CERTAIN POLICIES
LEAD TO LIMITED ACCESS FOR
SUCCESS
THE FACTS
A 2007 study by Correll, Bernard, and Paik, looked at the issue of "Motherhood Penalty" in getting a job. They conducted a lab experiment where participants rated job applicants, decided their salary, and if they were promotable.
Findings: It was found that women who had children were seen as being less competent and committed than women without. Also, fathers were seen as having more advantage with more leeway on being late.
A 2012 field experiment by Pager and Western analyzed the issue of inequality with hiring Black and Hispanic applicants. They conducted a matched pairs individual experiment where the individuals apply for real life job openings. Both individuals in the mathed pair had the same skillset but different race.
Findings: It was found that White applicants had significantly more callbacks than Blacks and Hispanics. Blacks are less than half as likely to receive consideration by employers relative to equally qualified Whites across a wide range of low-wage jobs.
THE NUMBERS
84% OF NONMOTHERS
WERE RECOMMENDED FOR HIRE
47% OF MOTHERS
WERE RECOMMENDED FOR HIRE
DISCUSSIONS
With all of the discussions I had with people who were willing to participate, when asked if they were satisfied with their current job and if it was their dream job, all of them said no to both of the questions. There was even a participant that stated they strongly believed that there is always room for improvement when it comes to being satisfied with their job. In addition, there were also some participants that stated that they did want to attend college but could not because they had to get a job right away to support themselves.
These discussions can reflect how it is easier for some and not others because of unequal access to resources needed to help people get their dream job. It was much easier over 20 years ago when there was more equal distribution of these resources.
THE FACTS
In a 2005 study by Coombs and King, they looked at discrimination towards physicians. They used a self-report measure using surveys for those experiencing workplace discrimination, they specifically looked at race / ethnicity, gender, age, and sexual orientation.
Findings: They found that females are almost five times more likely than males to experience career obstacles than males more than three times as likely to experience disrespectful / punitive actions. Discrimination on basis of race is most often experienced when it comes to hiring, harder to achieve success, and more likely to receive punitive / disrespectful actions. Also, Physicians that graduated outside of the US are more likely to experience all forms of discrimination compared to those who are trained in the U.S.
THE NUMBERS
ONLY 10% OF WORKERS
WERE SATISFIED WITH HOW THEIR ORGANIZATION RESPONDED TO THE REPORTED COMPLAINTS
50% OF WORKERS
SAID THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OR IMPROVEMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
With a motto that emphasizes opportunity for success and prosperity, the above research states otherwise. How is there equal opportunity for success and prosperity when employers aren't hiring women just because they are expecting? Or not hiring certian applicants based on the color of ther skin? This issue points to how the American Dream is a mold made only for those who have equal access and privilege, there is not equal upward mobility for all.
Within organizations, there are decisions that employers make along with corporate policies that allow easier access to upward mobility for some becuase of more privilege that they have. As humans, our minds use stereotyping to simplify the world around us...however we often fall to over generalizing about specific groups of people with this mind process. When we do this, we assume that a person who falls into a particular group must have said characteristics that we assume everyone in that group has. When we make these judgements (especially those in position of authority in corporations) it sometimes leads to discrimination. Therfore, when an individual is turned down by an employer based solely on a characteristic that is overgeneralized, it is discrimination.
Additionally, when we have specific stereotypes, it can lead us to have the "them" and "us" behavior known as social categorization. This behavior leads can lead to the attitude of in and out group behvavior where there are those who "belong" to the group because they fit the mold, and those who don't belong. This can also lead to when employers turn down applicants that have the same skillset, but do so based on a social identifier. This leads to less access and less equal opportunity for prosperity and success.