when he enters a boardroom for a planned meeting. The date is April 10, 2000. The meeting has been called by four senior officers and is to include several executives from the marketing department.

„h Throughout the 1990s, people of color, white women and immigrants accounted for 85% of the net growth in our nation's labor force (Online.hrweb).

„h Among the top twenty-five urban markets, people of color now make up the major population in sixteen (Online human).

In leading companies, employees recognize the need to modify corporate language out of respect for diversity. Therefore, terms like minority are replaced in written and in oral communication with less loaded and more inclusive phrases like Afro-American; Asian American, American Indian and person of color. Also, careful thought is being given to the variety of incentives offered to employees as rewards for performance. For example, instead of assuming all employees want tickets to sporting events as a reward, a variety of choices are now offered such as dinner for two or tickets to a local concert. Rather than having organized company outings around competitive team sports, a variety of activities are planned. Instead of assuming that every employee will bring a spouse to social gatherings, companies are starting to recognize that many may bring significant others, domestic partners or attend alone. Each of these changes represents a subtle but important shift away from cultural homogeneity and signals employees that diversity is recognized and valued (Wolchek).

The attitude reinforced the old view that diverse people were not qualified and affirmative action was a poor but necessary compromise. This attitude was the result of a lack of understanding about the meaning of affirmative action and a strong belief that they would be forced to compromise their standards (Online

Some common words found in the essay are:
Loden Rosner, Online Diversity, America Online, American Indian, Resources Entering, Johnston Packer, Onlinehrweb Diversity, Ms McKenzie's, VP Manufacturing, employee diversity, people color, loden rosner, Carl Philips, american workforce, value diversity, online human, leading companies, online human „h, human resources, valuing diversity, american businesses, wearing tan suit, value diversity competitive, diversity competitive advantage,
Approximate Word count = 2129
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)