Building a Shared Understanding and Commitment to Managing Diversity

Abstract

This study examined the perspectives of both employees and senior managers in one organization to determine if the communication between advisory panels representing diverse groups of employees and senior managers resulted in a shared understanding and commitment to diversity. An analysis of interview transcripts revealed a shared agreement among the majority of the participants regarding the advisory role of the panels. In addition, raising the sensitivity of senior managers, increasing career advancements for women and minorities, and improving interpersonal relationships were identified as positive effects, while a small group of participants thought that the panels had led to resent-ment of diverse groups. n 1995, a bipartisan Federal Commission, chaired by Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor, issued a final report titled ’A solid investment: Making full use of the nation’s human capital.&dquo; The Commission com-pleted its three-year fact-finding study by concluding that minorities