Diversity_and_Its_Role_Within_the_Airline

Diversity and its Role within the Airline American Airlines offers their employees 15 Employee Resource Groups. These groups show the different varieties of communities that can be found among American Airline’s diverse employee population. These groups not only offer their employees cultural guidance, but they also offer ideas that can be used to support the airline’s business initiatives. There are two members from each of the 15 groups, which serve on the airline’s council for diversity advisory (Kinkaid, 2008). American’s dedication to diversity leadership helps us to foster an environment where individuals’ experience and perspectives are valued and to ensure that customers and communities receive service delivered by committed, passionate people. This dedication also supports our ongoing program to identify minority, women, LGBT owned, and small businesses to be considered as potential business partners for American. (Kinkaid, 2008) Even though American has built on the company’s history of “marketing to key customer constituencies”, American Airlines has started two councils of advisory. One of these councils focuses on the female travelers, and the other council focuses on the “Lesbian/Gay/Bi-Sexual/Transgender (LGBT) travelers” (Kinkaid, 2008). American Airlines is known as the first airline that developed special marketing and sales teams to market and sell to these two groups of customers, as well as for Hispanics and African-Americans. American Airlines has been the leader of the airline industry in starting budgets for dedicated advertising to Hispanic and African-American audiences. The airline also leads the way in offering information portals that are tailored for their women customers (Kinkaid, 2008). American Airlines has a team of committed and talented professionals that are diverse, which strive in creating an environment in which each employee can offer their own “unique experience, perspectives, and ideas” (American Airlines, n.d.). The airline promotes inclusive and collaborative work practices, and viewpoints that are divergent. Through this involvement and teamwork, the airline has been able to establish the energy and ideas that are necessary for the airline to be able to succeed in the competitive industry. The airline encourages this type of environment so that their communities and customers will know what the airline knows (American Airlines, n.d.). American Airlines (n.d.) stated, “That our company is a great place to work…a place that fosters a sustained culture of respect…a place where people can achieve their full potential…and a place that deserves your business.” The members of the advisory council provide an “ongoing and ad hoc market feedback” on the airline’s position with each of the respective communities. These members also offer information on community concerns, market trends, and program concepts that are used to promote growth in these different groups of customers (Kinkaid, 2008). Kinkaid (2008) stated, “American as a company is recognized for its commitment to diversity, as we have long demonstrated through a wide variety of community, cultural and employee initiatives.” The feedback from the councils on “specialized customer initiatives and marketing programs” is considered to be invaluable to the airline in their planning and outreach in the future (Kinkaid, 2008). Kinkaid (2008) stated, “American Airlines was recently recognized as a Noteworthy Company for Diversity in diversity Inc magazine’s annual rankings.” This has only added to the airline’s growing number of accolades for the company’s diversity initiatives. On the list of the top 75 employers found in the magazine this year, the only airline is American Airlines (Kinkaid, 2008). American Airlines (n.d.) stated, “The positive environment we create by vigorously embracing diversity and inclusion is its own reward.” American Airlines celebrates their accomplishments and they are proud to be able to reflect on the commitment and energy that it takes to be able to earn those accomplishments. This energy also enables the airline to deliver customer service that is excellent, support their communities, be an airline that is strong, and be able to fulfill their responsibility to the global corporate world (American Airlines, n.d.). The airline has received awards for their workplace diversity, some of those awards are: American Airlines wins prestigious Cannes Lion award for commercial “Team Building” featuring a diverse workforce – July 2008 Diversity Inc magazine Noteworthy Company – 2008 Black Enterprise Top 15 Companies for Marketing Diversity – July 2007 Hispanic Business Magazine’s Elite 60 – September 2007 Latina Style Top 50 Companies for Latinas – September 2007 eWomen Network Foundation International Femtor Industry Innovator Award – June 2007 Perfect 100 score on Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index – six consecutive years DFW Minority Business Council’s inaugural Top 20 “Buy Those that Buy Us” award – June 2007 (American Airlines, n.d.) References American Airlines. (n.d.). Awards. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do'p=/aboutUs/diverswityInclusion/awardsRecognition.jsp American Airlines. (n.d.). Our Employees. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do'p=/aboutUs/diversityInclusion/diversityOurEmployees.jsp Kinkaid, T. (2008). American Airlines expands AA.com diversity and inclusion information – establishes. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved December 21, 2008, from http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS183760+22-Apr-2008+PRN20080422