Question

In 1997, authors Arthur P. Brief, Robert T, Buttram, Robin M, Reizenstein, S. Douglas Pugh, Jodi D. Callahan, Richard L. McCline, and Joel B, Vaslow conducted a series of research studies on what is now known as “implicit bias” in the workplace. Their research cited several examples and argued the following:

“Blatant racism has been replaced by a more subtle form of racism that reflects an adherence to such traditional American values as individualism rather than open bigotry. Managers, in attempting to fulfill seemingly reasonable business objectives, may create conditions conducive to these new racist attitudes. Only by understanding the nature of the new racism, including how it is activated, can managers avoid the unintentional promotion of segregation and discrimination in their organizations.”

Nearly 20 years later, in 2015, Harvard Economics Professor, Sendhil Mullainathan, examined implicit bias in the government and private employers, arguing in a New York Times article:

“Ugly pockets of conscious bigotry remain in this country, but most discrimination is more insidious. The urge to find and call out the bigot is powerful, and doing so is satisfying. But it is also a way to let ourselves off the hook. Rather than point fingers outward, we should look inward — and examine how, despite best intentions, we discriminate in ways big and small.”

Please read both of these articles carefully and base your responses to the following questions on the reading assigned on Equality in the Workplace from the textbook and D2L for this week, rather than personal experience. You may also incorporate outside research into your response.

Has American society made progress in regard to discrimination in the workplace over the last twenty years? Or are employers just treading water, throwing policies into handbooks that don’t achieve real or lasting progress in regard to workplace equality and diversity? Have employers and managers replaced overt discrimination and prejudice with the mask of political correctness? Are companies engaged in similar levels of discrimination through more insidious means?

Answer 1

Racial descrimination at work has been a problem for a very long time. According to managers, only by understanding the nature of new racism, including how it is activated, managers can avoid the unintentional promotion of segregation and discrimination in their organisations. Blatant racism is rarely observed in America. This is a an attributable to the good intentions of many corporate leaders to establish racial equality, but discrimination still exists because a more subtle form of racism has emerged in recent years. Today the blatant racist attitudes are no longer popular and racist expressions are socially unacceptable. The old fashioned racism was characterised by open bigotry. It resulted in public policies supporting segregation and other forms of racial descrimination.

Racial discrimination in America is a real problem. Efforts to solve the problem have not been the wholly successful abd strategies are called for. The nation's business leaders can contribute more to achieving equality among races by recognising that their organisations are essential vehicles for social change.

An article in the New york times,"racial bias, even when we have good intentions that lioked at how stereotypes affect equality in the workplace. They sent in the same resume to employers that had job openings, but changed the names on each of them so some of them had sterotypicalAfrican American names and others had sterotypically white names. They found that the same resume with a white name was 50% more likely to get the job.

The value of equality has been a cornerstone of the american value system since the beginning of this country. People came here to escape religious and racial persecution and it remains a place of new beginnings. Although politics, sterotypes and implicit bias make it difficult for immigrants to enjoy full equality, it remains a value that American society strives for.

Author claims that "Ugly pockets of consxious bigotry remain in this country but most descrimination is more insidious. It seems optimistic at best and straightforwardly false if its supposed to mean that large numbers of white Americans are not straightforwardly racist.