Diversity Boing: What Really Happened - Essay Example

?For years, Boeing had rested upon its laurels as one of the most esteemed and profitable aerospace companies in the entire world. However, due to the very nature of the business cycle and the means whereby a firm seeks to grow and develop, Boeing soon came to realize that it could not rely upon the domestic market and/or the military industrial complex as a means of providing it with all of the needed business that it hoped to engage. Rather, it was, like so many other firms, forced to integrate with the outside world and become a globalized supplier of aerospace needs to a multinational group of clients around the globe. Yet, the transformation that Boeing made from a domestic supplier to a globalized supplier was one that did not take place overnight (Brown & Mack, 2011). Moreover, systemic changes to the way in which the Boeing culture existed and the way in which it currently exists were also required. As a means of tracking these changes and making key observations concerning them, the following analysis will engage the reader with a level of understanding concerning the way in which diversity was motivated and the ways in which it was implemented within Boeing. Further, a brief summary and reflective statement will be provided at the end of this assignment as a means of classifying and categorizing the utility that working as a part of the group dynamic was able to have with regards to better understanding the case study and the many factors associated with it. As Boeing’s upper management and senior stakeholders began to realize that their firm’s hope of long-term success hinged upon the ability to integrate with the outside world, a brief internal audit revealed the fact that diversity within the firm’s design and production elements was ultimately extraordinarily low (Mecham, 2002). As such, in order to appeal to a more broad demographic and come more in line with the globalized nature of an increasingly diverse society and world, Boeing saw the immediate need to seek to diversify its staff. Whereas many firms realize this particular need and slowly make moves to see this happen over time, Boeing initiated an aggressive diversity strategy that hinged upon seeking out the most qualified applicants while keeping in mind the unique levels of diversity that the firm required. This two-pronged approach was effective in the fact that it did not place either ability or diversity as the prime goal for the firm. In such a way, the expertise and focus of the firm was able to be maintained while a subtle yet decisive change to company culture was initiated. Moreover, even a cursory level of analysis with regards to the way in which diversity takes place indicates the fact that sudden rapid changes with regards to diversity and/or diversity implementation within a culture can oftentimes be negatively received by the stakeholders. Realizing this, Boeing set out to engage a slower and more gradual approach that would seek to replace outgoing talent with a more diverse workforce; while at the same time reinforcing the mores and norms of diversity appreciation within the culture of the firm. This nuanced approach proved to be highly effective as the company was not only able to continue to operate in a profitable manner domestically; it was also able to continue the march towards global success by providing its international clients with the products and services they required. This is a testament to the success of Boeing’s diversity is the fact that the firm championed this goal alongside the vision and mission statements that had already proven to be so effective in helping to garner profitability to the Boeing firm (Holmes, 2003). Without inherently changing the scope of activities and/or the expertise that it had already accrued over the years of successful business implementation, Boeing was able to chart a somewhat distinct approach to the future. Looking all the way into the present era, it can be noted that Boeing exhibits a very high degree of diversity within an aerospace company that provides a litany of products and services; all the way from customer service to direct engineering and design. Whereas outsourcing was oftentimes viewed as a negative component of globalization, Boeing was able to integrate outsourcing with its culture as a means of promoting diversity and benefitting the firm in the long run. As such, this particular approach was useful in helping the respective components of the vast Boeing firm to come to an appreciation for the fact that diversity could be exhibited in a multiplicity of different manners (Holmes, 2005). Nevertheless, the approach and theoretical implementation of diversity that Boeing opted for was gradual and helped to engage stakeholders throughout the firm that very well might otherwise be unreceptive to a more radical and immediate shift (Orenstein, 2005). Ultimately, the case of Boeing and the means through which the firm sought to integrate diversity within its culture should be viewed as a prime example of how a firm can effectively seek to promote diversity without undermining the core best practices that they have long exhibited. As such, stakeholders within other companies that wish to integrate further levels of diversity in an effective yet considered manner would do well to consider the way in which Boeing engaged this process with the desired results prominently evident. Reflection: The process of working together with my group in helping to understand the Boeing case study and how it was applicable to the modern business environment and issues relating to diversity on a global level was highly useful. One of the single most important aspects of the group integration was the fact that even though I was of the opinion that I understood the situation rather well, being presented with a range of other vantage points was highly useful in coming to the understanding that no matter what level of understanding I thought I possessed, listening attentively and engaging with the group had the possibility to allow me to better understand the many nuances of the case study in question. Bibliography Brown, C, & Mack, S 2011, 'Top Executives In Diversity', Black Enterprise, 41, 10, pp. 92-106, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2013. Holmes, S 2005, 'Why Boeing's Culture Breeds Turmoil', Businessweek, 3925, pp. 34-36, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2013. Holmes, S 2003, 'Boeing: What Really Happened. (cover story)', Businessweek, 3862, pp. 32-38, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2013. Mecham, M 2002, 'Diversity Shelters Boeing's Portfolio', Aviation Week & Space Technology, 157, 17, p. 49, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2013. Orenstein, EG 2005, 'The Business Case for Diversity', Financial Executive, 21, 4, pp. 22-25, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 November 2013. Read More