Vanessa Girard

Leadership and Diversity in Organizations: Perspectives of Multiethnic American Leaders Vanessa Girard

Diversity is here to stay, thus debates as to whether it is good or bad are moot, so: How do we make the best of a diverse work environment? Literature review revealed a dearth of studies that give voice to specific ethnicities on leading diversity, as well as significant stereotyping, bias, and erroneous categorization of minority groups, fostering a perception of undesirable leadership traits in diverse workplace settings. In efforts to separate minority groups and address contextual prejudices, this qualitative phenomenological study explores the concepts of diversity and leadership and gives voice to 20 ethnically diverse leaders (4 Asians, 4 Latinos, 3 Whites, 3 Blacks, 3 Native Americans, and 3 Creoles). The study examines the concept of diversity, conducts historical overviews of five major ethnic groups, explores eight popular leadership approaches, and analyzes leadership studies on diversity. This book should prove useful to managers and leaders as it yields a new leadership approach--eclectic leadership--that addresses basic human tendencies across diverse spectra, and debunks the pervasive stereotypes that can hinder productivity.