Best Practices in Managing Diversity

The views expressed by various participants at a workshop on diversity organized by the National Academy of Engineering's Committee on Diversity in the Engineering Workforce in October 2001 are summarized. A common view was that employee diversity has a positive effect on a company's bottom line in that it allows the company to meet the needs of a marketplace that itself is becoming increasingly diverse and global. The benefits that diversity confers in raising employee creativity were also cited. The key components of a successful diversity program are outlined. The need for corporations, universities, and professional associations to work together in this area is stressed.