Chapter 8: The “Benefits” of Diversity in the Workplace

Ethnic and racial minorities represent 31% of the population in the United States (Pope, 2012). By 2050, minorities are expected to make-up almost half of the overall U.S. population (U.S. Department of Labor, 1999). This growth has generated much interest in the concept of diversity. Diversity has become a focus of organizations with an increasingly diverse work force (Mohammed & Angell, 2004). This is partially due to laws requiring businesses to do so (i.e., affirmative action, etc.). Another reason diversity is becoming more important is the widespread belief that increasing diversity directly results in positive outcomes. With an emphasis on increasing diversity, organizations have augmented their focus in hiring minorities. This has resulted in staffing agencies devoting more resources to prodiversity recruiting (Avery, 2003). This chapter focuses on the widespread belief that increasing diversity leads to positive outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to review the recent literature on diversity and determine whether it really is as beneficial as it seems. Further, we examine the mechanisms of diversity, pinpointing when it works and when it doesn’t.