Essay, Research Paper: Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action: Diversity in the Workplace
Is affirmative action needed to encourage diversity in the workplace? This policy is one of the forces that can secure a diverse workplace. Affirmative action has been a driving force to ensure that diversity has developed and prospered in today s work field. This needed policy in the workplace has ensured jobs among minorities and women who where highly discriminated against before the policy was law. Current government affirmative action policies and university admissions should examine corporate affirmative action programs more closely to help increase their chances of survival. The workplace needs diversity to acquire a variety of people with different and unique skills. Corporate affirmative action is a necessary policy to generate and ensure diversity in the workplace; this policy has been successful in improving the advancement of minorities in America.
One of a corporation s largest objectives is to have a diverse work team. Corporate affirmative action policies have been successful in employing diverse groups of people. Equal opportunity cannot just be a slogan that philosophizes good deeds, but must become a part of the organization s management objectives . (Hill). Many successful corporate entities have followed this philosophy in choosing their employees. The corporate affirmative action policies do not have the binding legalities that often challenge the government and universities. Corporations do not apply timetables and goals as the government and universities must in their programs. Corporations take into account the workers qualifications, education, experience, and other factors. We are in a strong economy where corporations are competing for quality workers and the majority of new entrants into the labor markets are women and minorities (Leporini). Affirmative action of minority groups, therefore, has proven its worth in our economy.
University admissions are another institution that must use affirmative action laws because of the continuing challenge of groups such as women and different races. Minorities have challenged university admissions because they felt like they were discriminated and have kept them from obtaining equal opportunities in today s workforce. Because these minority groups have challenged the entrance requirements of many universities, it has rewarded them with high economic success in their future. A study of the Federal Contract Compliance program, which requires larger federal contractors to make a good faith effort to meet goals and timetables for hiring and promoting minorities and women, found that female employment rose 15.2% at those companies to 16% (Mann). Corporate affirmative action policies, however, have not needed these goals and timetables to be selective in choosing a diverse workgroup that has proven their merit.
Corporate affirmative action programs are needed to develop a diverse labor force in today s economy. Unaffected by constitutional issues, these affirmative action programs are designed to improve diversity in the workplace. Some of the strategies corporate affirmative action programs have are implemented to encourage other forms of diversity in the workplace. These programs include aggressive outreach to women and minorities, including recruitment and mentoring programs (Leporini). Job sharing and flextime are other forms of diversity in the workplace, which have been a direct result of these corporate policies of affirmative action. For example, Kraft Foods used outreach programs for women and minorities to develop a more diverse managerial staff. Allowing diversity in all forms in the workplace has become a primary goal set aside by corporations. Having a more diverse team leads to greater innovation and creativity as well as opening up the possibilities of different perspectives (Leporini). A diverse work team is essential to having creativity and providing universal products for all types of consumers. The corporate affirmative action program strives for firms to have more diverse employees because we have a diverse society.
Affirmative action programs, however, can have some drawbacks because of certain people s beliefs about these particular programs. People fear that others will get promoted just because they are minorities even though they are not qualified. These same people feel that only those who are qualified in their merit and work capabilities should get the job. Corporate affirmative action programs eliminate the strongly opposed view against affirmative action in general because they ultimately promote for merit and only give jobs to those qualified whether the job is for a minority or not.
Corporate affirmative action programs are needed to ensure diversity in the workplace and to make sure that every employee or likely candidate has not been discriminated in any way. In the long run this type of affirmative action is beneficial to corporations and the ways in which they strive to have a diverse work force. Affirmative action in the workplace will continue to be uncertain if government sponsored affirmative actions and university admissions continue to use present practices that give an appearance to the public of quotas being met. Maybe they should examine corporate affirmative action policies more closely. The policy will, seemingly, survive because of our expanding diverse economy. Corporate affirmative action is what our country should strive for to create a more diverse workplace not only in corporations but also in government positions and university admissions, and to reduce the conflict perceived about affirmative action laws.
Works Cited
Affirmative Action. 1994 http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0802658.html.
Hill, John. Affirmative Action: Roots to Success. LA Watts Times 13 Mar. 1997
Leporini, Christopher M. Affirmative Action in the Workplace. Focus Vol. 13
Number 2 (1998)
Mann, Judy. Affirmative Action s Long Record. Washington Post 1 Nov. 1995: F12.
Reconceiving Merit. Eden, John Michael. May 1998 http://www.abanet.org/publiced/focus/spr98merit.html