Jun 13, 2010
As readers may remember, (i know some of you have limited attention span) we posted previously on this blog an excerpt from our writing on the subject of “Diversity in the Motorcycle Industry” which was part of a final exam paper we had to write for a college course. Long story short; we received a lot of positive feedback from this and thus wanted to continue our excerpts from that paper. SO her ya go.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary states “diversity” as “the condition of being diverse: variety; especially: the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization”.
When one thinks of the term “multiculturalism” however, we are referring to the changing age, sex, ethnicity, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation of people across all types and places of work in the United States. Thus I tend to view the “multicultural” workforce as a descriptive term that, correctly or not, has largely supplanted the term “diversity” in describing the increasing heterogeneity of the workplace. Roosevelt Thomas, founding president of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, qualified diversity as a “comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees.”
Likewise the Portable MBA Desk Reference ended its definition of “diversity” in a similar manner. “The challenge posed by diversity, then, is to accommodate different groups by addressing their lifestyles, values, work style, and family needs without compromising the goals and operations of the organization.” And Joan Crockett, vice president for human resources at Allstate Insurance Co., viewed a diverse workforce as being about “unlocking the potential for excellence among all workers.” Allstate’s diversity vision statement sums up this belief: “Diversity is Allstate’s strategy for leveraging differences in order to create a competitive advantage.”
Diversity, (while including race and gender) also encompasses age, ethnicity, physical ability, and sexual orientation. Additionally, secondary factors such as education, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious preference, and work experience also reflect the elements of a diverse or multicultural workforce.
One point to identify is that diversity within certain groups is commonly confused with affirmative action. However one must remember that the most striking difference between the two social schemes is that “affirmative action is initiated by government regulation and legislation”, whereas “diversity is voluntary”.
Why then are so many companies ‘voluntarily’ engaging in diversity efforts? Because there is a very strong business case for those businesses’ to support and pursue this work—the changing marketplace that consumes their product. Example: Women consumers account for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from autos to health care. According to Road & Travel Magazine, today’s women make up more than 50% of the automotive market, spending an estimated $80 billion a year on new-car sales, a number industry analysts expect to see rise to 60% in just a few short years.
Today, people of color in the U.S. amount to over 100 million people (about one third of the population), and by 2050, their numbers will more than double, growing to almost 220 million (over 50 percent of the population). People of color already constitute a majority of the population in California, Florida, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. The political and social implications of an increasingly diverse population and nation are vast and the communities of color have a mounting influence on society and politics.
The largest and most daunting challenge before the motorcycle industry however is actually identifying the need for diversity! The industry is one of the least diverse segments of society today and obstinately remains so based upon a deeply engrained, promoted and historic bias, which pits a “Us” versus’ “Them” mentality. (NOTE: I am not referring here to the lack of “diversity of people riding motorcycles”, i.e. Women, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian, non-Hispanic Whites, etc but rather to the executive level and internal workings of the motorcycle industry as a whole).
Not only is diversity needed through out the motorcycle industry, it is simply the right thing to do. It behooves industry leaders and individuals to keep up with the rapidly changing demographics of the U.S. if the motorcycle industry is to remain viable, thriving and relevant. Because of the lack of attention to this issue, the motorcycle industry has missed a viable, rapidly growing and diverse market despite economic factors that should have been favorable to the industry, such as high gas prices and growing concerns about the environment.
What would the motorcycle industry look like if it were able to effectively engage women and people of color and leverage their substantial support and talents? These new participants would surely translate into more political prowess, richer partnerships and more financial robustness for an industry that has a history of substantial ebbs and flows brought on by economic factors and buyer whims and preferences. In other words, the industry would be substantially more successful and influential than it ever has been by moving towards a more “inclusive” and “diverse” makeup.
