Organization leaders typically look at each job position, characterized as identical based on pay and job description, in the same way. They hire employees to do that particular job and often do not consider other capabilities that the employees may possess. This book examines how to optimize workforce performance by understanding the diversity of skills and competencies of employees.

Diversity is generally explored in terms of gender, race, nationality, disability, and other physical characteristics that differentiate one legally protected group of people from another. In the workplace, however, diversity can take on a different meaning, describing not only physical differences but also work performance characteristics unique to each individual employee. Inter-personnel diversity seeks to explore those diverse characteristics and begin to understand each employee's strengths and weaknesses so that they can be developed to benefit the employee and the organization. This much-needed text will inform scholars and scholar-practitioners in HRD and workforce development how to use these differences to enhance the individual and the organization.

Claretha Hughes is Professor at the University of Arkansas, USA. She has over 27 years of diverse management, supervisory, and administrative experience in organizational and workforce development. She is a member of Association for Talent Development and has published articles in Human Resource Development Review, Advances in Developing Human Resources, Workforce Education Forum, and New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Her book Valuing People and Technology in the Workplace: A Competitive Advantage Framework won the R. Wayne Pace Book of the Year award in 2012. 

1;Foreword;5 2;Preface;8 3;Acknowledgements;17 4;Contents;18 5;List of Tables;19 6;Chapter 1 Introduction: A Holistic Approach to Examining Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity;20 6.1;References;26 7;Chapter 2 Description and Recognition of a Quality, Inter-Personnel Diverse Workforce;28 7.1;Assessing Personal Characteristics Using the Five Values;29 7.1.1;Location Value;30 7.1.2;Use Value;31 7.1.3;Maintenance Value;32 7.1.4;Modification Value;34 7.1.5;Time Value;34 7.2;References;42 8;Chapter 3 The Role of Workplace Leaders Who Champion Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity;46 8.1;Productivity;47 8.2;Leadership;48 8.3;Structural Frame;49 8.4;Human Resource Frame;50 8.5;Political Frame;51 8.6;Symbolic Frame;52 8.7;Job Performance;56 8.8;Performance Evaluations;57 8.9;References;59 9;Chapter 4 Using Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity as a Unique Talent Management System Component;65 9.1;System Constraints;66 9.2;Talent Management Systems;68 9.3;Employee Expertise and Creativity;71 9.4;Interpersonal Relationships with Leaders;73 9.5;Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity as a Talent Management System Component;75 9.6;Career Pathways;82 9.7;Career Development;83 9.8;Career Management System;83 9.9;Inspiring Homogenous Groups to Leverage Diversity of Thinking and Opinions;84 9.10;Evaluating and Sustaining Workforce Inter-personnel Diversity;87 9.11;Conclusion;88 9.12;References;89 10;Chapter 5 Valuing Independent Thought Within Cultural Groups in the Workplace;99 10.1;International Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development;101 10.2;Learning Agility and Leadership;103 10.3;Cultural Groups and Low-Skilled Jobs;105 10.4;Reducing Self-Inflicted Failure Efforts of Diverse Employees;106 10.5;Avoiding Hidden Figures and Strengthening Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity;110 10.6;The Role or Lack Thereof of Human Resources in Workforce, Inter-Personnel Diversity;112 10.7;Conclusion;114 10.8;References;116 11;Chapter 6 Using Workforce Inter-Personnel Diversity to Alleviate Generational Differences;125 11.1;Pros and Cons of Generational Differences;127 11.2;Understanding the Concept of a Job;129 11.3;Having a Work Ethic as a Distinguishing Characteristic of Employee Excellence;131 11.4;Conclusion;137 11.5;References;137 12;Chapter 7 Conclusion;143 12.1;References;148 13;Index;149