Diversity and Inclusion at the Workplace
Texas Health Resources, a Dallas-area healthcare and hospital company, ranked No. 1 among Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Diversity and No. 2 for Best Workplaces for African Americans. Texas Health employs a diverse workforce that is about 75 percent female and 40 percent minority. The company goes above and beyond by offering English classes for Hispanic workers and hosting several dozen social and professional events each year to support networking and connections among peers with different backgrounds. It also offers same-sex partner benefits; approximately 3 percent of its workforce identifies as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning).
Another company receiving recognition is Marriott International, ranked No. 6 among Best Workplaces for Diversity and No. 7 among Best Workplaces for African Americans and for Latinos. African American, Latino, and other ethnic minorities account for about 65 percent of Marriott’s 100,000 employees, and 15 percent of its executives are minorities. Marriott’s president and CEO, Arne Sorenson, is recognized as an advocate for LGBTQ equality in the workplace, published an open letter on LinkedIn expressing his support for diversity and entreating then president-elect Donald Trump to use his position to advocate for inclusiveness. "Everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or identity, gender, race, religion disability or ethnicity should have an equal opportunity to get a job, start a business or be served by a business," Sorenson wrote. "Use your leadership to minimize divisiveness around these areas by letting people live their lives and by ensuring that they are treated equally in the public square".
Critical Thinking
Is it possible that Texas Health and Marriott rank highly for diversity because the hospitality and healthcare industries tend to hire more women and minorities in general? Why or why not?
Source: Rice University, https://openstax.org/books/business-ethics/pages/8-1-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-workforce
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