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, Diversity at the workplace can be illustrated as the full range of the different ways that any
random individual can identify. According to Konrad et al (2005) having a diverse workplace
means that the human resource reflects the communities served with all facets of race, ethnicity,
gender, age, religion, and ethnicity represented. In an article on the Wall Street Journal, Manzoni
and Strebel (2010) insinuated that diversity at the workplace sounds great in theory but it is a
difficult ideology to implement. This is owing to the fact that when directors are alike, they tend
to think the same and look at problems and solutions in the same manner which can lead to laxity
at the workplace is changing the business environment. At the same time, Manzoni and Strebel
(2010) agree that diversity can lead to increased innovation, outside the box thinking and better
governance. These contrasting ideas show that despite the promise of diversity at the workplace,
the implementation of the ideology to deliver tangible results has been elusive over time.
Manzoni and Strebel (2010) added that it’s only a few boards that pursue diversity that see the
results while most report no significant performance while others drown in conflict and gridlock.
Owing to these opposing ideas, this essay will discuss whether organizations should pursue
diversity considering the challenges it may bring.
The opposition towards having a diverse workforce is necessary but insufficient as it draws on an
array of negative consequences that are likely to be generated from having individuals with
different values and ideas. This essay argues that although the notion of a diverse workforce may
be associated with negatives, the positive contributions of a diverse workforce cannot be ignored.
Simply put, diversity is good for business (Thomas and Ely, 2001). This implies that there is an
impact on the bottom line for businesses in diversity which is the primary focus of managers. A
diverse workforce according to Thomas and Ely (2001) can have business value where new
segments of the market are likely to be attracted to products just by the default inclusion of its
members in the workforce. With members of such segments identifying with members of the
workforce, products become more visible to them and it becomes easy for businesses to convert
potential customers to recurrent consumers. As such, while it may be challenging to implement a
diverse workforce as insinuated by Manzoni and Strebel (2010), a diverse workforce on paper is