BHR 3551
Advantages and Disadvantages of Diverse Teams in the Workplace
Columbia Southern University
BHR 3551 Human Relations and Development
Advantages and Disadvantages of Diverse Teams in the Workplace
As the world continues to grow and change, becoming more and more diverse with each
passing moment, so is the workforce. More and more companies are beginning to shift from
work centered solely around an individual to more team focused structures (Karolidis & Vouzas,
2019). With this shift, companies are beginning to take notice that one of the key factors in
achieving success, and maintaining it, is by having a diverse team of employees. However, Luke
Visconti, co-founder of Diversityinc., -a magazine and website that reports on corporate
America’s diversity- stated that companies must be careful when implementing new diversity
programs to aid with teams in the workforce without first being properly educated on what
diversity actually means; being respectful to all individuals and valuing their differences
(Birritteri, 2005).
While Visconti’s advice may cause a company to be hesitant about implementing any sort
of new diversity programs, in fear that the implementation could do more harm than good, it’s
worth noting that there are a plethora of advantages to diverse teams in the workplace. In fact,
Robert Lattimer suggests in his article, “The New Age of Competitiveness”, the only way for a
business to stay relevant and successful in this new era of business is by creating and maintaining
diverse teams because of all the benefits surrounding them (2003). What exactly are the
advantages to diverse teams? Can diversity really be one of the major contributing factors to a
company’s success?
Diversity within teams offers up the possibility of having a variety of different
perspectives, for starters. With employees coming from such different backgrounds there will be
Advantages and Disadvantages of Diverse Teams in the Workplace
Columbia Southern University
BHR 3551 Human Relations and Development
Advantages and Disadvantages of Diverse Teams in the Workplace
As the world continues to grow and change, becoming more and more diverse with each
passing moment, so is the workforce. More and more companies are beginning to shift from
work centered solely around an individual to more team focused structures (Karolidis & Vouzas,
2019). With this shift, companies are beginning to take notice that one of the key factors in
achieving success, and maintaining it, is by having a diverse team of employees. However, Luke
Visconti, co-founder of Diversityinc., -a magazine and website that reports on corporate
America’s diversity- stated that companies must be careful when implementing new diversity
programs to aid with teams in the workforce without first being properly educated on what
diversity actually means; being respectful to all individuals and valuing their differences
(Birritteri, 2005).
While Visconti’s advice may cause a company to be hesitant about implementing any sort
of new diversity programs, in fear that the implementation could do more harm than good, it’s
worth noting that there are a plethora of advantages to diverse teams in the workplace. In fact,
Robert Lattimer suggests in his article, “The New Age of Competitiveness”, the only way for a
business to stay relevant and successful in this new era of business is by creating and maintaining
diverse teams because of all the benefits surrounding them (2003). What exactly are the
advantages to diverse teams? Can diversity really be one of the major contributing factors to a
company’s success?
Diversity within teams offers up the possibility of having a variety of different
perspectives, for starters. With employees coming from such different backgrounds there will be
