Affirmative Action Issue

THE ESSENCE OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ISSUE

Income distribution objectives, laws prohibiting social discrimination, and, in some instances, policies intended to rectify the effects of past discriminationaffirmative action goalshave all become a part of "the rules of the game" for American business. Social responsibility is imposed on business and industry in the interest area of employment discrimination in the contexts of hiring, promotion, retention, and compensation. The regulation of business and industry in these contexts is intended, according to its proponents, to eliminate overt discrimination on the basis of gender, racial or ethnic background, religious preference, or age, and, in many instances, such regulation is also intended, according to its proponents, to rectify the effects of past discrimination based upon these same characteristics. In practice, the greatest emphasis in affirmative action programs is placed on discrimination which is based either on sex or on racial or ethnic background.

In theory, government regulation designed to eliminate employment discrimination should have no adverse impacts on business and industry, for, in theory, discrimination between individuals in relation to hiring, promotion, retention, and compensation would be based only upon performance or upon per formance potential. Lundberg, & Startz (1983) found that firms would enjoy increa

Related Essays

Controversial Issue of Affirmative Action .... However, the majority of literature on the issue puts the lie to this mentality. Two assumptions made regarding affirmative action by those who oppose it are .... (1686 7 )

Proposition 209 and Affirmative Action The people passed this measure. However, the issue of affirmative action is not ended in California. We still need to talk about this issue. .... (704 3 )

Reverse Discrimination of Affirmative Action Programs .... US News and World Report has captured the growing sentiment in California against affirmative action programs: The issue [of affirmative action] is important .... (3065 12 )

Affirmative Action Debate .... 79). In 1995, Republicans are again using wedge tactics to split Democrats on the issue of affirmative action. California Governor .... (1654 7 )

Affirmative Action .... the workplace, or among contractors" (Malveaux 1). Contractors face a particularly difficult time when it comes to the issue of affirmative action because so .... (1211 5 )

the longterm unemployed, and Hispanics, which accounted for only 2.5 percent of the employed workforce, accounted for 5.4 percent of the longterm unemployed. Thus, longterm unemployment worked against minority participation rates. Compensation is the most visible indicator of the presence of inequalities among different groups of employed persons. Wage differentials have existed for as long as there have been 4industrial societies. These differentials are often perceived by the general public to be representative of legitimate workrelated differences between different jobs. In point of fact, however, wage differentials are often the product of disparate societal factors, which have combined to create wage differentials which bear little relationship to the workrelated differences between various jobs. These disparate societal factors range from overt discrimination, based on the personal characteristics of individual job holders, to supply and demand situations, and from traditional perceptions, which have not been adapted to contemporary society, to the relative strengths of organized groups. Organizations large and small have been placed in the position of having to justify the wage levels of the differen

Category: Business - A