Diversity Training is considered to be the primary tool by most employers for developing diversity competence and promoting cooperative relationships in the workplace. In the past decade and a half, most organizations, both in public and private sectors, wanting to enhance acceptance of diversity and to improve relations among different race and gender groups have provided some form of diversity training. According to industry reports diversity training has become a multimillion dollar business. However, very little research has been done on the impact of diversity training on attitudes of leaders and members of organizations, and its relationship to improving organizational performance and employee morale. This paper presents findings of a study of a large government agency in which employee attitudes and perceptions about diversity training were measured. The paper discusses findings of the study and what they tell us, and examines various components of diversity training and conditions required for its success.

In a workplace that is becoming increasingly multicultural and global, diversity training has become crucial for organizational performance. Therefore, important consideration must be given to designing the content and methodology of diversity training. It is imperative that impacts of previous diversity training initiatives are evaluated systematically to learn from past efforts and to design future programs. Diversity training needs to become more theory-driven recognizing that teaching diversity requires grappling with the challenges of integrating the inherently "emotional work" with the conceptual and practical aspects of diversity education.

Keywords

• Diversity
• Training
• Organizational Performance
• Impact of Diversity Training
• Evaluation
• Improve Relations
• Design and Methodology of Diversity Training

(30 min. Conference Paper, English)