ABSTRACT
In the last decade or so, many organizations have been going to great lengths to prepare for and manage diverse workforces as a matter of competitive survival. But there is an underlying reason why "managing diversity" continues to merit a good deal of energy and resources: race, ethnicity, and gender, among others, remain heated issues in our society. Although progress has been made toward combating employment discrimination, discriminatory practices in the workplace as well as perceptions of bias and discrimination continue to exist. Moreover, other, more subtle forms of bias and discrimination are also present in the workplace. They are manifested in large part as negative attitudes and behaviors toward differences. Public policy analysts and researchers have submitted that one of the most important ingredients to setting up successful diversity programs is strong commitment from not only agency leaders but also CEOs, such as mayors, governors, and the president.
