The value-in-diversity perspective argues that a diverse workforce, relative to a
homogeneous one, is generally beneficial for business, including but not limited to
corporate profits and earnings. This is in contrast to other accounts that view
diversity as either nonconsequential to business success or actually detrimental by
creating conflict, undermining cohesion, and thus decreasing productivity. Using data
from the 1996 to 1997 National Organizations Survey, a national sample of for-profit
business organizations, this article tests eight hypotheses derived from the
value-in-diversity thesis. The results support seven of these hypotheses: racial
diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, greater market
share, and greater relative profits. Gender diversity is associated with increased
sales revenue, more customers, and greater relative profits. I discuss the
implications of these findings relative to alternative views of diversity in the
workplace.
Using data from the 1983-1987 General Social Surveys, this paper investigates the degree to which being self-employed is more prevalent within certain racial and ethnic groups than others. Those of Jewish ancestry were more likely than others to be self-employed; those from "racial" ethnic groups were generally less likely than white ethnics to be self-employed. In addition, being older, more educated, from a higherincome family, male, from the South, non-Catholic, and having a selfemployed father also increased one's likelihood of being self-employed. A stratified analysis separately examining the effects among the offspring of the self-employed and others revealed that, among the progeny of the selfemployed, those of African, English, Hispanic, and Asian descent were less likely to be self-employed. Among those whose fathers were not selfemployed, only Jewish respondents were significantly more likely be selfemployed, and those of African descent and Polish descent were less likely to be self-employed. The implications of these findings for research on ethnic entrepreneurship are discussed.Researchers have shown an increasing interest in looking at the development of business activity as a pattern of adjustment to American society by some racial and ethnic groups (Portes and Manning
This article provides an overview of changes in the discourse about inclusion as it has evolved from debates about affirmative action to various notions of diversity. The article seeks movement away from 'colorblind diversity' and 'segregated diversity' toward a 'critical diversity' that examines all forms of social inequality, oppression, and stratification that revolve around issues of difference. It lays out concrete strategies for doing so: (1) target goods and resources to excluded people; (2) advocate an expansive notion of diversity, but seek out distributive justice that will serve to assist 'disprivileged' groups; (3) shift resources away from privileged groups, especially when invoking the rhetoric of diversity; (4) reconnect diversity to affirmative action and the need to offset historical and ongoing racial and gender discrimination, segregation, and bias; (5) remind people that diversity is consistent with legal compliance; and (6) demonstrate to organizational members that diversity is institutionally beneficial.
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