It is natural to have people seek out people that are more alike than different. Diversity is very healthy for an organization and helps with creativity and developing fo tolerance for differences in others. The best way to encourgage others to strike out and join in with others is to provide working and extra curricula activities that would include all the working constiuents. I have had opportunities as a manager to provide these activities at work by creating what I called circles of influence. These were made up with employees selected by me. Each circle had specific challenges to work on to report back on their views. The assignments had no real right or wrong answers but did require them employees to work with each other. Outcomes were very healthy and synergism was created by the people working together. Outside activities always help when you can involve families. Spouses and children have a need to see what their loved ones are doing at work and who are their colleagues. Picnics, tickets to local events, sports events, fund raisers for breast cancer etc. People generally want to belong it is our job to broaden their horizons by opening the doors to more opportunity for friends. This makes for a much more productive work environment. I agree with you about solving work conflicts if possible at the lowest level in managment as possible.