[Source: Gardenswartz & Rowe, Diverse Teams at Work (2nd Edition, SHRM, 2003]
The 'Four Layers of Diversity' wheel shows the complexity of the diversity filters through which we all process stimuli and information. This leads to our assumptions, drives our own behaviors and ultimately impacts others.
"The pioneering research [on the wheel] ... was carried out by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener (Loden, Marilyn and Rosener, Judy B. Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource. McGraw-Hill, 1991). Gardenswartz and Rowe (Gardenswartz, Lee and Rowe, Anita. Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference & Planning Guide, McGraw-Hill, 1998.) built upon the primary and secondary dimensions and added two more layers to the "diversity wheel" developing the Four Layers of Diversity model for the workplace. [Goyal, S. (2009, August). Diversity at Workplace. HRM-Review, 36-40.]
Charlotte Gullick
Associate Professor and Department Chair
Creative Writing