Bias And Stereotyping

Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates that employers today identify themselves as "equal opportunity employers" and "provide extensive diversity and antidiscrimination training for managers and supervisors to eliminate the potential for discriminatory decision making." (Ford & Harrison LLP, 2006) Most employers proudly display this.

Nevertheless, managers and supervisors frequently allow unlawful bias to unduly influence their decisions - even though they may not even realize it. Decision makers may indeed harbor "unconscious biases" based on race, gender, and ethnicity that unduly influence their decisions.

There is also evidence that modern forms of discrimination derive from in-group favoritism as well as from out-group exclusion or devaluation. People have a fundamental need to feel positive about them and often favor members of their own group to raise their self-esteem. Moreover, recent research and theory suggests that in certain contexts out-group members may conform to in-group negative stereotypes or otherwise adopt self-defeating strategies that serve to further entrench existing disparities.

Stereotypes can cause discrimination by biasing how we process information about other people as well as by informing our beliefs about social roles.

While my position in Human Resources allows me to be privy of confidential information, it also allows me to see the true nature of management. I have observed denied promotions due to women because hiring managers feels that as a female one should be demure and soft-spoken or family oriented as opposed to climb the corporate ladder. This is clearly discrimination on the basis of sex; the hiring managers' cognitive stereotype about the nature in which women should behave and their proper role in society has influenced his perception and evaluation of the candidate.

"Over the past several decades, we have realized the complexity of discrimination as a human process that derives from much more than a simple, conscious motivation to exclude on the basis of race or sex." (Green, 2003) Discrimination can and does continue to perpetuate inequity in the modern workplace, despite our common and honest belief in an egalitarian norm.

Employers need to implement preventive measures to reduce the potential impact of unconscious bias in decision making. By its very nature, unconscious bias presents certain problems from a prevention standpoint. Based on "unconscious reflex reactions" or covert feelings and attitudes, it can be difficult for employers to point to specific acts or policies embodying these biases. Nevertheless, employers can take certain steps that may reduce the likelihood that a decision is influenced by covert bias or stereotyping.

Initially, employers should audit their internal decision-making processes to determine potential vulnerability to unconscious bias. In addition, employers should analyze current employment practices and procedures to identify potential disadvantages or differential treatment with regard to women, minorities, or any other discrete employee group.

To reduce the impact of bias in employee relations, employers should take steps to ensure that such decisions are made with as much practical and objective information. The more information at the decision maker's disposal, the less