Managing Diversity In Public Sector Workforces

Norma M. Riccucci

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000392906
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Politique et relations internationales
• Subtopic: Affaires publiques et administration

Public and private sector workforces in the U.S. look very different today than they did even 25 years ago.

The changes are having a significant effect on how organizations manage their workforces. The old styles of managing heterogeneous workforces are proving to be ineffectual, and so management strategies aimed at embracing diversity and inclusion are essential. These strategies can have positive implications for worker satisfaction, morale and – ultimately – the delivery of public services to the American people.

Managing Diversity in Public Sector Workforces, Second Edition examines demographic changes to the U.S. labor force and workplace and the ways in which government employers are managing the diverse populations that now fill public sector jobs. Addressing specific management strategies and initiatives relied on by public sector employers, as well as the implications of effectively managing variegated workforces for the overall governance of American society, this book demonstrates the importance of ensuring that programs to promote inclusiveness and diversity that appear on paper are carried through to practice through implementation. The book begins with a review of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action and the extent to which EEO and AA are still relied upon in the workplace. It then examines law and other public policy issues surrounding EEO, AA and diversity management. The remainder of the book focuses on the core of managing diversity in the public sector, exploring the initiatives, strategies, and programs that government employers either do or might rely on to ensure that the demographic mosaic embodied by their workforces is prepared to meet the needs and interests of the American citizenry of the 21st century. Data are provided on the demographics of the federal, state and local government workforces. Separate chapters address each of the following aspects of diversity: race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ employment, physical ability, and the intersection of these constructs.

Managing Diversity in Public Sector Workforces, Second Edition will be of interest to students of public administration and public personnel management, and it is essential reading for all those involved in managing public organizations.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Workforce Diversity and the 21st Century

Today, public and private sector workforces in the United States look very different as compared to decades ago. This may be in part due to the demographic shifts in the overall population. That is to say, demographic shifts in the general population changed the social characteristics of the labor pool, which employers draw upon for their workers. The policies and programs that employers developed may also have contributed to the changing mix of workers—White women, Blacks and Latinx, disabled persons, and lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer/questioning persons (LGBTQ)—in the American workplace.

This book will examine the demographic changes to the labor force and workplace and the ways in which government employers are managing the imminently diverse populations that now fill public sector jobs. It will address the specific management strategies and initiatives relied on by public sector employers as well as the implications of effectively managing variegated workforces for the overall governance of American society. The book certainly makes clear the reality that demographic changes to the population in general have, as a corollary, led to changes in the labor pools from which both public and private sector employers draw their workers. In short, workforce diversity will prevail in public and private sector organizations as we move through the 21st century. To the extent that the demographics of the workforce reflect that of the general population that it serves, and that it is effectively managed, the delivery of public services will be greatly enhanced. Key is to ensure that programs to promote inclusiveness and diversity that appear on paper are carried through to practice through implementation.

Diversity Qua Diversity

When we speak of managing diversity in the context of the workplace, we often think of concepts such as equal employment opportunity (ΕΈΟ) and affirmative action. Although diversity has evolved from these concepts, it is significantly different. The easiest way to understand the differences in these concepts is to compare and contrast them. Table 1.1 illustrates the conceptual differences and similarities between and among EEO, affirmative action and managing diversity.

Table 1.1 Comparing EEO, Affirmative Action and Managing Diversity

EEO	Affirmative Action	Managing Diversity
Qualitative/Quantitative	Qualitative/Quantitative	Behavioral
Emphasis is on preventing or ending discrimination	Emphasis is on redressing past discrimination and achieving diverse, representative workforces	Emphasis is on building specific skills and creating a productive work environment with the organization’s human resources
Legally driven	Managerially and legally driven	Strategically driven
Mandated by federal law	Involves voluntarily developed goals as well as court-ordered programs. Common law has defined its legality and constitutionality	Behaviors and policies are seen as contributing to organizational goals and objectives such as productivity
Fairness	Remedial and compensatory	Pragmatic
Seeks to end discrimination and create equal opportunities	Specific voluntarily developed goals as well as court-ordered programs	The organization benefits in terms of morale and increases in productivity
Access model	Assimilation model	Synergy model
Model assumes that protected-class persons will be able to access organizations	Model assumes that persons and groups brought into the system will adapt to existing organizational norms. Can result in “sink or swim” atmosphere/environment	Model seeks to change organizational culture to accommodate diverse groups Assumes people will develop new ways of working together in a multicultural environment
Level playing field	Opens doors	Opens the system
Seeks to ensure equal opportunity and access	Seeks to affect hiring and promotion decisions in organizations	Seeks to affect managerial practices and policies

Sources: Adapted from Riccucci (1997), Henderson (1994), and Gardenswartz and Rowe (1993).

As the table shows, EEO is largely viewed as a means to prevent discrimination in the workplace on the basis of such factors or characteristics as race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, national origin, ability and age. Affirmative action, on the other hand, which emerged in response to pervasive employment discrimination, embodies proactive efforts to redress past discriminations as well as to diversify the workplace in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities and so forth. Affirmative action has been viewed as a legal tool to ensure EEO or diversity. Its emphasis on proaction has been the cause of endless controversy and public debate over its use as an employment tool or social policy. Indeed, opponents to affirmative action very early on were quick to label it “reverse discrimination.”

Managing diversity is the next iteration on the continuum. It refers to the ability of leaders and top management to develop strategies as well as programs and policies to manage and develop an environment whereby diversity is valued institutionally and interpersonally. It includes the ability of organizations to harness the diverse human resources available in order to create an inclusive, productive and motivated workforce. Key here is management’s ability to develop ways to address such challenges as communication breakdowns, misunderstandings and even hostilities that invariably result from working in an environment with persons from highly diverse backgrounds, age cohorts and lifestyles. Also, key is that diversity becomes a goal of the organization and is integrated into the overall strategic goals of the organization.

The opportunities are abundant and the efficacy with which they are seized by public employers will determine the ability of governments to successfully serve the needs and interests of the American populace.

The Demographics of the Workplace

Table 1.2 presents projections of the demographics of the civilian (non-military) labor force to 2050. The data show that the labor force is expected to become more diverse. With higher population growth and increasing participation rates, the share of persons of color in the workforce is projected to expand, particularly for Latinx and Asians. Latinx are expected to double their share of jobs by 2050 from close to 11 percent in 2000 to about 24 percent by 2050. Over the same period, Asians, the fastest-growing group in the labor force, are projected to increase their share from close to 5 percent in 2000 to around 11 percent by 2050. Blacks are expected to increase their share by the smallest amount from about 12 percent in 2000 to 14 percent by 2050. Again, higher population growth of Latinx and Asians contributes to these changes. The data also show that the percentage of men in the workforce will dip slightly from 2000 to 2050, and for women it will increase slightly over this same period.

Table 1.2 Demographics of Civilian Labor Force, 2000, and Projected 2050 (in Thousands and Percent Distribution)

	2000	2050
Men	75,257	100,280
	53.4%	52.3%
Women	65,616	91,545
	46.6%	47.7%
White	117,574	143,770
	83.5%	74.9%
Black	16,603	27,094
	11.8%	14.1%
Latinx	15,368	45,426
	10.9%	23.7%
Asian	6,687	20,960
	4.7%	10.9%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/, accessed May 4, 2020.

Because federal employment surveys such as the Current Population Survey (CPS) do not collect information about worker...