Who are the central stakeholders in this issue?
The central stakeholders include job applicants, employees, employers, corporations (MNCs), federal institutions, policymakers, and law enforcers. Some of these individuals (particularly job applicants and employees) are directly affected by this issue. Others (including policy makers and law enforcers) are indirectly affected by the issue.
Who might be negatively impacted by things as they are?
Women and black job applicants and employees are likely to be the most affected by things as they are. This is because as statistics reveal, black individuals are most likely to be victims of workplace discrimination. The prevalence of racial discrimination against black individuals applies both in hiring decisions and in later point of employment, including wage setting and promotion decisions.
Who might benefit?
The main beneficiaries are employers and policymakers. On the one hand, employers get to retain the status quo by overlooking the necessary steps for achieving an integrated workplace. On the other hand, policymakers get to appease the compact majority in the community (whites) by keeping unemployment rates at a low. This makes it possible to win votes during campaign periods. The white community (especially males) also stands to benefit as they exploit all employment positions otherwise available for members of the black community.
Who is the most knowledgeable on these issues?
Lawmakers, law enforcers, and labor union representatives are the groups with greatest expertise on this issue. Lawmakers have little to nothing to gain from fixing the issue at hand. They are thus likely to pledge to adjust the situation accordingly, only to neglect the issue until there is public outcry on the same. Law enforcers are knowledgeable on the issue but have done little to ensure that corporations and institutions comply with the laws that exist on equality in the workplace. This explains why the situation has barely changed since the civil rights era when racial discrimination in hiring decisions was outlawed (Quillian et al.).
Who has the most power in this area?
Lawmakers (particularly the senate) have the most power in this area. They are capable of making laws for dealing with racial discrimination in the workplace. They also have the power to create policies to ensure law is fully complied with. The judiciary is also has power in this area, as it is responsible for making correctional decisions against employers who exercise racial discrimination in the workplace.
What are my questions at this stage?
Some of the most pressing questions include:
- With Quillian et al. showing evidence that workplace discrimination against Latinos has declined over the last 3 decades, why is it that discrimination against the black community has not declined?
- What role has the wave of feminism played in influencing workplace conditions for women?
- Bearing in mind their strong influence in upholding optimal workplace conditions for employees, why have labor unions been mute on the issue of workplace discrimination against the black community?
- In the past, harsh economic conditions have been linked with the inability by corporations to make recruitment decisions that would favor the black community. The low social status of majority of members of the black community has also been blamed for the community’s under-representation in the job market. What is the role of politics in maintaining the situation as it is?
Where am I getting information so far?
There are a wide range of scholarly articles on the issue of workplace discrimination against blacks and women. While I have referred to a wide range of articles covering multiple aspects of the issue, one article has particularly been helpful (Hiring Discrimination Against Black Americans Hasn’t Declined in 25 Years by Quillian et al.).
Work cited
Quillian Lincoln, J., Pager Devah, B., Midtbøen Arnfinn, H., Hexel Ole, R. Hiring Discrimination Against Black Americans Hasn’t Declined in 25 Years. Harvard Business Review. 2017.