This article examines the forces that influence our understanding of and
responses to diversity in the work place. Conceptually, diversity may either be
understood as variety, in which all people are regarded as unique individuals, or as
difference, in which specific groups of people (e.g., nonwhites and women), are
regarded as being different with respect to a dominant group (e.g., white men). From
either perspective, today's work force is becoming increasingly diverse as a result
of changes in immigration patterns; demographic trends; and the increasing polar
ization of society with respect to education, skills, and wealth. In the past, because
of the influence of mechanistic management principles, organizations typically
responded to diversity by minimizing or eliminating differences. In the future, the
particular needs ofselectgroups of people willlikely be accommodated. In the distant
future, organizations that fail to acknowledge the full range of variety inherent in their
employee and customer populations will have difficulty surviving.
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