The importance of cultivating a diverse workplace

It’s well understood that a workplace of similarly minded drones makes for a static environment.

Also, it is required by law that companies be equal-opportunity employers. But aside from the obvious and the legal, there are reasons that diversity — regardless of the form it takes — lends itself to building a stronger company.

Dr. James Smither, Professor of Management at La Salle University, defines diversity as “the differences among people in terms of their personalities, underlying values and training.” It is these aspects that make a powerful team. “Deep diversity can be beneficial to the team as a whole because it creates a team with broader knowledge and perspectives that in turn can enhance the quality of problem-solving and decision-making,” he says.

The benefits of a diverse workforce aren’t limited to the office. “The advantages of diverse workplaces extend beyond America’s borders,” says Peter Aranda, CEO at The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. “The world is quickly becoming one giant multicultural marketplace in which U.S. companies vie for market share with competitors across the world. If American businesses want to stay in the game, they must become much more attuned to the nuances and needs of disparate cultures than they’ve been in the past.”