Administrative and Management Commitment and Support .
Administrative and management support is critical for diversity change efforts. An important role for senior management is to provide leadership through development of a vision and goals for a diverse workplace (Lapid-Bogda, 1992). To gain support from administration you need to directly link diversity to the business. Be specific as to where the diversity issues lie. Are they employee or customer issues? Or both? Provide data regarding the diversity opportunities in the marketplace, workforce and organization (Prism International, 2000). Benchmarking best practices related to diversity from other organizations, demographic data, briefings regarding complaints, potential lawsuits, and hiring and retention problems are all relevant sources of data. .
In general, the organizations experiencing the greatest success with diversity training are more likely to view diversity as a business issue rather than a social issue (Profiting from others", 1994). Link diversity to other organizational initiatives, such as quality management or career development (Lapid-Bogda, 1992). Discuss both your initial assessment of what will be required for implementation and institutionalization of diversity management and the known elements in the organization that will promote and/or hinder the successful achievement of diversity management (Prism International, 2000). Finally, administrative support and commitment is essential also for the means to provide the programs and resources necessary for diversity education and training. You"ll never survive the first round of budget cuts without the support of administration. .
Education and Training .
Organizations that successfully manage diversity distinguish between the differences of education and training. Education is a building of awareness and creating a base of general understanding. At the administrative and management levels, educational efforts can spawn interest and an awareness of need, which can then extend the change process throughout the organization (Baytos and Delatte, 1993).
