From the Chrysler Corporation1 to the Central Intelligence Agency, cultural diversity programs are flourishing in American organizations today. Firms can no longer safely assume that every employee walking in the door has similar beliefs or expectations. Whereas North American white males may believe in challenging authority, Asians tend to respect and defer to it. In Hispanic cultures, people often bring music, food, and family members to work, a custom that U.S. businesses have traditionally not allowed. A job applicant who won't make eye contact during an interview may be rejected for being unapproachable, when according to her culture, she was just being polite.

As a larger number of women, minorities, and immigrants enter the U.S. work force, the workplace is growing more diverse. It is estimated that by 2005 women will make up about 48 percent of the U.S. work force, and African Americans and Hispanics will each account for about 11 percent; by the year 2050, minorities will make up over 50 percent of the American population.

Cultural diversity refers to the differences among people in a work force due to race, ethnicity, and gender. Increasing cultural diversity is forcing managers to learn to supervise and motivate people with a broader range of values systems. According to a recent survey by the American Management Association, half of all U. S. employers have established some kind of formal initiative to promote and manage cultural diversity. Although demographics2 isn't the only reason for the growth of these programs, it is a compelling one. An increasing number of organizations have come to believe that diversity, like quality and customer service, is a competitive edge. A more diverse work force provides a wider range of ideas and perspectives and fosters creativity and innovation.

Avenues for encouraging diversity include recruiting at historically black colleges and universities, training and development, mentoring,3 and revamped promotion review policies. To get out the message about their commitment to diversity, many organizations establish diversity councils made up of employees, managers, and executives. Although many Fortune 500 companies are making diversity part of their strategic planning process, some programs stand out from the crowd.

    从克莱斯勒公司到中央情报局，美国的企业与机构如今正大张旗鼓地推进多元文化计划。企业不再轻言每个员工都胸怀大体相同的信念或期望。北美的白人男子也许会认同与当权者争长论短，而亚洲人一般会对领导们言听计从；拉美文化背景的人们常常是听着音乐，连吃带喝，拖家带口来上班，虽然美国公司从来没有容许过这样的习惯；在面试中没有目光交流的应聘者会因为不善于沟通而被刷下来，而也许按照她的文化习俗，这些举动只是礼貌的表现。

    随着更多的妇女、少数族裔以及移民人群进入美国就业队伍，企业员工文化背景更加多元化。预计到2005年，妇女将占美国就业人数的48%左右，非洲裔美国人与拉美人将分别占到11%。而到2050年，美国总人口中少数族裔将达到50%以上。

    企业多元文化即在同一个公司里由于员工的民族、种族与性别的不同而存在的差异。企业文化的日益多元化促使管理者们学习以更为宽广的文化价值观去领导和激励员工。据美国管理协会最近的一项调查表明，美国所有的企业中有一半已经正式推行了旨在促动与管理多元文化的计划。虽然人口结构的变化并不是多元文化计划发展的惟一原因，但它也算是一个强劲的动因。越来越多的企业与机构已经意识到，同产品质量与客户服务一样，员工的多元化也可以成为竞争优势。更加多元化的员工队伍意味着更广阔的思路和更多的好点子，能够促进企业的创造与革新。

    促进多元文化的途径包括：到黑人历来较多的大学招聘雇员,培训与培养人才，提供良师服务（传帮带），调整升职考核政策等。为了广泛宣传其多元文化计划，许多机构建立了由员工、部门经理及高层管理者组成的委员会。许多《财富》500强企业都还在尝试把多元文化管理作为其战略部署的一部分，也有一些公司已有成型的计划脱颖而出。（付美榕 编译）

摘自《英语学习》2002年第2版（J-04）