Workforce Diversity in Volunteerism and the Peace Corps

Defining Workforce Diversity

One of the major stumbling blocks in discussions surrounding diversity is its very definition. There are different diversity definitions available in management literature (Weisinger, 2005). “Diversity can be defined as differences in perspective originating from observable characteristics of a person or people group (race, ethnicity, gender, and age), as well as unobservable characteristics (culture, cognition, religion, and sexual orientation)” (Bortree & Waters, 2014, p. 217). According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), only 30 percent of human resources professionals say that their company even has an official definition of diversity (SHRM, 2008). A study done by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Vice President Al Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) Diversity Task Force determined that diversity needed to be defined broadly and that it should encompass a wide range of initiatives that meet the changing needs of customers and workers (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999; Kochan et., al., 2003). Deloitte (2011) stated that “focusing on diversity of thought enables us to see people as individuals rather than as representatives of a group and this helps us to find common ground when working together” (p.6). French, O’Rourke and Walsh (2014) also believe that “differing life experiences alter the way people approach a problem, and these differing perspectives can lead to innovation” (p. 1937). In the context of nonprofits that includes the individuals served by the nonprofit as well as the volunteers and employees who work there. The study suggested that leaders and employees should take active roles in implementing diversity processes and in order for them to succeed they needed to be fully aligned with core organizational goals and objectives. The findings in the report illustrated that the benefits of diversity are for everyone. It also emphasized that diversity, more than a moral imperative, is a global necessity. For the purpose of this chapter, we use the following definition of diversity: Diversity includes all characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999).