The Meaning, Importance and Effectiveness of Diversity training

by Samuel Hancock

The ability to function optimally in a diverse environment is a critical factor in organizational competitiveness within the new global economy. As a result, corporations and other public and private entities have been incorporating diversity training initiatives into their policies and procedures for over two decades. This qualitative study evaluated the effectiveness of diversity training on employees within the work environment at the former Medical College of Ohio. The research questions for this study focused on what meaning the trainees were able to attach to diversity training and the essence of their experience relative to the following four areas: the impact on their behavior towards others who are different, their acceptance of those differences, their knowledge of how to deal with issues of difference and whether or not the training enhanced their understanding of how to work more effectively with those who are different from them