There are numerous ways in which diversity has been defined. Narrow definitions tend to reflect Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law, and define diversity in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion, and disability (Wheeler, 1994). Broad definitions may include sexual/affectional orientation, values, personality characteristics, education, language, physical appearance, marital status, lifestyle, beliefs, and background characteristics such as geographic origin, tenure with the organization, and economic status (Carr, 1993; Caudron, 1992; Thomas, 1992; Triandis, 1994). Hayles (1996), for instance, defines diversity as "All the ways in which we differ" (p. 105). He adds that the diversity concept is not limited to what people traditionally think of it as: race, gender, and disabilities (American Society for Training and Development [ASTD], 1996b).
Morrison (1992) categorized diversity in terms of four levels: (1) diversity as racial/ethnic/sexual balance, (2) diversity as understanding other cultures, (3) diversity as culturally divergent values, and (4) diversity as broadly inclusive (cultural, subcultural, and individual). Griggs (1995) classified diversity into primary and secondary dimensions. Primary dimensions of diversity are those human differences that are inborn and/or that exert an important impact on our early socialization and have an ongoing impact throughout our lives. The six primary dimensions include (1) age, (2) ethnicity, (3) gender, (4) physical abilities/qualities, (5) race, and (6) sexual/affectional orientation. Griggs also concluded that human beings cannot change these primary dimensions. They shape our basic self-image and have great influence on how we view the world. The secondary dimensions of diversity are those that can be changed and include, but are not limited to, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, and work experience.
Based on her workforce diversity research, Tomervik (1995) identified the
following four basic themes related to the definition of diversity: (1) the
diversity concept includes a broad range of differences in the workforce,
including age, disability, education levels, ethnicity, family structure,
function, geographic location, race, religion, sexual orientation, style, and
values--definitions are extremely broad and all-inclusive; (2) the meaningful
aspects of diversity are how it affects the individual and the organization;
(3) the broadened definition of diversity requires a culture change within
organizations such as in management styles, human resource systems,
philosophies, and approaches; and
(4) there is an emphasis on communicating
a concept of diversity as more than race, gender, Affirmative Action, and equal
employment opportunity (p. 11-3). There is no one definitive definition that
fully describes the broad range of differences diversity includes, the
evolutionary nature of the process it represents, and the far-reaching impact
it has on individuals and corporations (Tomervik, 1995).
This report focuses on diversity in the broadest sense, which includes all the different characteristics that make one individual different from another. The major purpose for defining diversity so broadly is that it is all-inclusive and recognizes everyone as part of the diversity that should be valued (Griggs, 1995). A broad definition of diversity goes beyond protected-class differences because all employees bring their differences, including a variety of group-identity differences, to the workplace (Johnson, 1995). A broad definition moves workplace diversity issues beyond an "us versus them" struggle to focus on using and maximizing diversity to accomplish both individual and organizational goals. It provides an overarching goal for a unifying focus.