Human‐Resource Management for Twenty‐First Century: Managing Diversity

As the end of the twentieth century rapidly approaches, the time has come for the civil engineering profession to assess its human‐resource practices in preparation for the coming century. The key to effective and efficient management in the twenty‐first century will be diversity management. This requires an understanding of the demographic and social changes that have so greatly impacted the workplace during the last part of the twentieth century, and of the changes needed in current human‐resource management practices to accommodate diversity in the workforce. This article begins with an overview of the demographic and social changes that have occurred in the workplace during the past 40 years. The impact of these changes on both the general workforce and the civil engineering profession is discussed. Finally, it concludes by identifying and discussing several of the human‐resource issues that must be addressed for effective management of diversity in the workforce of today and tomorrow.