ETHICAL ISSUES IN MANAGEMENT

Ethical Issues In Management

Ethical Issues In Management

Introduction

Diversity and equality in the workplace have become increasingly more prominent as new directives are initiated by business executives and human resource officials? and as the powerful voice of the media promotes the need for more minority professionals in the work force. However? many people have not seen the positive side of a diverse work force? despite federal government intervention in the form of manipulation of available funding and threats of legal action. The push for minority professionals is certainly not limited to the corporate sector; it also finds its place in the world of higher education and college student affairs administration.

True equality and diversity in the workplace would indicate that all individuals within a given environment are equally or at least proportionately represented? with respect to ethnicity? gender? age? and other demographic factors. For the purpose of this article? however? minority professionals are defined as non-white males and all females. This article is intended to educate new professionals in student affairs and higher education about the basic principles of affirmative action and to provide discourse for debate regarding the promotion and hiring of nonwhite males and all females in the profession of student affairs. When considering fairness and equality in the hiring practices of student affairs practitioners from underrepresented groups? one must view the issue through several lenses. First? search committee members and hiring authorities must examine each situation from a legal perspective with an emphasis on the legal mandates issued by federal and state governments (Rosse & Levin? 2003). Second? hiring and promotion decisions cannot be made without regard to ethical standards and principles that exist at the institution and within the profession. Lastly? all parties who have a say in the hiring decision should be cognizant of the attributes that hiring decisions are being based upon and whether they are essential to the successful function of the position and overall success of the institution.

Legal Issues

Federal and state governments have intervened in the workforce with various constitutional? statutory? and common laws that offer penalties for discriminatory employment practices of all institutions that receive federal funding? both public and private. An example of constitutional law is the Fourteenth Amendment? which provides equal protection under the law and the right of due process for all individuals. Gehring (2001) affirms that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has a distinct relationship within college student affairs in that it attempts to insure that all individuals are treated equally and without bias with regard to race? gender? age? and disability? among others. Equal employment opportunity laws also fall under the jurisdiction of the federal and state governments. Rosse and Levin (2003) posit that the federal government initiated these laws with the intent of prohibiting discrimination based on “protected characteristics” of race? gender? religion? national origin? age? and finally? disabilities. State-owned agencies? including all public colleges and universities? must abide by these laws? or face the consequences of damaging lawsuits and financial ...