In an increasingly smaller world due to mass media, global travel, and readily available information, the workplace has become increasingly more diverse in terms of gender and cultural aspects. Individuals no longer live and work within the confines of their geographic location. In almost any position in any company, the individual employee is part of a larger global economy that harvests assets from around the world. For this reason, companies seek to capitalize on diversity to become more creative and flexible in their business models. Over the past 50 years, employers have seen a vast shift in the demographics of their employees. While once specific jobs were performed by a specific type and group of people, today, at that same job, anyone of any ethnicity or gender can be expected to perform the assigned tasks. This shift has resulted in a significant and beneficial shift in the way managers are expected to manage themselves and their responsibilities in today's work environment. Recognizing ever-changing social norms while maintaining a balance of impartial professionalism has become the primary challenge facing today's supervisor. Where once we expected organization and task management to be top priorities, today's leaders must be held to equally high expectations of social acceptance while maintaining an unbiased assumption of accountability. A clear juxtaposition between empathy (for the individual's personal needs) and responsibility (for the company's business needs). Finding people who can accomplish this is an integral part of the hiring process. Unfortunately, this is a less easy task to achieve. di•versi•ty Name: diversity1. The state of being diverse; variety....... middle of paper ......Works Cited Barak, ME (2005). Managing diversity: towards a globally inclusive workplace. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age, sex, and race. (nd). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htmGlionna, JM (March 24, 2010). Toyota's rigid culture criticized in light of recalls. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 18, 2014 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-03-24/news/sc-biz-0325-toyota-man-20100324_1_toyota-motor-corp-toyota-officials-paul-nolascoMeshanko, P. . (2013). The respect effect how to use the science of neuroleadership to inspire a more loyal and productive workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. (nd). US Department of Labor. Accessed February 5, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov