Introduction

This study attempts to examine the relationship between workforce diversity (Independent variable) and performance of public sector organizations (Dependent variable) within the context of Uganda. In its own usage, diversity as a concept furnishes organizations of all types’ access to a pool of knowledge, skills, and abilities which when effectively harnessed help in the accomplishment of organizational objectives. Workforce diversity has been described as an imperative for organizational competitiveness and effectiveness (Cox, 1993; Gentile, 1996; Jackson and Schuler, 2000) and it has for some time been a principle of human resources management (Mathews, 1998). Diversity should arguably be theorized and regarded as a useful strategy for improving the performance of public sector organizations more so in a developing country context and at a time where performance concerns are a major policy and intellectual issue. Failure to effectively manage diversity in terms of race, gender, level of education, profession, ethnic affiliation, and religious affiliation has led to differences in promotions, pay, training, turnover, mutual acceptance, job satisfaction and other forms of inequality (Tilly, 1998; Reskin, 2003). These developments in turn affect performance of public sector organizations.