Managing Workforce Diversity at General Motors Company. A Thematic Literature Review

Academic Paper from the year 2020 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Leadership, grade: A, Kenyatta University, course: Business Management, language: English, abstract: The workplace in the 21st century is far more diverse than it was even a few generations back. Individuals who may have encountered employment barriers in the past due to religious views, ability differences, or sexual orientation now regularly participate in interview pools and on the job with their peers. Per se, companies are largely comprised of people of diverse attributes and backgrounds, including interests, personalities, ideologies, customs, traditions, languages and nationalities, working in unison to achieve a collective objective or goal. However, these same aspects are credited with the possibility of contributing and fostering critical challenges to the organizations and the organizational culture. General Motors Company (hereinafter, GM), which is a major car manufacturer in the U.S., is not an exception. Generally, the automotive industry continues grappling with diversity challenges, with recent surveys showing companies like GM and Tesla to be overwhelmingly male or being accused of discrimination on the basis of race. Thus, this paper presents an expansive analysis of diversity and inclusion in the automotive industry, particularly in GM, while at the same time providing strategies that need to be undertaken to manage diversity in the workplace.