Diversity and Demographic Characteristics

Diversity and Demographic Characteristics and Its Impact on Individual Behavior

Jackie Hunter

University of Phoenix

MGT 331: Organizational Behavior

Eligah King

December 19, 2005

Diversity and Demographic Characteristics and Its Impact on Individual Behavior

Workforce diversity refers to “the presence of individual human characteristics that make people different from one another” (https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp). According to Chapter 4 of the rEsource material, “as the workforce becomes increasingly diverse the possibility of stereotyping and discrimination increases and managing diversity becomes more important” (https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp). Today’s businesses respect and acknowledge workforce diversity and now, more than ever, have to be mindful of its impact on individual behavior.

The observations discussed in this paper will be from a managerial as well as an employee’s point of view. This paper will focus on the characteristics of ethnicity, age, differences in skills and abilities, and personality traits. From a managerial prospective, the end state is to not give the impression of discrimination. From an employee’s perspective, the end state is to not be a victim of their lack of ownership.

Diversity in ethnicity has steadily increased in the workforce over the last several years. According to Chapter 4 of the rEsource material “in the United States, between 2000 and 2010, females in the workforce are expected to increase by 15 percent so that more than 62 percent of the women in the United States are expected to be working in 2010. Also, African-Americans are expected to increase by 26 percent and Hispanics by 43 percent” (https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp). This increase in ethnicity may force a manager to learn a new language in order to better communicate with their employees. They may also need to purchase periodicals that will help them understand...