Book Description

Does a racial ceiling still exist? As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's Executive Order calling for a thoroughly integrated workplace, it's time to assess which corporations have contributed the most to this advancement and which have not. While it's true that more women and minorities can be found at the top of many corporations, troubling patterns have emerged. The partial application of diversity has resulted in the formation of a persistent white ceiling in corporate America as white women have outpaced people of color. More than 40 percent of the Fortune 100 corporations have no minorities among their executive officers. Minority females have fared the worst. In addition, globalization has resulted in many corporations preferring multinational diversity to national diversity, and U.S. minorities and whites are losing out. The majority of Asian and Hispanic executive officers in the Fortune 100 were born outside of the United States. In large numbers, Canadian and European competitors are being promoted ahead of their American-born, white male counterparts. Based on award-winning journalist Susan E. Reed's groundbreaking study of Fortune 100 companies, The Diversity Indexconsiders the historical reasons we went wrong, taking a close look at the "Plans for Progress" protocol developed in 1961, which defined the steps of affirmative action. It was initially considered a failure for not providing immediate results. This book analyzes the long-term, wide�spread effectiveness of the plan, and reveals the stories behind the few companies that have made a difference, breaking down the 10 simple steps you can take at your own organization to fully develop integration, keep it growing, and empower your employees to develop new products and markets. The book shares the fascinating stories of executives at General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, Merck, and PepsiCo, recounting their inspiring--and instructive--struggles to make their way up the ladder, as well as to pave the way for others going forward. Organizations that embrace diversity aren't just "doing the right thing"--across the board, they operate more successfully and outperform their peers. Based on unprecedented research, and filled with eye-opening real-world stories and clearly stated steps for practical action, The Diversity Indexshows you how to harness diversity's true power, create a more resilient workforce, and seriously increase your own organization's bottom line. SUSAN E. REED is an Emmy award-winning, investigative journalist who has covered almost every aspect of the workplace for 25 years for CBS News, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the American Prospect, and other publications. She contributes a business column to the international news website GlobalPost.com. She can be reached at: [email protected].