Diversity in Action

As we mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's Executive Order calling for a thoroughly integrated workplace, it's time to assess which corporations have contributed the most to this advancement and which have not.

The book explains why innovation and new digital technologies in the construction industry and beyond are largely dependent on a new culture of thinking. Personal experience reports from user practice and insights into research show the many human and technical potentials that have so far been insufficiently utilised. The book provides examples of how digital change can be shaped in a meaningful and constructive way. It looks back at the historical development of diversity in construction and highlights entrepreneurial paths towards a more diverse working culture, but also identifies the problem areas that hinder the innovation process. A variety of calls for action are derived from the inventory ‘Where do we stand?’ and the question ‘Where do we want (need) to go?’. Diversity is the key to success. This realisation is important in order to set the course for an innovative, sustainable construction industry now. The book identifies the key factors and core competences at all levels that are decisive for promoting diversity and innovation. If it utilises these consistently, the construction industry can take on a pioneering role at home and abroad.

This report contains fifteen presentations from a workshop on best practices in managing diversity, hosted by the NAE Committee on Diversity in the Engineering Workforce on October 29-30, 2001. NAE (National Academy of Engineering) president William Wulf, IBM vice-president Nicholas Donofrio, and Ford vice-president James Padilla address the business case for diversity, and representatives of leading engineering employers discuss how to increase the recruitment, retention, and …