When a manager says "this diversity thing would be easy if only everyone reacted and behaved the same way" or "I must be totally consistent in what I do; surely I should be expected to treat everyone the same", then he or she is reflecting the challenge of managing diversity. Equality in the context of managing diversity means treating each person's needs with an equal amount of respect and attention. (Society of Management Accountants of Canada, 1996, p. 10) .
The facts present a compelling case for the corporate embrace of workplace diversity. However, does the real world bear out this case? Grossman (2000) states that employers are reporting that diversity programs are making a difference and are quick to point to the success of efforts at their companies. However, outside observers say that the efforts of these individual employers are not enough to address the persistent problem of workplace discrimination. Most diversity activities, experts say, have not been held to the same level of accountability as other human-resource activities. "If they were evaluated vigorously the results would be disturbing," says Carol Kulak, management professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. "How would you feel if you invested all this money and found out that it had no effect? Companies do it for other reasons: legal protection, symbolism." Grossman continues that although overt discrimination has declined, minorities and women remain a small cohort of professional organizations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1983, 3% of engineers and attorneys were black. In 1999, blacks made up 5% for each profession. In 1983, 3% of physicians were black: in 1999, between 5% and 6%. Over the years, blacks in marketing, advertising and public relations rose from 3% to 5%; financial managers from 4% to 7%. From a financial perspective, blacks were twice as likely as whites to be unemployed in 1999.