Transcript A framework for HRM analysis

OHT 7.1
The Nature of Discrimination
• Managers should not assume that discrimination
means the same thing irrespective of the group
concerned.
• Managers should not assume that a policy
solution for one social group (e.g. women) will
be appropriate or welcomed by a different social
group (e.g. disabled people).
• Managers should expect that attitudes will differ
within social groups (e.g. Asian employees and
black employees).
Human Resource Management, 4th Edition
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OHT 7.2
Pros & Cons of the
Business Case: 1
The pros:
• It is a better use of human resources.
• It leads to a wider customer base.
• It creates a wider pool of labour for
recruitment.
• It leads to a positive company image.
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OHT 7.3
Pros & Cons of the
Business Case: 2
The cons:
• ‘Good business sense’ can justify not
acting in the interest of particular groups
• Measurement of the effects (hence
justification for the business case) is
difficult
• Finding a meaningful measure
• Measuring in the short-term
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OHT 7.4
10 Points of good practice
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Develop a policy
Set an action pan
Provide training
Assess the current position
Review all procedures regularly
Draw up clear and justifiable job criteria
Offer pre-employment training
Consider the organisation’s current image
Consider introducing specific initiatives
Develop local links
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OHT 7.5
Table 7.1 Types of equal opportunity organisation
Source: based on Healy (1993) and Kirton and Greene (2000)
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OHT 7.6
Positive action
• Initiatives designed to encourage underrepresented groups to apply for jobs or
promotion within the organisation.
• Initiatives concerned with making changes to
working arrangements to encourage the
retention of employees by making the
environment more suited to the needs they have
that differ from the majority of employees.
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OHT 7.7
Monitoring
• The process of systematically collecting
and analysing data on the composition of
the workforce, particularly with regard to
recruitment and promotion.
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OHT 7.8
Table 7.2 The arguments for and against monitoring
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OHT 7.9
Two types of criticism of Equal
Opportunity Policies
• EO policies are ineffective:
– They often lack substance
– They can be evaded or distorted
– They do not prevent informal practices
developing
• EO policies are unnecessary
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OHT 7.10
Figure 7.1 The perspectives of ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’
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OHT 7.11
Managing Diversity
• Ensures all employees maximise their potential and their
contribution to the organisation
• Covers a broad range of people – no one is excluded
• Focuses on issues of movement within an organisation,
the culture of the organisation, and the meeting of
business objectives
• Becomes the concern of all employees and especially all
managers
• Does not rely on positive action/affirmative action
(according to Kandola & Fullerton, 1994)
Human Resource Management, 4th Edition
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OHT 7.12
Criticisms of Managing Diversity
The approach:
• Tends to understate the extent to which
people share common experiences.
• Ignores material similarities between
social groups.
• Tends to emphasise the value of diversity
in terms of the business sense arguments
outlined earlier in the chapter.
Human Resource Management, 4th Edition
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OHT 7.13
Sameness & Difference
• It is important for managers to recognise that
unfair treatment sometimes results from treating
people differently when they ought to be treated
the same, and sometimes from treating people
the same when key differences ought to be
recognised. Policies, procedures and attitudes
within an organisation should therefore be based
on recognising both the similarities and
differences between people.
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OHT 7.14
Institutional Discrimination
• Embedded in:
 Processes and procedures
 Workplace cultures
• Two problems:
1. Inertia to change
2. Blaming the system
• The need for radical change
Human Resource Management, 4th Edition
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OHT 7.15
Figure 7.2 The process of discrimination in an organisation
Source: Adapted from Noon and Blyton (2002)
Human Resource Management, 4th Edition
© Pearson Education Limited 2004