What Do We Mean by Managing Diversity?

The purpose of this article is to explain what is meant by “managing diversity” and the implications for global, corporate success. This is most important if businesses are going to be successful in this third millennium. The article provides an operational definition of the term “multiculturalism”, as a basis for understanding the changes coming to our global society, since it forms the basis for a model of understanding the “how-to” of managing diversity. History is replete with examples of persons (i.e. Hitler and Milosevic) who managed diversity well, but for purposes of exclusion. In today’s global markets, managers need to know how to manage diversity for purposes of inclusion. The article presents the “7 Ps Models” for inclusion, and ends with discussing what makes an institution/organization a multicultural one.