National Network for Equitable Library Service

With demographic shifts and globalization transforming the nature of relationships, interactions, and decision making, excellence in diversity management is more important than ever. However, the field of diversity has no established standard for evaluating what constitutes best practices, nor has there been any agreement on what the most fundamental philosophies, principles, and concepts are—until now. In this pioneering book R. Roosevelt Thomas, one of our most distinguished diversity theorists and practitioners, proposes a framework that will enable the development of a truly world-class diversity management capability. It was the development of such standards in manufacturing that enabled companies to strategically pursue excellence in this area. A world-class approach to diversity management must be applicable anywhere in the world, be able to address any possible issue, facilitate comparison of different concepts and practices, and focus on the entire field of diversity rather than specific dimensions such as race or gender. These requirements are amply met by Thomas’s Four Quadrant model and his Strategic Diversity Management Process™. Thomas first analyzes each of four quadrants—managing workforce demographic representation, managing demographic relationships, managing diverse talent, and managing strategic mixtures—exploring the goals, motives, approaches, accomplishments, and challenges associated with each. And he reveals the unrecognized paradigm or mind-set that lies behind each quadrant’s express purpose. Once he has laid out the broad range of diversity management strategies, Thomas discusses how to realize them. He offers an overview of the Strategic Diversity Management Process—by far the most effective framework for implementation. He also examines the on-the-ground dynamics of implementing each of the strategies and their associated paradigms by incorporating a case study of a CEO, a composite of the many executives Thomas has worked with.