Modern Management: concepts and skills, 14/e

Challenges that Managers Face in Working with Diverse Populations

As you have seen, an organization may find numerous compelling reasons to encourage diversity in its workforce. For managers to fully appreciate the implications of promoting diversity, however, they must understand some of the challenges they will face in managing a diverse workforce. Changing demographics and several issues arising from these changes are discussed in the following sections.¹¹

Changing Demographics

Demographics are statistical characteristics of a population. They are also an important tool that managers can use to study workforce diversity. According to a report done for the U.S. Department of Labor by the Hudson Institute, the workforce and jobs of the twenty-first ...