Business Ethics | Assignment 1

Running Head: Business Ethics
BUSINESS ETHICS

2
Business Ethics
Table of Contents
1. Research paper.......................................................................................................................3
Appropriateness of affirmative action for achieving diversity...............................................3
Using affirmative action in the private sector........................................................................3
Gender as the most appropriate target group..........................................................................4
2. Application of ethical Theory................................................................................................6
Affirmative action-Ethical or not...........................................................................................6
Reference list..............................................................................................................................8

3
Business Ethics
1. Research paper
Appropriateness of affirmative action for achieving diversity
The problem of discrimination and inequality in workplace will not solve
independently until some sort of intervention is applied. Organizations are permitted to use
affirmative action measures but there is confusion regarding its appropriateness. President
Kennedy coined the concept of affirmative action in Executive order 10925 in the year of
1961. As opined by Wrench (2016), affirmative action helps management of an organization
to create an environment that creates equal opportunities for all employees. This action is
appropriate as it is mandatory for litigation of employee discrimination. Moreover, it acts as a
compensatory action, which helps to cure the impact of past discrimination in the society.
Affirmative action is appropriate to implement in a workforce because it is totally
based on legal directives guides (Hideg & Ferris, 2017). A manager, in a firm, measures
employment practices and helps them to develop a workforce that is reflective of the
community where the business operates. In a workplace, discrimination occurs upon different
factors like culture and race. In 1967, gender was also included in the antidiscrimination
rules. Affirmative action helps in promoting opportunities for minority groups within a
society and helps them to achieve equal opportunity in the workplace. As said by Goldstein
Hode & Meisenbach (2017), affirmative action has three conceptual dimensions that help to
increase its ability as an anti-discrimination tool. The dimensions include legislative,
executive and political.
Affirmative action is more than recruitment but it helps to give efforts in preventing
discrimination by eliminating challenges to equal opportunities in employment. Mor Barak
(2015) claims that affirmative action can be stated as positive steps, which is essential to end
discrimination. Moreover, it acts as an appropriate tool to stop the recurrence of
discriminatory actions. In addition, it helps in creating new opportunities that were previously
not offered to people from minor groups. However, there is a contradiction regarding this
process as some claim that it contravenes the principle of merit. For mitigating this problem,
managers in a company need to conduct self-analysis and identification of problem. This can
help them to implement this tool appropriately and action-oriented programs can help to
eliminate the issue of discrimination.