Affirmative Action and Discrimination in HRM: A Case Study

This assignment delves into the concept of affirmative action within the realm of Human Resource Management (HRM). It explores how affirmative action policies, aimed at rectifying past discrimination against minority groups, can be perceived as a form of reverse discrimination. The assignment argues against the ethical implications of such policies, asserting that discriminating against non-minority groups to address past injustices is not justifiable. It emphasizes the importance of establishing equal rights and opportunities for all employees, regardless of their cultural background, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, or social group. The assignment provides a critical analysis of the topic, referencing relevant sources to support its arguments and provides a comprehensive perspective on ethical considerations within the context of HRM and recruitment.

Running Head: Human Resource Management
Recruitment and Selection

Human Resource Management 1
Do you feel that affirmative action is a good way to remedy past
discrimination? Why or Why not?
Affirmative action is referred to as reverse discrimination. Often people belonging to several
minority groups are discriminated in the past and this is an unethical act. Affirmative action can
be defined as some of the strategies that are undertaken to remedy against the past discrimination
on some minority groups through justifying the current discrimination against the non-minorities
in the community (Schuck, 2002). If the American government and the several institutions like
the corporate, the universities and other institutions develop policies that attempt to discriminate
the non-minority group as a response to the earlier discrimination faced by the minority groups
in the society, then that cannot be termed as an ethical act. This is because the solution for a past
discrimination can never be justified through presently discriminating the non-minority group of
the society. Such policies and regulations should be undertaken by the different organizations
where equality and equitability is observed for all the personnel, instead of implementing
discriminating policies towards some specific groups in the community, whether it is a minority
group or a non-minority group. So, an affirmative action in the present context is where the non-
minority group is made a target of discriminating policies like the same way in which the
minority groups were discriminated in the past, can never be justified in my opinion. Two wrong
actions cannot make a right one. Therefore, affirmative action should reflect equal rights and
opportunities for all the employees within the organization, irrespective of their culture,
ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender or social group (Napikoski, 2019).

Human Resource Management 2
References
Napikoski, L. (2019). Affirmative Action Overview. Retrieved from
https://www.thoughtco.com/affirmative-action-overview-3528265
Schuck, P. H. (2002). Affirmative Action: Don’t Mend It or End It – Bend It. Retrieved from
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/affirmative-action-dont-mend-it-or-end-it-bend-it/