Paper written by owner of Guilty Custom addressing the motorcycle industry and lack of diversity and women in the market place. Is not addressing riders but management and company level.

1. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
Final Term Paper
Brandman University
Managing Cultural Differences
Professor Rafael Hernandez
Submitted by: Carl (Cj) Hanlon
Student #1354534

2. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
Question: “What do you foresee are the greatest challenges related to multiculturalism
and diversity in your intended profession or career, and how do you intend to deal with
them?”
The Merriam-Webster dictionary states “diversity” as “the condition of being diverse:
variety; especially: the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or
cultures) in a group or organization”.
When one thinks of the term "multiculturalism” however, we are referring to the
changing age, sex, ethnicity, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation of people
across all types and places of work in the United States. Thus I tend to view the
“multicultural” workforce as a descriptive term that, correctly or not, has largely
supplanted the term "diversity" in describing the increasing heterogeneity of the
workplace. Roosevelt Thomas, founding president of the American Institute for
Managing Diversity, qualified diversity as a "comprehensive managerial process for
developing an environment that works for all employees."
Likewise the Portable MBA Desk Reference ended its definition of "diversity" in a similar
manner. "The challenge posed by diversity, then, is to accommodate different groups
by addressing their lifestyles, values, work style, and family needs without
compromising the goals and operations of the organization." And Joan Crockett, vice
president for human resources at Allstate Insurance Co., viewed a diverse workforce as
being about "unlocking the potential for excellence among all workers." Allstate's
diversity vision statement sums up this belief: "Diversity is Allstate's strategy for

3. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
leveraging differences in order to create a competitive advantage."
Diversity, (while including race and gender) also encompasses age, ethnicity, physical
ability, and sexual orientation. Additionally, secondary factors such as education,
geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status,
religious preference, and work experience also reflect the elements of a diverse or
multicultural workforce.
One point to identify is that diversity within certain groups is commonly confused with
affirmative action. However one must remember that the most striking difference
between the two social schemes is that “affirmative action is initiated by government
regulation and legislation”, whereas “diversity is voluntary”.
Why then are so many companies ‘voluntarily’ engaging in diversity efforts? Because
there is a very strong business case for those businesses’ to support and pursue this
work—the changing marketplace that consumes their product. Example: Women
consumers account for 85% of all consumer purchases including everything from autos
to health care. According to Road & Travel Magazine, today’s women make up more
than 50% of the automotive market, spending an estimated $80 billion a year on new-
car sales, a number industry analysts expect to see rise to 60% in just a few short
years.
Today, people of color in the U.S. amount to over 100 million people (about one third of
the population), and by 2050, their numbers will more than double, growing to almost

4. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
220 million (over 50 percent of the population). People of color already constitute a
majority of the population in California, Florida, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. The
political and social implications of an increasingly diverse population and nation are vast
and the communities of color have a mounting influence on society and politics.
The largest and most daunting challenge before the motorcycle industry
however is actually identifying the need for diversity! The industry is one of the
least diverse segments of society today and obstinately remains so based upon a deeply
engrained, promoted and historic bias, which pits a “Us” versus’ “Them” mentality.
(NOTE: I am not referring here to the lack of “diversity of people riding motorcycles”,
i.e. Women, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian, non-Hispanic Whites, etc but rather to the
internal workings of the V-twin industry as a whole).
Not only is diversity needed through out the motorcycle industry, it is simply the right
thing to do. It behooves industry leaders and individuals to keep up with the rapidly
changing demographics of the U.S. if the motorcycle industry is to remain viable,
thriving and relevant. Because of the lack of attention to this issue, the motorcycle
industry has missed a viable, rapidly growing and diverse market despite economic
factors that should have been favorable to the industry, such as high gas prices and
growing concerns about the environment.
What would the motorcycle industry look like if it were able to effectively engage
women and people of color and leverage their substantial support and talents? These
new participants would surely translate into more political prowess, richer partnerships

5. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
and more financial robustness for an industry that has a history of substantial ebbs and
flows brought on by economic factors and buyer whims and preferences. In other
words, the industry would be substantially more successful and influential than it ever
has been by moving towards a more “inclusive” and “diverse” makeup.
Let’s start with gender. The motorcycle industry is one of the last bastions of male
dominance. While over 50% of all car purchases are made by women, only 23% of
women ride motorcycles, or 5.7 million our of 25 million riders.
The white, male majority labor pool has historically dominated the American workforce,
and especially the motorcycle industry. For a variety of complex social and economic
reasons, women did not begin making inroads into the mainstream motorcycle industry
until the mid-late 1990s—(in comparison Carly Fiorina had already risen to the very top
as CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005, computers being also strongly male
dominated). Still, in most cases minorities (ie. women in this case) are still viewed as
second layer castings and/or “bait” to attract the “real” target consumer-i.e. males, and
few things are proactively done from the major players to embrace and accommodate
them. While on a grass roots level, a number of dealerships, magazines, organizations,
associations and manufactures are taking steps to “include” or address the woman
consumer, there is still a lack of “leading by example” from the major motorcycle
companies themselves. Which is a lost opportunity for these companies. If the
motorcycle companies were to study more in-depth the habits and the “reach” of the
women consumers influence, they would quickly see that women not only take the lead

6. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
in the decision of consumables directly, (85% of ALL brand purchases are made by
women), but are having an indirect influence on the motorcycles industries direct
target market, (ie. male) in the decision on 1) whether to even purchase a motorcycle,
and 2) what type (cruiser, touring, off-road, dual sport, sports, etc) or brand (Honda,
BMW, Harley Davidson, Yamaha, etc) of motorcycle to purchase.
Yes, while males today make most motorcycle purchases predominantly, the industry
fails to recognize the ‘veto’ power of the female in the purchase decision. For every
man that owns a motorcycle there are possibly ten that want one and have not
purchased because of strong opposition from the women in their lives. The motorcycle
industry does nothing to directly market to these women’s objections, whether that is
safety concerns or image perceptions. Browse through any motorcycle magazine, the
industry still uses ‘women’ as either eye candy or in a provocative poses. Practices that
have not been seen in car advertising (TV, Websites or Print) for decades. In the fear of
losing its existing male market share, the motorcycle industry is stuck between being
current and relevant and fixated on the mindset of “yesterday” that by nature isolates
them from the current consumers. Basically a vicious struggle between “Past Habits”
verses “Present Opportunities”.
Despite all of this, some women are bucking the stereotype and are not content to ride
on the back of a man’s motorcycle, but becoming riders themselves. And yet,
motorcycle manufactures are still missing a substantial opportunity to sell to women
directly as they continue to manufacture motorcycles built for the “male frame” and

7. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
thus forcing the female (and smaller consumers) to seek out models that best suit their
size and riding preferences. (Granted H-D did attempt to focus on the younger market
by purchasing the Buell motorcycle line- however their efforts were misdirected as it
was just a repackaged “V-Twin” model on a sport frame and still was branded as a
Harley. Which both the younger market didn’t understand or like and women didn’t
want). For clarification, while H-D’s full size and heavier seat height is lower than their
competitors, (BMW, Honda, Suzuki) there is a very minute percentage of women riders
who do ride these fuller size motorcycles. However there numbers are not discernable.
Thus despite many barriers, women, as a percentage of the motorcycle industry labor
force and consumer market, continue to grow, although slowly and sporadically.
According to Motorcycle Industry Council in 2009, female ownership of motorcycles
crossed the 10-percent mark, increasing from 9.6 percent in 2003 up to 12.3 percent in
2008”. That is 2.7% growth over a 5-year period. Compare these to the number of
women who attend Winston Cup races each year: 40% of the 6.6 million attendees! Or
the 47.2 % of major league soccer fans: 46.5% of MLB fans, 43.2% of NFL fans, 40.8%
of fans at NHL games or 37% of NBA fan’s who are women!
Laurie Dougherty, one of the editors of The Changing Nature of Work, noted that the
image of the American workforce is rapidly changing from essentially a white male
image, as exemplified by the "man in the gray flannel suit" and the hard-hat
construction worker, to one of men and women of all nationalities and races—in
essence, a change from a homogenous image to one much more diverse or
multicultural.

8. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
All of the diverse characteristics of a multicultural workforce can be used to a strategic
advantage for the motorcycle companies that have the willingness and creativity to
make use of them. According to "African Americans Revealed" - a study of more than
80,000 African-American consumers over 18-month span broken down into several
individual research reports African-American buying power increased more than 55%
during the same period to $913 billion. By the year 2013 black buying power will reach
$1.2 trillion dollars, a whopping 35% increase versus 2008, according to BET.
Hispanics spent over $900 billion as a consumer group in 2009 and this buying power is
projected to surpass the $1 trillion mark by the end of 2010.
Asian American buying power was estimated at $397 billion for 2005, an increase of
240.4 percent since 1990. It's forecast to reach $579 billion nationwide by 2011.
As Thomas McInerney, the president of Aetna Retirement Services and the companies
Diversity Steward said in an interview with DiversityInc.com, “Those companies that are
able to tap into this growth now, with the right products and services as well as the
work force expertise to serve these markets, are looking at an unbelievable business
opportunity,"
The rise in the spending power of these minority groups has increased employment
opportunities for minorities by ironically creating positive stereotyping, or what
Frederick R. Lynch, author of The Diversity Machine, called "identity politics." According
to Lynch, companies spend a great deal of money and marketing energy on the idea

9. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
that Mexican Americans can best sell products and services to other Mexican Americans
and that African Americans can best sell products and services to other African
Americans. Workforce editor Gillian Flynn concurred, "These companies have a stake in
the belief that people of a certain race or gender think similarly, and they favor diversity
programs that support that belief."
The big “elephant in the room” however that the motorcycle industry must face head-
on is: “Will diversity make good business sense for us?” In other industries it
evidently does!
The “Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 best companies for Blacks, Hispanics and Asians” list,
cites Advantica, the parent company of Denny's, as No. 2 on the list, with BankAmerica,
Fannie Mae and Marriott International rounding out the top-five best companies for
Blacks, Hispanics and Asians. At No. 1, Pacific Enterprises in Los Angeles works hard at
maintaining a workforce that reflects the urban area it serves. "We have a smorgasbord
of customers and a smorgasbord of employees," says company treasurer Dennis Arriola,
who is Hispanic. "The best salespeople are the ones most like the customers they
serve." At the typical "best" company, minorities account for 11.7 percent of the board,
7.6 percent of corporate officers, 13.9 percent of officials and managers, 7.2 percent of
the 25 highest-paid employees, 24.9 percent of the total workforce, and 23.8 percent of
new hires. Charity donations to programs that primarily benefit minorities average 35.3
percent, and 4.4 percent of purchasing is done with minority suppliers.
Imagine what could happen if the motorcycle industry would more aggressively work on
inclusion strategies. One of the benefits outside of greater sales to these growing

10. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
demographic groups would be their support and passion. For example it is documented
that people of color support specific industry issues of interest to them at a higher level
than their white counterparts.
So, how does an industry initiate a change to embrace diversity within itself?
If the motorcycle industry is to seriously work on the lack of diversity, the industry
leaders will need to effectively tackle the cultural mindset of itself and those that
participate. While industry leaders such as Harley Davidson, Honda, Triumph and
Victory have made efforts to capture the attention of these communities, (mainly
focusing on the clothing arena and to a lesser extend actual vehicles) it is seen as either
“lukewarm”, “half hearted” or at least an after thought. Nothing within the present
scope of advertising, initiatives to dealers, motorcycles themselves or even the refocus
of the use of women as anything other than “male magnets” validates a serious effort
towards inclusion.
Smaller independent companies will have to address their own efforts first hand and the
industry as a whole will have to put forth nothing short of a comprehensive strategy
that will sufficiently address the diversity crisis and create sustainable and lasting
change, as well as lay a road map for others to follow.
Many different elements would be necessary to create a climate of inclusion and to
incorporate the genuine value for diversity. From my own unique perspective from
within the industry “circle” there are four elements I believe would strengthen the
diversity efforts. They are; increased awareness of the need (ie. communication),

11. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
targeted minority initiatives by industry leaders, training, and mentoring.
Communications about the value of inclusion and diversity that come from the top of an
industry or company are critical in the success of a diversity initiative. While this
communication is frequently written, the use of technology can quickly show the
companies efforts towards diversity. Such is the case with Allstate Insurance who
employs teleconferencing to communicate multicultural values across the country.
Participating in industry round tables or panels (where I have been a panelist in past)
also helps shed light to the issues facing the industry (both to internal participants and
consumers) and shows the need for such diversity to the masses. Which in time
becomes acceptance.
Targeted minority initiatives by industry leaders, in a direct manner, shows the
industries interest in that targeted demographic. However it also shows to the “general
public” that this companies interest is real and part of their business strategy and life.
Training engages industry leaders, management and employees in the process of
dealing with multicultural conflicts, needs, and industry dynamics. While training may
operate at high levels within the industry many companies are involving employees at
all levels of the company in formulating policies and guidelines.
Mentoring programs directly connect multicultural employees with traditional employees
across racial and gender lines. IBM, for instance, uses a formal mentoring program
while Corning employs a more informal "coaching" program.

12. Carl Hanlon Final Term
Multi-cultural Organization: Gender and Diversity Issues at Work
True change in any industry, and specifically the motorcycle industry, begins at the top
tier of manufacturing food chain (ie. Harley Davidson, BMW, Honda, Victory, Yamaha,
etc) and also within it’s rank and file (small builders, manufacturers and suppliers).
Diversity efforts cannot succeed without long-term commitment from its leaders and
forward-thinking individuals who are seen as “influencers” within the industry.
Everything the diversity program does must be linked to business and industry success;
diversity strategies must be part of "the businesses purpose and vision."
My own strategy in addressing this issue in my industry is pretty straightforward.
Which is to speak on these disparities at seminars that I participate in annually, as well
as blog about it on website as well as write articles which are published in national
publications. Also have discussions with fellow builders and consumers when at events.
In addition, while I do use female models in my clothing line I do refrain from putting
them in compromising situations (shirtless, scantly clothed, etc). This movement hast to
start someplace, so why not with a small shop like Guilty Customs!