Corporate Diversity Program

CORPORATE DIVERSITY PROGRAM

My company is one of the leading suppliers and distributors of HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning). We are a rather large company, with approximately one hundred employees, somewhat diverse, and also quite profitable. Recently, I received a memo stating that a diversity program was to be established. Diversity is certain qualities in other people that are different than your own. It could be age, gender, race, ethnic background, or sexual preference. It even includes income, religion, and education. A diversity program is intended to center on issues surrounding work relationships. It is meant to explore the specialties and uniqueness of diverse individuals.

The workplace needs all types of diversity. It is said to have a positive effect. We need diversity to become more inventive and open to change. The article "We'd Love To Hire Them, But..." on page 311 of Ore's "The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality" focuses on race and employment. Evidence from studies suggest that expectations on certain groups can strongly influence job placement. The production of a worker is shaped by relationships with co-workers. Potential and existing employees are not only evaluated by race, but also by their class. This seems to occur less often, only because class is more difficult to distinguish. It is not easily observed, but detected to employers by one's clothing, educational background, speech, skills, and place of residence. Productivity coincides with social relationships. It seems as though behavior, not only job skills, are closely related to effective communications between employees and employers. It has also been suggested that good relations between workers causes higher productivity and increased morale and corporate loyalty.

Corporation is defined in the dictionary as an organized body, especially a business, that has been granted a state charter recognizing it as a separate legal entity having its own rights, privileges, and liabilities distinct from those of the individuals within the entity. A corporation can acquire assets, enter into contracts, sue or be sued, and pay taxes in its own name. Corporations issue shares of stock to individuals supplying ownership capital and issue bonds to individuals lending money to the business. The corporation is a desirable organization for a business entity for a variety of reasons including the increased capability such an entity has to raise capital. Most large firms, especially those engaged in manufacturing, are organized as corporations. All stocks sold in the primary market and traded in the secondary market are shares of corporate ownership. It also included the definition of a "stakeholder" as any party that has an interest in an organization. Stakeholders of a company include stockholders, bondholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and so forth.

Page 321 of "The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality" contains an article that is titled, "The Glass Escalator." It starts by stating that the sex segregation in the workforce is a major issue in our society. Women face barriers when they try to enter male-dominated occupations. A key term discussed in the writing is the "glass ceiling."

Many women are restrained by invisible walls that limit promotion in their professions, mainly due to men with sexist outlooks in the higher positions. Men who try to enter female positions also face many challenges. Men were actually excluded from certain jobs. Such as the story of a Texas school district that refused to hire a male to teach the lower grades. Men seem to be promoted in order to keep them out of female-dominated careers. There is also a related term known as the "glass escalator." This deals with men who face invisible pressures to advance in their careers. As if on an escalator, they must work to stay in the same place. This article also discusses that women tend to play down their gender difference because it is the men that are the source of scorn. They often feel uncomfortable and isolated due to their gender. This type of discrimination drives women out of male-dominated jobs. On the other hand, a male in a non-traditional line of work is viewed as a positive thing. Unsurprisingly, most males said that they felt accepted by their female co-workers.

It is declared that men in female positions must also face stereotypes. The same article gives examples of male nurses being gay, or male teachers being sex offenders. When asked, women teachers answered that they did not encounter any type of prejudice. Men in these professions are also viewed as stepping down a notch in status. Page 329 suggests that this may be the reason why men are under-represented in positions such as nursing, librarian, and teaching. These stereotypes can push men out of these job areas and add to the "glass escalator" by pressuring men to advance and get out of the female-dominated positions.

In addition to the research listed above, there are multiple other reasons why a

diversity program would be beneficial for the company. Firstly, as our company grows,

so does our customer base. As you know, we do business all over the world, and our customer base is vastly diverse. I feel as though by starting this diversity program, we can increase our business profits. Clients do stop in every so often, and I feel if we have a more diverse staff, we would not seem racist or sexist. It is important to make a good impression on potential buyers. Also, as our company continues to expand, so do our competitors. After some research, it has been brought to my attention that many other of our competitors are starting, if they haven't already, instating their own diversity programs. We need to get a step up on the competition, and I don't want to get left behind. As this program develops, an improvement in working well with others will cause higher company morale. It is important to mention that it is just the right thing to do.

This diversity program will essentially make more money for our company. A diverse staff attracts diverse customers, therefore, broadening our markets. For example, over the last decade, Hispanics, Latinos, and even Blacks are significantly growing. The article "Conscious Choice" also claims that many companies are implementing diversity programs so that different people can work well together. The article states that the Asian population doubled, Latinos' grew by fifty percent, Native Americans' by thirty percent, and blacks even grew by thirteen percent over the last decade. The white population actually decreased