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Diversity Discourse in Management Education

KEYWORDS: Diversity, Management Education, Competitiveness, Change Management

Racial demographics in the United States are rapidly changing. Members of the minority population are projected to be the majority by 2043. Yet, few students in management programs are aware of the implications of the change or how to prepare for them. Unfortunately, the prevailing approach to “managing” diversity doesn't adequately address inequality and has not resulted in wide-spread progress for people of color into positions of leadership and decision making. One reason for a lack of discussion around inequality and access is discomfort avoidance. Research has shown that people find it difficult to discuss inequality when discussing diversity, thus it is important to understand the phenomenon of psychological discomfort in order to address the implications of changing racial demography in the U.S. How can management education address issues related to discomfort avoidance and equip students to be “diversity ready” for a business landscape that is changing?

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