Write a 350- to 700-word Microsoft® Wordpaper written in the third person voice in which you analyze and discuss the following:
- Should managers promote open discussion of stereotypes as part of a strategy for managing diversity?
- What risks and potential advantages and disadvantages are inherent with such a strategy?
Use at least a minimum of three in-text citation sources within your paper to support your responses. The sources must be identified in your APA correctly formatted References page.
Do NOT include an introduction or a conclusion.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
The following are parts from the text.
The workforce of today has become truly diverse. But this was not the case in the early 1960s; in fact, little of the workforce of those days remotely resembled that of today. Then, few mainstream opportunities were available to women, minorities, and those with disabilities. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s during which time blacks sought equality in employment and other areas of society led to a series of laws and executive orders, starting with Equal Employment Opportunity laws passed by the U.S. federal government. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) refers to the set of laws and policies that requires all individuals’ rights to equal opportunity in the workplace, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Additional requirements, known as Affirmative Action, were established. Affirmative Action creates the expectation and program requirements that companies make a positive effort to recruit, hire, train, and promote employees from groups who are underrepresented in the labor force.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
The set of laws and policies that requires all individuals’ rights to equal opportunity in the workplace, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
Affirmative Action
Stipulated by Executive Order 11246, it requires employers to take positive steps to ensure that employment of applicants and treatment of employees during employment are without regard to race, creed, color, or national origin.
Since the Civil Rights movement and the passage of EEO laws, most companies have chosen to embrace the idea of promoting diversity in the workplace. Diversity refers to any actual or perceived difference among people: age, race, religion, functional specialty, profession, sexual orientation, gender identity, geographic origin, lifestyle, tenure with the organization or position, and any other perceived difference, including values and nontraditional work experiences. As you can see, characteristics of diversity go well beyond protected classes such as race in EEO law. Unlike EEO and Affirmative Action, promoting a diverse workforce is not required by law. Companies choose to embrace workforce diversity as a strategic choice. Capitalizing on a diverse workforce may be seen as contributing to a company’s objectives such as profit, productivity, and morale. Diversity is inclusive, encompassing everyone in the workplace. Diversity management is aimed at creating a workplace in which every employee fits, feels accepted, has value, and contributes.
diversity
Any perceived difference among people: age, race, religion, functional specialty, profession, sexual orientation, geographic origin, lifestyle, tenure with the organization or position, and any other perceived difference.
The purpose of this chapter is to explore EEO and Affirmative Action requirements. Then, we will take up the subject of workplace diversity.
Equal Employment Opportunity: An Overview
OBJECTIVE 3.1
Explain the concept of equal employment opportunity.
Legislation (federal, state, and local), Supreme Court decisions, and executive orders have required both public and private organizations to tap the abilities of a workforce that was largely underused before the mid-1960s. The concept of EEO has undergone much modification and fine-tuning since the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
Numerous amendments to these acts have been passed, as well as other acts in response to oversights in the initial legislation. Major Supreme Court decisions interpreting the provisions of the acts have also been handed down. A presidential executive order was signed into law that provided for affirmative action. Five decades have passed since the introduction of the first legislation, and EEO has become an integral part of the workplace.
Although EEO has come a long way since the early 1960s, continuing efforts are required because some problems still exist. Although perfection is elusive, the majority of businesses today do attempt to make employment decisions based on who is the best qualified, as opposed to whether an individual is of a certain gender, race, religion, color, national origin, or age or is disabled. Hiring standards to avoid will be identified based on some of the laws and executive orders that have had a major impact in creating this diverse workforce.
Federal Laws Affecting Equal Employment Opportunity
OBJECTIVE 3.2
Identify the federal laws affecting equal employment opportunity.
Numerous federal laws have been passed that have had an impact on EEO. The passage of these laws reflects society’s attitude toward the changes that should be made to give everyone an equal opportunity for employment. The most significant of these laws will be described in the following sections after clarifying the sources of legislation based on the unit of government—federal government, state government, and local government The federal government enacts and passes laws that apply throughout the entire United States, and the set of federal laws pertaining to EEO are our focus in this chapter. However, we will briefly consider the role of state and local governments later as well. State government (for example, the states of Illinois and Louisiana) enacts legislation that applies throughout its jurisdiction within the state border. Local government may oversee the activities of a county or municipality within the state (for example, Suffolk County in Massachusetts or New York City in New York). Our main focus will be on federal laws, and we will make reference to state and local laws as necessary.
Ethnicity and Race
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of the U.S. labor force made up of whites will decline while growth is expected for other racial groups.60 These include Hispanics, blacks, and Asians. Unfortunately, at times, these individuals may be subject to stereotyping. They may encounter misunderstandings and expectations based on ethnic or cultural differences. Members of ethnic or racial groups are socialized within their particular culture. People’s attitudes are influenced by the ancestral and cultural experiences of their childhood. Many are socialized as members of two cultural groups—the dominant culture and their racial or ethnic culture. Ella Bell refers to this dual membership as biculturalism. In her study of black women, Bell identifies the stress of coping with membership in two cultures simultaneously as bicultural stress. She indicates that role conflict (competing roles from two cultures) and role overload (too many expectations to comfortably fulfill) are common characteristics of bicultural stress. Although these issues can be applied to other minority groups, they are particularly intense for women of color because this group experiences dynamics affecting both minorities and women.61
Socialization in one’s culture of origin can lead to misunderstandings in the workplace. This is particularly true when the manager relies solely on the cultural norms of the majority group. According to norms within U.S. culture it is acceptable, even considered positive, to publicly praise an individual for a job well done. However, in cultures that place primary value on group harmony and collective achievement, this method of rewarding an employee may cause emotional discomfort. Some employees feel that, if praised publicly, they will lose face within their group.
