The changes in the composition of the U.S. workforce

Employees are the most important asset of an organization. It is the base to understand the composition of the U.S. workforce for an organization to develop strategy strategies to remain competitive.  The changing labor markets, globalization, and industrial restructuring have greatly changed proportion and composition of the U.S. labor force. The population in the United States is growing increasingly diverse. The population has become more evenly distributed across age, gender, and ethnic groups. The trend of diversification does not seem to be ended ending soon.                                                                                   

As part of the society, organization workforce has to reflect the ethnicity and diversity of the country. The potential benefits of the diversity include better decision making, greater creativity and innovation, and more successful marketing to different types of customers. However, diversity brings issues which may have a negative impact on the advantages and benefits. Organizations must identify issues that come with the diversity before they can embrace the diversity and realize the benefits. Good introduction, Doc Fan. The composition of the U.S. workforce is in constant change; today’s workforce is very different from fifty years ago and it will continue to evolve in the future. Organizations are becoming more diverse with changes across all demographics. Many business organizations have recognized this diversity as an opportunity for development and expansion.                                                                                         

       The changes in the composition of the U.S. workforce

Any organization, may it be profit oriented or not-for-profit, the most vital asset is its employees, and for these organizations to maximize their assets, they should manage the employees’ working condition with intelligence and efficiency (Ulrich, 1998). To understand the composition of the workforce is the base of an organization to develop competitive strategies.                                                                                                       

The population in the United States is growing increasingly diverse. Evidently, the population has become more evenly distributed across age groups. The female labor force is increasing, in the mean time; male rates are declining, which led the labor force closer to gender balance. On the other hand, the inflow of immigrants has been contributing to continuing increase in the racial and ethnic diversity of the workforce. The Hispanics and Asians are the fastest-growing groups in the workforce. According to the Bureau of Census, almost 30% of the U.S. population is from ethnic or racial minority groups, 12.8% are African American, 11.9% are Hispanics, 4.1% are Asian and Pacific, and 1% represents other groups, which means that there are about 36.4 million African-Americans, 35.3 million Hispanics, and 11.9 million Asian-Americans. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001)  By 2050, the Hispanic population is projected to reach 24 percent of the labor force. Asians will account for 8 percent of the labor force in 2050, up from 4 percent in 2005. In contrast, the African American share of the labor force will only grow from 11 percent to 14 percent in 2050. Because other groups are growing faster, the non-Hispanic whites' share of the labor force is projected to drop to just over 50 percent by 2050. The trend of diversification is not going to stop at anytime soon.  Organizations are developing diverse workforces by creating a heterogeneous combination of employees that differ with regards to gender, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Businesses that achieve a more diverse workforce are easily identifiable. Their workforce includes people of different ages, women, different racial backgrounds, physically challenged, and other than heterosexual preferences. The management of a diverse workforce is a concern for industry leaders who have a difficult task of managing in an evolving environment that includes globalization. Diversity presents unique challenges and opportunities that can either hinder or support organizational goals, capitalistically ensuring that only the most favorable organizations endure.

                            Personal work experiences and workforce profile

                As part of the society, in our organization, the workforce has reflected the ethnicity and diversity of the country. The diversity in terms of age, sex, race, language, values, attitudes, and beliefs is more distinctive than any other time in history. Globalization business and labor immigrating across borders have created more diverse organizations that comprise a mixture of people from many different cultures. Workforce diversity has become one of the main management issues in our organizations.

           Likewise, in Academic and Public Administration sector, in 1980, the white male accounted for 86% of all Senior Executive Service (SES) employees in the U.S. federal government. By 2008, that number had decreased to 65% (Office of Personnel Management, 2008). The industry sector is not exceptional;, in 2007, 49 percent of Bank of America officials and managers were women and 25 percent were a minority. Today, AT&T's 50-state work force is 44 percent female and 39 percent minority. Diversity brings substantial potential benefits as well as issues. To embrace the diversity and realize the benefit, organizations must identify issues that come with the diversity.            The last half of the twentieth century saw significant changes to the U.S. labor force. There was an influx of female workers. In 1950 women comprised less than 30 percent of the workforce. In 2003, women totaled nearly 47 percent of the workers. This is nearly gender balance in today’s workforce, a trend that will continue since women outnumber men on college campuses; why do you think this is happening, Doc Fan?. Women are not just increasing their numbers in menially labor positions, they are expanding into technical, professional, and managerial jobs.

                  Women’s movement into the workforce was the most significant event of the last half of the twentieth century affecting workplace diversity in the U.S. The next fifty years will be noted for growth in the ethnic and older proportion of the evolving workforce.            

  Issues in a highly diverse organization                                                                                

                   The potential benefits of the diversity include better decision making, greater

creativity and innovation, and more successful marketing to different types of customers.

However, diversity brings issues which may have negative impact on the advantages

and  benefits.  For example, diversity does not do as well under uncertainty and complex situations, which may lead to and frustration and confusion (what is an example of “uncertainty and complex situations”?).  The culture clash can result in negative dynamics that may produce difficulties for women and minorities. The diversity issues could be three levels: the system, the structures, and the culture level of an organization.  Managing diversity is more than simply recognize recognizing the differences in people, and the diversity issues must be addressed. The age, gender, ethnicity, national origin and language are the basic dimensions of diversity. While the major diversity issues can be categorized into two groups including organizational issues and individual issues.  The organizational issues include the conflict of culture differences, miscommunication, cultural bias (prejudice and discrimination), negative attitudes and discomfort toward people who are different, and stereotyping. Good…now what are “individual issues”.                                                

                    The most basic issues of workforce diversity are the Employment Equality Regulations of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The regulations prohibit discriminatory behavior against an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability or that of his or her friends, relatives, or associates. Women and men of all races who were previously excluded from jobs or educational opportunities, or were denied opportunities once admitted, have gained access through affirmative action. However, today, workforce diversity is no longer just about anti-discrimination and other legal compliance. It goes well beyond the traditional EEO.                                                                                                                                  

                       One of the most significant diversity issues is the conflict of culture difference.  Each culture has its distinct syntax, expressions and structure. When people from different culture work together, people may confused there may be confusion with the culture difference. The contrast between individualism and collectivism is such an example.  Asians, Hispanics and Blacks have roots in nations with collectivist cultures, while most Caucasians have roots in the European tradition of individualism. The performance of individualists (those from the U.S.) was lower when working in a group than when working alone, while the performance of collectivists (those from China and Israel) was lower when working alone than when working in a group. (Hofstede, 1980, Inkeles, 1983) excellent example. The work group structures study had found that those from cultures that view relationships in terms of hierarchy or pecking order have a preference for highly structured teams while those from individualistic cultures felt more comfortable with voluntary and informal teams (Perkins (1993). Traditionally, cultural conflicts between majority and minority group members are usually resolved in favor of the majority groups. This, in turn, creates significant barriers to full participation by minority members in potentially conflict situations (Tsui and O’Reilly 1992).                                                                           

                         Miscommunication can occur even between people of the same religion or the same nationality let alone people from different cultures please check your indentations, Doc.   Ineffective communication can result in problems such as lack of teamwork, and low morale. Therefore, culturally diverse groups may have communication issues. The way people communicate varies widely.  “Even when native and non-native speakers are exposed to the same messages, they may interpret the information differently" (Brownell, 2003). One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways.  Homogenous groups have been reported to outperform culturally diverse groups especially where there are serious communication issues which make it more difficult for everybody to make optimal contributions to the group effort (Sheridan, 1994). 

               Low level psychological identification was linked to high diversified workforce, which may result in absenteeism and turnover.  “Out-group members were more likely to leave the organization” (Cox, 1993).  This is not enough to make a paragraph, Doc. Please visit the APA Manual for clarification.                               

               Negative attitudes in the workplace are a big diversity issue as well. When

employees of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds work together, prejudice,

stereotyping, and discrimination can occur indeed they do.  Cultural bias is an additional

factor which challenges culturally diverse work environments. Cultural bias includes both

prejudice and discrimination (Sheridan, 1994).   Prejudice refers to negative attitudes toward

an organization member based on his/her culture group identity, and discrimination refers to

observable adverse behavior for the same reason"(Cox, 1991).     

             Working within diverse groups, the individuals’ issues comprise inadequate skill preparation, lack of proper education, low self-esteem, poor career planning, and lack of organizational political skill.   To take advantage of the trend of adversity, individuals should have a suitable education and upgraded skills. Employees in a diverse workplace must learn to work with other employees who are not the same yes, they should but do they.                                            

                              Conclusion                                                                                                             

              The trend of the composition of the U.S. workforce is more diverse diversity into the next century. A diverse workplace includes all types of employees such as those of various races, genders, sexual orientations, ages, with various religious and political beliefs.Workforce diversity is no longer just about anti-discrimination legal compliance.  Organizations started to pursue workforce diversity as a competitive necessity. However, diversity brings issues which may have a negative impact on the advantages and benefits.  Major diversity issues can be categorized into two groups including organizational issues and individual issues.  The organizational issues include the conflict of culture differences, miscommunication, cultural bias (prejudice and discrimination), negative attitudes and discomfort toward people who are different, and stereotyping.  The individuals’ issues comprise inadequate skill preparation, lack of proper education, low self-esteem, poor career planning, and lack of organizational political skill.   To take advantage of the trend of adversity, individuals should have a suitable education and upgraded skills. Employees in a diverse workplace must learn to work with other employees who are not the same.

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