workplace diversity ethics

The topic of organizational diversity raises an ethical issue to a company as it makes attempts to attract a diverse working force and provide equal opportunity for its employees regardless of age, sexual identity, religious background, race, or other considerations such as affirmative action. Recruiting a diverse workforce for a company is achieved not only to meet a need but also because of the alleged value of inclusivity (Hinman, 2016). The issue is debatable because, despite the importance of workplace diversity among corporate players, the trend poses ethical concerns owing to the perception of the issue as an opposition to equality, to employing the candidates that best suits a position. Moreover, decisions of hiring that are made within a framework that values diversity might cause a conflict between the diversity objectives of an organization and guidelines of equal opportunity in employment.

Arguments for Diversity

The main concept is diversity in organizations. The rational for ensuring diversity at the workplace is having a human resource that comprises of people from diverse backgrounds, origins, status, and interests and in the process pooling together different skills, expertise, knowledge, ideas, and talents that serves a greatly diversified market (Kossek, Lobel, & Brown, 2006). Diversifying and developing strategies of market development can often face the need to acquire significant knowledge in the new market. Therefore, the general capacity of a firm to acknowledge and respond to group differences may offer a competitive advantage to a business as it pursues new markets.

Arguments against Diversity

The organization is likely to begin assessing recruits based on their satisfaction of their requisite factors of diversity that would lead to choosing the “diverse” as opposed to the best candidate (Noon, 2007).Another concern is that diversity in hiring will possibly demonize junior workers who are under superior minorities or women leading to a less motivated workforce that result to lower output.

Outline

The problem/ethical Issue The issue of workplace diversity poses an ethical challenge to an organization because the organization have to balance between ensuring diversity in employment or ensuring equality by employing qualified individuals for the positions. Clarify Concepts. The key concepts in the topic is diversity management, work place diversity, equality, cultural diversity among others. Diversity management is described as a human resource practice that ensures the elimination of discrimination in employment by including different categories of workers (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015). However, the policies of workplace diversity or affirmative action could potentially lock out qualified personnel in an attempt of ensuring diversity in the organization. A recruitment manager should higher the individuals with the most qualification for the position notwithstanding the nationality, gender, age, sex or race.

Information about the Issue

The issue of diversity in hiring is expanding because of the transformations in the business setting introduced by globalization (Crane & Matten, 2016).As businesses gets to acknowledge the importance of diversity in the workplace, it is greatly observed that actors are monitoring closely the level of diversity in their labor force.

Generally, diversity is a significant aspect of modern businesses, which seek to expand to new markets (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015). However, ensuring diversity could also be detrimental to an organization as diversity is sometimes regarded as an ineffective especially in selecting prospective workers as it lays focus on establishing a diverse labor force at the expense of pooling people who are the best in their respective fields.

Moral reasoning/Philosophy

The best solution is grounded on egalitarianism or utilitarianism. Egalitarianism favors equality to some extent; individuals need equal treatment or treatment as equals. Utilitarianism considers the greatest number for the highest number. Thus, the organization could disregard diversity by motivating pro-capitalist or pro-inequality ideals particularly where the business seeks to maximize its profits. The result will be the shift from the moral necessity of diversity and affirmative action to a business imperative. Annotated

Bibliography

Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Professor Crane Andrew is a Professor of Business Ethics and a director at the Excellence Centre in Responsible Business practices at the Schulich Faculty of Business at the University of York in Canada. With his PhD from the Nottingham University and a BSc from the Warwick University, he holds an experience of more than ten years in teaching and studying business ethics. Professor Matten Dirk is Hewlett-Packard Chairperson in CSR and has a PhD from Germany’s Heinrich-Heine University with a lot of experience in business ethics. Students and business professionals alike will find invaluable insights of business ethics from their book. Similar to Hinman (2016) study, the work illuminates my bibliography as it proposes various ways of ensuring sustainable business ethics in the wake of globalization.

Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Ontario: Nelson Education.

The co-authors of the book are Linda Ferrell and Fraedrich John and it is one of the leading texts on business ethics. Ferrel is a professor of ethics at the distinguished Belmont University of the Louisiana state while Fraedrich has served as a professional witness on marketing issues for many business cases. The book is intended for business people and students as it contains numerous case scenarios, practice tests, and simulations that cover the complex setting in which business leader encounter ethical decision-making. The book relates to other sources I have encountered in describing the issue of cultural diversity and business ethics. In particular, the work illuminates my bibliographic topic to the extent that it has proven a managerial framework and addresses the general concepts, processes, and best practices linked with effective ethics programs for businesses.

Hinman, L., (2016). Contemporary moral issues: Diversity and consensus. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Hinman Lawrence M. is a Philosophy professor and Values Institute director at the San Diego University. He is also an author of other moral related subjects. Students will particularly find the book significant as they develop well-reasoned perspectives on core modern moral issues such as abortion capital. The issue illuminates the various readings on contemporary social matters, which involve matters of equality and diversity and includes duties that transend borders and environmental ethics.

Kossek, E. E., Lobel, S. A., & Brown, J. (2006). Human resource strategies to manage workforce diversity. Handbook of workplace diversity, 53-74.

Professors Kossek, Lobel and Brown have assembled a global cast of contributors from different field by broadening the range of scholarly discussion on workplace diversity. Advanced students and researchers will find invaluable information from this handbook. The book relates to Hinman (2016) handbook on diversity in business. In this book, the authors define the constructs or differences that are more significant than others and reviews issues of diversity along weight, class, ethnicity, and gender orientation. The book illuminates the bibliography by offering the implications of diversity for societies and individuals.

Noon, M. (2007). The fatal flaws of diversity and the business case for ethnic minorities. Work, employment and society, 21(4), 773-784.

Mike Noon is a Professor at the London-based Queen Mary University. The book is intended for students, scholars as well as business executives who increasingly face the need to ensure a diverse workforce. According to the writer, embracing a diverse workforce could be detrimental to a business and could threaten social justice. The book contrasts that by Kossek, Lobel, and Brown (2006) by arguing that diversity policies can risk social justice. The work illuminates my studies to the extent that it provides more insights of the ethics of diversity at the workplace and how such aspects do not necessarily augur well for pro-capitalist societies.