Assignment
In today's global marketplace, managers interact with people of different cultures, languages, beliefs, and values. Whirlpool Corporation has shown that a diverse workforce can be a powerful advantage. Since its establishment in 1911, Whirlpool, headquartered in Michigan, has grown into a global corporation with manufacturing locations on every major continent and annual revenues in excess of $19 billion. Approximately 60 percent of Whirlpool's 70,000 employees work outside North America. The development of this broad workforce is aided by the company's award-winning diversity program, which gathers workers into support groups based on personal affiliations. To enter the program, workers join a particular employee network of their choosing, such as the Hispanic network, the young professionals network, the Asian or African American networks, the women's network, the Native American network, or the Pride network, which includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) employees. These networks give employees access to a world of new career resources and training opportunities.
For instance, according to the company's Web site, "Our primary objective is to become the employer of choice for GLBT and affirming employees." Despite the program's obvious focus on employee well-being, leaders at Whirlpool say the networks also offer a competitive advantage in global marketing. "Having diverse people making decisions and giving input to the factors that we consider on a daily basis is extremely important to the business," according to the company's vice president of consumer and appliance care, Kathy Nelson. "It's important because we need to make sure that the people who are making business decisions are reflective of who our consumers are." This belief is fully in keeping with the company's Diversity Mission Statement, expressed by Chairman and CEO Jeff Fettig: "We best serve the unique needs of our customers through diverse, inclusive, and engaged employees who truly reflect our global customer base.
Questions
1. What are the three main objectives of Whirlpool's diversity networks?
2. What challenges do managers face in establishing a diverse workplace, and how might they respond to these challenges?
3. Do you think formation of Whirlpool's employee networks is the best way to promote a positive culture of diversity? Explain.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.