It is apparent that diversity has become an important component in all types of professional organizations and companies. Public Relations Professionals have taken a key role in applying diversity into the professional work place. The Council of Public Relations stresses the need for Public Relations Practitioners to “reflect the society we live in, “ and society currently demands diversity in the workplace. Therefore, as we are approaching graduation and seeking employment in the professional world, I feel it is our duty to look into our future employment prospects and their attitudes towards diversity in the workplace.
A few months ago when I was looking into employment opportunities, I noticed many companies had incorporated a section about diversity onto their Web sites. One company I noticed in particular was The Coca-Cola Company. After looking into the diversity section, it became clear why diversity had become so important to them. In 1999, four current and former African American employees sued The Coca-Cola Company for racial discrimination. The plaintiffs claimed African American employees received less pay and had fewer opportunities to advance in the company than their fellow white employees. The company settled the suit outside of court by paying more than $500 million. Since this lawsuit, The Coca-Cola Company has taken certain measures to communicate their progress towards implementing diversity into their company.
In the past nine years, The Coca-Cola Company has seen progress in the incorporation of diversity in the workplace. The company has received awards and recognition to prove their progress. In my opinion, their progress is an indicator they are working towards a more diverse workplace. Their improvement has proven to me, a Public Relations student seeking employment, that I could be confident in working for a company like Coca-Cola.
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