icular information we receive, different groups receive different information through with to interpret the world. Third, the cultures of gender and race give unique perspectives on organizing experiences. Women and minorities identify interpersonal barriers as obstacles to their success, while white men see formal structures and policies as eliminating any obstacles. The patterns are similar to those Gilligan described in comparing how women and men create moral order. According to Gilligan, men define moral order in terms of hierarchy, separation, and abstraction. Women define moral order in terms of interpersonal relationships (as cited in Fine, Johnson, & Ryan, 1990, p. 317)Any organization operates within larger cultural frameworks, and the employees in that organization bring their cultural influence with them. Therefore is stands to reason that the cultures of gender and race help shape how workers view organizations. I have touched on the aspect that to compete successfully in an increasingly interdependent environment, businesses will have to refine their ability to manage, and benefit, from diversity. Diversity in the workplace is no longer just theory. Businesses have begun scrambling to understand the implications. Some examples of companies that have implemented successful diversity programs are Slectron, a high-tech company based in Californias Silicon Valley. Its 3,200 employees include 30 nationalities speaking 40 languages and dialects. After launching an internal cultural awareness program to help its diverse work force better understand each other and work together, Solectron has more than tripled its revenues during the last three years and won a highly respected Baldridge prize (Bloch, 1998, on-line). Voice Processing Corp., a small Massachusetts company, has, in the words of the Wall Street Journal, turned a potential Tower of Babel into a competitive advantage worldwide. Its headquarter staff of only ...
