Organizational Behavior, Third Edition

Chapter 2. Organizational Diversity

Exploring Behavior in Action: Diversity in the Los Angeles Fire Department

Melissa Kelley had a rich background in firefighting. Early in life, she learned from her grandfather, who worked as a firefighter. In college, she learned through coursework as a fire-science major. After college, she spent five years learning and honing her skills as a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry.

knowledge objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define organizational diversity and distinguish between affirmative action and diversity management.

2. Distinguish among multicultural, plural, and monolithic organizations.

3. Describe the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population and explain their implications for the composition of the workplace.

4. Discuss general changes occurring in the United States that are increasing the importance of managing diversity effectively.

5. Understand why successfully managing diversity is extremely important for high-involvement work organizations.

6. Discuss the various roadblocks to effectively managing a diverse workforce.

7. Describe how organizations can successfully manage diversity.

Armed with her experiences and passion for the work, she joined the Los Angeles Fire Department in 2001. Although aware of possible discrimination and harassment against women in the department, she did not hesitate to join when presented with the opportunity. In her words, "I was willing to overlook ... the dirty jokes, the ...