he term "work force diversity" became a buzzword after The Hudson Institute released its study entitled "Workforce 2000, Work and Workers for the 21st Century." Based on its statistics, the predominately white male work force would shrink drastically over the next 10 to 15 years. The white male composition of new job entrants, which historically was over 47%, would shrink to approximately 15%. This statistic caught the attention of corporate America, especially in industries where white male entrants predominated.

A recent study of human resource professionals illustrates the reality of these figures. Over the period 1983-1993, women in the work force increased by 69.1%; African-Americans by 59.1%; Hispanics by 49.4%; Asians by 44.4%; and white males by 10.4%.

What exactly is meant by the term "work force diversity"? Some diversity scholars have broken out diversity into two categories primary and secondary. Primary elements of diversity are those which are inborn and/or exert an important impact on our early socialization. The primary elements of diversity are age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation and personality type.

Secondary elements of diversity are those that can and are changed through life. These include-but are not limited to-dimensions such as educational background, geographic location, income status, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs and work experience.

A combination of both primary and secondary elements of diversity defines the properties and characteristics that constitute the whole person. It is these numerous elements of diversity that challenge today's managers.

As large numbers of women and people of color enter the workplace, management concepts that have "always" worked begin to fail. Individual values, workplace expectations, communication styles, management styles, team concepts, etc. take on dramatically different meanings. Let's review some of the issues that must be addressed in a changing workplace.

Good-bye, Ozzie and Harriet

When the workplace was predominately white male, work and family issues were nonexistent. But with an increase in the numbers of women in the workplace, organizations are scrambling to adjust policies and practices that will make them attractive to this pool of available talent in a tight labor market. Managers' "Ozzie and Harriet" attitudes and behaviors that reflect the mentality of family issues as Mom's responsibility and therefore best left at home are becoming obsolete and harmful to the effectiveness and viability of most workplace environments.

Stereotypes that may limit our views of others also have become a liability. For example, to view Asians solely as technicians, i.e. "good at math and science," limits the availability of management talent.

Another limiting liability is viewing women as competent in only the soft business areas, such as human resources, marketing and support staff, and not as viable candidates for "hard" business areas such as finance, new product development, etc. Or perhaps promotion opportunities for females are limited because of old attitudes such as "they will get married, have babies and leave."

The generation gap

Another lament of today's managers is not understanding "this younger generation—who have no loyalty, work ethic and want to be president overnight." This issue can be a classic study in value differentiation's between the silent generation (those who grew up during the depression), baby boomers (those who grew up in the prosperous '50s and '60s) and the baby busters (the current wave of young workplace entrants who grew up in the '70s and '80s).

Many baby busters entered the labor market without the same expectations of job security and advancement as previous generations. They saw firsthand the ravages of today's re-engineered, downsized world with parents laid off without cause; thus they may tend to see every job as temporary. They tend to speak in terms of "job" vs. "career."

New workplace expectations may require managers to redefine the concept of workplace loyalty—usually defined as hard work and long hours.

These workplace expectations may require managers to redefine the concept of workplace loyalty—usually defined as hard work and long hours. It may mean revising benefit plans to fit with a more nomadic workplace. One recent study of baby buster expectations found that when asked what they would change if they could change one thing, many responded that they would "get rid of the retirement plan and give us day care or a health center."

Trying to effectively manage in today's complex and diverse world with yesterday's management attitudes and philosophies is no more effective than the brontosaurus is in today's ecology. To be successful in today's global marketplace, managers must learn to understand and appreciate the many differences and views they'll encounter. By effectively managing diversity, they can create an environment that is more creative, adaptable and responsive in meeting today's customer expectations.