Diversity Programs in Organizations - Book Report/Review Example

There are also the benefits and challenges associated with implementation of diversity programs that are highlighted in this report. Finally, the report makes recommendations on implementation strategies of diversity programs. As for data collection, the report is based on secondary data and it reviews existing literature on diversity programs. This goes hand in hand with reviewing organizations that have already incorporated diversity programs and how well they have incorporated them. In this case, the companies of choice are IBM (Workforce Diversity, 2008), Good year tire and Rubber Company, the Coca-Cola Company (Diversity, 2006) and HSBC Bank USA.

These are companies that have successfully incorporated diversity programs and have leapt great benefits from the same. On a final note, the findings show that in the current market diversity is an aspect that should be incorporated and is beneficial to organizations. The findings clearly demonstrate that the market is a welcoming and caring environment that accepts and respects diversity. One of the most striking characteristics of the discourse of diversity and its programs is its tendency to evade definitionas recorded by Simmons (2000).

According to Smith (1998), diversity is defined as the quality of being different and unique at an individual or group level. Diversity has also been broadly defined as the systematic and planned commitment undertaken by organizations in recruiting, rewarding, promoting and retaining a heterogeneous mix of employees. The capacity of an organization to manage and incorporate diversity in the workforce is a key skill in the now connected global world. Theories and techniques of diversity management have been developed and enthusiastically supported by a growing number of chief executives, training specialists, diversity consultants and academics.

Diversity programs came about as a means to further the availability of equal opportunities to all in the workforce. This philosophy aims at ensuring that organizations make the most out of the differences from a diverse workforce rather than losing talent that might be useful to the organization. The aim of this paper is to critically examine the issue of diversity programs in a bid to establish why organizations introduce diversity programs and what is included in a diversity program. It shall also make reference to companies that have incorporated the programs and how well they have done it as well as establishing the benefits and challenges faced by the organizations.

Diversity ProgramsAs much as organizations cannot ignore disadvantages experienced in the past and currently, the diversity approach seeks fresh appraisal of the enormous range