The document discusses the ethics of job discrimination, defining it as the wrongful differentiation among individuals based on prejudice rather than merit. It highlights various forms of discrimination, the extent of income and employment disparities, and the implications of the glass ceiling affecting women and minorities. Additionally, the text examines utilitarian, rights, and justice arguments against discriminatory practices, and presents affirmative action as a means to promote social equity while addressing criticisms related to its implementation.

1. Ethics of
Job discrimination

2.  Discrimination – the wrongful act of distinguishing illicitly
among people not on the basis of individual merit, but on the
basis of prejudice or some other invidious or morally
reprehensible attitude.
 E.g. – employment discrimination in US-
religious groups – Jews & Catholics
ethnic groups – Italians, Poles & Irish
racial groups – Blacks & Asians

3. Forms of discrimination
 Isolated behavior (intentional)- male interviewer
preferring women candidates
 Routine behavior
 Isolated behavior (unintentional)- individual unthinkingly
adopts traditional practices & stereotypes
 Systematic routine of org to discriminate against women
or minorities

4. Extent of Discrimination
 Average Income Comparison
 Lowest Income Group Comparison
 Desirable Occupation Comparisons

5.  Discrimination in US –
(i) The income gap b/w Whites & minorities has not
decreased
(ii) Large inequalities based on sex exist
(iii) Black unemployment is more than twice as high as Whites
(iv) Minority poverty rate is 2-3 times of Whites
(v) Poverty rate of families headed by women is 3 times that of
male headed ones
(vi) Most higher-paying jobs go to white males

6.  Glass ceiling – an invisible, but impenetrable barrier to
further promotion sometimes encountered by women
or minorities
 Increasing problems for women & minorities –
(i) Women & minorities make up most new workers
(ii) Women are steered into low-paying jobs & face a glass
ceiling & sexual harassment

7.  Utilitarian arguments which claims that discrimination
leads to an inefficient use of human resources
 Rights arguments violates basic human rights
 Justice arguments which claims that discrimination results
in an unjust distribution of society’s benefits & burdens

8. Utility
 Discriminating job applicants on the basis of race, sex, or
other characteristics unrelated to job performance is
necessarily inefficient & contrary to utilitarian principles
 Objections encountered:
(i) The jobs shud be assigned on the basis of job related
qualifications only so long as such assignments will advance
the public welfare
(ii) Society as a whole may benefit from some forms of sexual
discrimination

9. Rights
 Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two
ways :
(i) Racial & sexual discrimination is based on stereotypes
that see minorities as “lazy” or “shiftless” & women as
“emotional” & “weak”.
(ii) Placing members at lower positions, lower salaries &
lower job opportunities

10. Justice
 Principle of equal opportunity – social & economic
inequalities are to be arranged so that they are attached
to offices & positions open to all under conditions of fair
equality of opportunity

11. Discriminating practices
 Recruitment practices – word of mouth referrals, only White
males, for MEN only
 Screening practices – disqualifying minority class who are
unfamiliar with the language, concepts & social situations in
the aptitude & intelligence tests
 Promotion practices
 Conditions of employment – less wages & salaries to women
& minorities, providing secretarial or clerical positions only,
less benefits

12. Sexual harassment

13. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

14. Perspectives of Affirmative Actions
 Affirmative Action as Compensation :
 Based on concept of compensatory justice
 Criticism – compensation should come from specific
individuals who intentionally inflicted a wrong, and it
requires them to compensate only those specific
individuals whom they have wronged

15.  Affirmative Action as an Instrument for Achieving Social
Goals :
 Morally legitimate instruments to meet morally legitimate ends
 Promotion of public welfare
 Criticisms –
 Whether the social costs of affirmative action programs outweigh
their obvious benefits
 Identification of the needy

16. The basic end of affirmative programs is to seek
a more just society in which individuals are not
limited by his/her race or sex

17. Implementing Affirmative Action and
Managing Diversity

18. Comparable pay for jobs of
Comparable Worth
 Measuring the value of each job in an organization and
ensuring that jobs of equal value are paid same salary
 Each job is assigned a certain number of points for
difficulty, skill requirements, working conditions and any
other factors worthy of compensation