"Women now compromise 47% of all workers, up from 45% in 1990 and 42% in 1980 (Powell 225)." The educational attainment of women in comparison to men has also risen. Women now constitute the majority of those who are getting bachelor's and master's degrees. Women are now more prepared than ever to step into high paying jobs that require high levels of education.
Secondly, there has been a worldwide shift from a primarily based manufacturing economy to that of a primarily based service economy. Since a service economy is not based on physical strength, rather education, men and women compete at the same level. Companies in the service industry have a greater proportion of women at all levels, including top management. Service industries that promote gender diversity will be very effective. As the customers become more diverse, so must the company.
A company can become more diverse by providing equal opportunity to handicapped workers. Often times, if two people are equally qualified, a job would go to a non-handicapped worker. This happens because the employer fears that there will be a large cost to accommodate the handicapped worker or there will be discomfort among the other employees. Often times it is just the opposite. "A Rutgers University study that revealed more than 60 percent of employers who hired a worker with a disability found the average cost of adaptations was $500 or less. Three out of four employers who hired an employee with a disability reported no need to make any new workplace accommodations (Human Resources Report 1)." As far as discomfort is concerned, employers could offer diversity training, which "stresses the process rather than the content of training and emotional rather than conceptual training (Duening 501)" when dealing with handicapped employees. Handicapped employees have an impact on diversity by offering a unique workplace.
Unique workplaces are offered at multinational organizations.
