Introduction Diversity and inclusion are hot topics in today’s business world. While treating individuals fairly and equally is a social imperative, it is also extremely important to the success of a business. With the changing demographics of society and its affect on the American workforce, organizations must truly embrace diversity and inclusion. “For companies to succeed in the global marketplace, they must make the most of the full range of their people. Companies must attract and retain the right skills, the best minds, all the required resources – and that means diversity” (Royal Bank of Canada, n.d.). There are a number of compelling reasons companies should adopt the core values of diversity and inclusion. This paper sets out to …show more content…
He states that, “creativity [is] people who care enough to keep thinking about something until they find the simplest way to do it. They keep thinking about something until they find the best way to do it…everybody in our company is responsible to be innovative” (as cited in Tyrangiel, 2012). By cultivating and valuing a diverse workforce, Apple has become the type of organization to develop entirely new lines of products in a single day and enjoy profits from products that did not exist sixty days ago (Tyrangiel, 2012). Another part of Apple’s diversity initiative is their partnership with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Through this partnership, Apple is helping introduce and encourage women to join the technology industry through the Aspirations in Computing program, which serves to “give support, scholarships, and career opportunities to young women,” (Inclusion & Diversity, n.d.). While this may seem like an altruistic program, Apple stands to benefit from this partnership. By engaging young women in the tech industry to further their knowledge and careers, Apple is enlarging their pool of talented employment candidates. In an industry marked by who is the greatest innovator, being a key facilitator in creating the next pool of highly talented and capable employees, just sets Apple up to tap this workforce in the future. Apple’s diversity initiatives also help to make it a leader in the mobile
The World is a diverse place; changing demographics, globalization and generational gaps. Diversity is the mix of people who make your organization. The workforce, including leadership should represent and look like the community in which business is conducted. Work place diversity is the key to survival and growth and is an essential business tool. Diversity promotes inclusion within and across business units and help all employees understand and respect individual differences and the value of everyone’s unique talents. Different types of people bring different talents and competencies to the table. Inclusion allows people to be themselves at work and letting them know they are valued regardless of their age, gender,
BusinessWeek, 2005. Commentary: Apple 's Blueprint for Genius. Handling its own design work is one reason for best-sellers like the iPod and Shuffle. Steve Jobs is the
From Hollywood to the the social sector, diversity, rather the lack thereof, has been a topic of conversation. Although many organizations have begun to advocate for diversity, more work must be done. Across the social sector,women and people of color remain severely underrepresented in leadership positions. Organizations must become intentional about creating a diverse workforce and implementing inclusive policies that foster positive work environments. When employees feel represented and included they are happier and more likely to contribute to fulfilling the organization's mission.
Throughout the book The Loudest Duck by Laura A. Liswood, we learn about what it means to be truly diverse and how to obtain this diversity. The book gives many examples of how and why it is important for companies to be diverse. Through this paper I will be outlining the main points the other made and share some of the lessons I feel are important.
Diversity has been a hot-button topic for many of today’s companies. Diversity programming and initiatives are regularly implemented by organizations of all types and sizes. As it relates to an organization’s human resources operation, diversity will continue to be an ever-changing term as the work towards equitable treatment for all continues.
Diversity in our nation and workforce continues to increase each year. People with different backgrounds, degrees, and experiences are coming together to build strong teams, oriented around creativity, innovation, and productivity (Kerby, 2012). A greater emphasis is being placed on acceptance within diverse workforces. “Diversity represents all the ways in which people are unlike and alike— the differences and similarities in age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, capabilities, and socioeconomic background” (Williams, 357). Understanding these differences are the key to creating a strong company culture. Within an organization, diversity should be seen as a positive—where each individual’s experiences and talents can better
Many employers are unaware of the benefits of and ways to achieve workplace diversity. This Diversity and inclusion training plan provides this information. This plan is designed to be presented by an individual who is knowledgeable in diversity and business strategies and who is familiar with the company’s strategic business plan. By the end of this training the employee should be able to provide a clear understanding of what diversity is and what it is not, to raise a greater awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues that go well beyond
"For what characterizes Apple is that its scientific staff always acted and performed like artists - in a field filled with dry personalities limited by the rational and binary worlds they inhabit, Apple's engineering teams had passion. They always believed that what they were doing was important, and most-of-all, fun. Working at Apple was never just a job; it was also a crusade, a
“Ongoing demographic trends (increasing percentages of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, in the American workforce, an aging population, expanded female labor force participation) have made diversity a fact of organizational life,” (Roberson, 2007, pg. 1).
Future trends for a diverse society will become more evident. As a result, the workforce and to a greater extent, the marketplace must increase diversity. Globalization of corporations begat a global economy increasing the marketplace, and enlarging a diverse workforce. The reality is diversity will become less of a social issue and more of a business concern linked to competitive strategies. Upper management will become more involved in diversity issues because diverse workforce needs to be better utilized in order to remain competitive. Diversity training will be integrated into other types of training. Corporations will continue to explore demographic changes in our society and link them more closely to global changes.
why should companies concern themselves with diversity? Until recently, many managers answered this question with the assertion that discrimination is wrong, both legally and morally. But today managers are voicing a second notion as well. A more diverse workforce, they say, will increase organizational effectiveness. It will lift morale, bring greater access to new segments of the marketplace, and enhance productivity. In short, they claim, diversity will be good for business.
America’s top companies are hiring the best, most qualified candidates, by widening their recruitment efforts and increasingly seeking diverse talent. Diverse workplaces include employees who from different races, ethnicities, gender, education, religions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic locations, and other varying conditions. One reason diversity recruitment is skyrocketing is because of the changing demographics of the United States. According to the latest census, the ethnic makeup of America is changing much more rapidly than anticipated. Many studies have revealed that businesses who have established diversity and inclusion initiatives have a competitive edge, particularly in today’s global market. Following are six reasons that businesses should not wait for their CEO to bring up diversity recruitment.
As millions around the world swipe through their iPhones today, not much thought is given to the visionary man who played a pivotal role in the development of this innovative device. Steve Jobs, the man behind the development of iPhone and multiple other devices such as the iPods, iPads etc., was the backbone of Apple Inc. (CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs, 2011). Under his guidance and supervision, Apple Inc. has achieved new heights by re-defining the manner in which we, as consumers of electronics, interact with technology (Kane & Fowler, 2011). Apple Inc. not only introduced new and innovative devices into the market but also fulfilled Jobs vision of taking complicated technologies and simplifying them so that they can be used as consumer products (CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs, 2011). Jobs’ technology company was unique from others as it was the “one that developed tightly integrated packages of hardware and software.” (Steve Jobs: Insanely Great, 2011). Jobs creative ideas and visionary thinking enabled Silicon Valley to transform from a fruit orchard into the technology industry’s innovation center of U.S. today (Kane & Fowler, 2011).
His utter dedication to discovery and excellence has created a culture that has made Apple a symbol of innovation”(Morris). The article goes on to talk about the passion that these employees have for their jobs. “Collaboration is key. So is a degree of perfectionism. Apple hires people who are never satisfied. A designer has to be a borderline fanatic…”(Morris).
Apple’s recent success in the marketplace is founded on a philosophy that derives its insight at the intersection of technology and consumer values. Apple’s unique, defiant, and sophisticated philosophy is all about revolutionizing life’s experiences; convergence of digital consumer electronics and the