Abstract

As the economies of countries around the globe become increasingly interconnected, the world at work is becoming more diverse, not less. Multicultural diversity in a business context is an extremely important topic which needs to be understood by students entering the workforce in our present global world. Business students, in particular, must understand multicultural diversity in order to value it and to develop a diversity skill set which allows them to negotiate their way through global workplace communities. Higher education business schools must respond to the urgent need that exists for organizations operating in the global marketplace to hire and retain professionals prepared to think critically about multifaceted diversity issues in the workplace. Business management programs, often known for longevity of curriculum, are revised through competitor analysis and examination of secondary and primary research into the needs of identified stakeholders (e.g., students, employers, etc.). Although competitive benchmarking and employer surveys are two common sources of information relied on heavily for curriculum planning purposes, they may present curriculum limitations. This paper examines diversity from an organizational and educational context, looking at the concept of diversity and exploring the value of teaching a diversity curriculum. The authors compare diversity curriculum across the AACSB accredited business programs in California - thirty-three universities- and find a lack of diversity curricula. Few AACSB accredited business school programs offer a diversity degree or concentration for students who have a proclivity to choose it. The widespread absence of diversity curricula is surprising because global issues are critical in business sustainability.