ABSTRACT
Workforce diversity in terms of age, gender, cultural and ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability, religion and educational background has become an important issue in many sectors in society. The driving need for workforce diversity not only comes from ethical and legal requirements, but also arises from the potential benefits that a diverse workforce can bring to an organisation. In a workforce diversity guide for engineering businesses commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK, it is argued that workforce diversity can increase productivity and effectiveness of the workplace, attract talent, develop wider appeal amongst customers and open up new business. The chapter considers the workplace as a site of intercultural communication and looks into opportunities as well as the challenges for intercultural communication that come with workforce diversity. It focuses on general features of the workplace, irrespective of its business, and professional or organisational nature.
