A634.4.3.RB - Is Affirmative Action Ethical

The practice of affirmative action is “giving special consideration to minorities and women in hiring and school placement”( LaFollette,2007). There are several arguments for and against affirmation. After some review, I think that affirmation is situational and needs to be handled ethically through diversity.

               The ethical practice of affirmation needs to be carefully considered by management or a council. A person can’t be selected for any position or education because of a tax break or a minimum requirement by the board. Affirmation needs to be the sole choice of the manager or council selecting for the position, not an out entity that doesn’t care for the person or position. The situation needs to be assessed without bias towards fulfilling a prior requirement. 

There is a large argument for the diversity in the workplace that brings new ideas. A workplace needs to have a large diversity while trying to come up with new ideas and planning. It may seem like a hindrance, if not managed correctly, but there is a lot of good outcomes for a diverse deep-thinking group. With affirmation through diversity, a team can exhaust all ideas and examine an idea from all angles. Affirmation selection needs to be considered in the right situation. If someone is selected for diversity it may be disassociated with affirmation. “From the implied premise that there is an injustice or an inequality that needs to be remedied, such as sexism, racism, homophobia or disablism: diversity obscures the issue of inequality which is at the heart of the matter (Thornton, 2001, p. 94)” (Burns,20008).

If affirmation selection is used to place a person that doesn’t merit the position or can’t fit the demand. that person has only been set up to fail their team and themselves, it is also unethical. Affirmation needs to be applied correctly towards diversity.  The selection without regards to the situation is an unethical practice. The selection process with diversity in mind is an ethical form of affirmation.

Burns, P., & Schapper, J. (2008). The ethical case for affirmative action: JBE JBE. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(3), 369-379. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s10551-007-9625-8

LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell.