| The purpose of this study was to examine workforce diversity training programs in three large organizations. To date, although there appears to be a growing body of literature on diversity training, research on workforce diversity training administrative and instructional practices developed and implemented by large organizations is anecdotal and inconsistent. Case study research was used to investigate the administrative and instructional practices of three Fortune 500 organizations headquartered in Illinois. An interview guide was developed and used to interview workforce diversity training practitioners and employees who had participated in workforce diversity training programs in the organizations studied. Interviews, observations during on-site visits, and pertinent documents provided by workforce diversity training practitioners were analyzed.;Workforce diversity training practices were identified and analyzed, resulting in emerging themes and categories. The research indicated that (1) the organizations studied have developed and implemented workforce diversity training programs to meet compliance and legal requirements, (2) changing workforce demographics have impacted and continue to impact workforce diversity training, and (3) workforce diversity training will continue to be an integral part of training provided by the organizations studied.;Recognizing the absence of models in the development and implementation of administrative and instructional practices of the organizations studied, a workforce diversity training model was developed. The model presented categorizes workforce diversity administrative and instructional practices into three stages: reactive, proactive, and integrative. These research findings and the application of the workforce diversity training model have implications for practitioners, adult educators, and future research. |
