Workforce diversity acknowledges the reality that people differ in many ways, visible or
invisible, mainly age, gender, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation,
religion, personality, ethnicity and culture (Kossek, Lobel and Brown 2005). However,
the predominant diversity issues in each country are different. While gender inequality is the
oldest and most common diversity issue worldwide, religion and ethnicity separate people
in India and Middle East and household status (hukou) differentiates off-farm migrants from
urbanites in China. Chinese rural migrants are routinely looked down on by urbanites and
mistreated at the workplace and in society. Multiculturalism has always been the most
important dimension of diversity in Western countries, including the EU nations, Australia
and New Zealand, where there are a large number of international migrants with diverse
cultural backgrounds. Racial equality appears to be the predominant issue in both USA and
South Africa where there has been a long history of systematic discrimination against blacks
and other ethnic minorities. Although researchers have examined several aspects of
diversity, no comprehensive model exists. In this paper we review the literature on diversity
practices in the area of human resource management (HRM). We also develop a conceptual
framework which will help organizations develop HRM strategies and policies to manage
diversity effectively. Our framework will also help researchers identify key areas for future
research and guide practitioners to formulate and implement diversity appropriately.
A diverse workforce comprises a multitude of beliefs, understandings, values, ways of
viewing the world, and unique information. Rapid internationalization and globalization
has enhanced the significance of workforce diversity. A cross-cultural and multicultural
workforce is a common thread not only in organizations in western economies but also in corporations globally. As a result, diversity has increasingly become a “hot-button” issue in political, legal, corporate and educational arenas. However, the attitudes towards a diverse workforce in these corporations and from researchers have been very mixed. The organizational attitudes range from intolerance to tolerance and even appreciation of diversity (Joplin and Daus 1997).