The December 1, 1997 issue of Business Week included a supplement, which addressed the important issue of Global Diversity. It quoted Ron Baukol, V-P for worldwide operations at 3M, who succinctly and eloquently defined diversity as follows:
"It all comes back to a fundamental issue that is the same everywhere: respect and dignity for each human being and the ability of each to express his or her own individuality."
From an organizational behavior context, diversity really boils down to understanding differences. Individual differences exist and they impact the way we work and how we achieve our goals.
Why should managers take time to understand individual differences in the people with whom they work?