business ethics

Among the issues that in our society preoccupy today`s agenda the problem of just treatment of women and minorities takes a very visible place . This problem becomes especially pronounced and controvercial when it comes to attempts to establish policies to remedy discrimination in hiring of women and minorities . Among such offered policies the most important are affirmative action programs , reverse discrimination , and criteria of comparable worth . Let us try to find out whether these approaches to reduction of discrimination are appropriate forms of remedy

Affirmative action programs serve as a means

to achieve diversity and reduce inequalities in the ds of professional occupation and education through analysis of demographics of workforce and corresponding active steps to reduce inequality . However , some possible tools of affirmative action programs , like for example quotas , evoke strong criticism from opponents who insist that this form of discrimination is in essence a repitition of old mistakes . In this regard , we can point out that the term reverse discrimination , which is often used as a synonym of affirmative action programs , may be thought of as representing this negative aspect of affirmative action programs as far as these programs indeed blindly promote unjustified discrimination , this time agains traditionally dominant social groups Still , that affirmative action programs are in general much needed and often effective can hardly be disputed , because the very principle of damage compensation belongs to one of the most important laws of our society . From this point of view , affirmative action programs are justified not beause we have to develop special treatments for minorities , but because it is a firm historical fact that in the past these minorities were maltreated

The concept of comparable worth represents another approach to reduction of inequalities via attempts to instate policies that would secure equal compensation for equally competent work for men and women . However , what makes this approach so controvercial is that in conditions of a free market realisation of comparable worth policies may harm economy , so

Sources

Andre , C Velasquez , M (1990 . Comparable Worth .Retrieved December 07 , 2005 , from

http /www .scu .edu /ethics /publications /iie /v3n2 /comparable .html

Kangas , S (Ed (1996 . Myth : Affirmative Action is reverse discrimination . Fact

Affirmative Action is compensatory justice . Retrieved December 07 , 2005 from

http /www .huppi .com /kangaroo /L-reversediscrimination .htm

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