Workforce diversity is an absolute truth. If it is ignored, it causes disadvantages for the organizations. The study of workplace diversity has its roots in the United States. The Report “Workforce 2000: Work and Workers for the Twenty-First Century” (Johnston & Packer, 1987), was the study that aroused everyone's attention on increasing the diverse workforce in industries and its impact on industrial performance. “Diversity was not directly mentioned or examined in any of the classic works of early management theory (Kurowski, 1999) until the Civil Rights Act of 1969”. It came into force which abolished “discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”. After the Civil Rights Act, there was a flood of research literature on workplace diversity. “Progress may not be at revolutionary speed, but we are coming to an understanding that diversity makes business sense and that the diversity of the world is at our doorsteps.”9 (Sunniva, 2011). This Paper highlights the origin of diversity in ten different countries. It also traces the initiation of diversity, its legislative provisions, professional bodies (that manage issues related to diversity), and the introduction of concept of diversity in management literature. Furthermore, this paper also describes the meaning of diversity, workplace diversity and its rationales.

Keywords: Diversity, Workforce, Civil Rights Act, Research Literature, National Origin.