-
Essay / Eliminating Discrimination in the Workplace - 1678
As a business consultant, I have been asked to suggest different methods that can reduce discrimination and bias in the workplace. However, is it possible to ensure that everyone gets along and ignores their differences? According to the growing research on discrimination and prejudice, these are learned behaviors that, with practice, can be unlearned and ultimately eliminated (Baron and Branscombe, 2012, p. 195). Discrimination is defined as the negative treatment of different groups: prejudice, on the other hand, is considered to be the negative emotions or attitudes associated with discrimination (Baron & Branscombe, 2012, p. 183). These two terms go hand in hand because they can both lead to racism; However, this does not suggest that there is a cause and effect relationship between the two. Workplace discrimination is not limited to one thing; in fact, it is found in many occasions such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimization (Phillips, 2013, p. 65). Although there are laws that protect employees and employers from discrimination, such as the Equality Act (Phillips, 2013): there are still concerns about discrimination within racial, gender and social groups. In this case, the main focus will be on Caucasian employers and employers. Hispanic employees (Weaver, 2011, p. 2723). Stereotypes, which are beliefs or schemas of groups and members (Baron & Branscombe, 2012), occur between people with whom one cannot necessarily identify. Likewise, these stereotypes produce negative attitudes toward each other that can potentially lead to discrimination and prejudice (Jones, 2001). .. middle of document ...... perceiving discrimination at work: legal awareness, workplace context and the construction of racial discrimination. Law & Society Review, 44(2), 269-298. Jones, M. (2001). Stereotypes of Hispanics and Whites: Perceived differences in social roles as determinants of ethnic stereotypes. The Journal of Social Psychology, 131(4), 469-476. Phillips, L. (2013). Bias in the workplace. Retrieved from http://rcnpublishing.com/doi/pdfplus/10.7748/ns2013.10.28.5.65.s55Ramasubramanian, S. (2010). Television viewing, racial attitudes, and political preferences: Exploring the role of social identity and intergroup emotions in influencing support for affirmative action. Communications Monographs, 77(1), 102-120. doi: 10.1080/03637750903514300 Weaver, C. (2011). Hispanic prejudice in the United States. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 41, 2723-2738.