Report to: Human Resource Manager, Profit Global, Case Study Example

Report From: Consultant International

DATE: February 24, 2012

OBJECTIVE: To identify ways in which Profit Global can increase diversity within its executive ranks and in the process improve it’s cooperate image, and effectively reduce the number of complaints, lawsuits surrounding the issue of sexual discrimination within its locations.

Executive Summary

This presenter has been commissioned on undertaking this project to identify ways in which this company Profit Global, could successfully implement effective human relations hiring practices that will improve diversity within its executive ranks, so that employees will be able to perform their jobs willingly and well and be able to significantly contribute to the continuous to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

Investigations were conducted among employees at the Ohio, Milan, and Bangladesh locations, to determine whether accusations, complaints, and lawsuits brought against the company were justified and to develop amelioration measures that will bring changes in perceptions in the company operating environments.

The methodology applied were based on contemporary practices in the Human Relations discipline, and involved selecting representative sample sizes of employees within the executive and lower ranks, and ascertaining their age, position, number of years with the company, their feelings regarding their supervisors, subordinates and the company, the present company policies as well as their job satisfaction levels.

Additionally, the files of these employees were requested  and received  from all the human resource managers with a view to determine on what basis they were employed, the composition and recommendations of the interviewing panel, and  their history of transfer, promotions, training and performance evaluations.

In order to inject balance and objectivity, the files of applicants rejected, whether internally and externally if available, were also requested, and analyzed to determine whether there were evidence of bias and sexual discriminations, as reported in the media and by past applicants and employees.

The investigation revealed that Profit Global had denied employment to more suitable candidates for its vacancies, as reflected in the fact that a large number of men were preferred to women, most of the women employed were under 30 years old and place in support services, the executive body had no female but were made up entirely of males who were all over the age of 40 years old.

Interviews were conducted among the human resource managers across the three locations to develop an understanding as to why they pursue these practices which they may regard as in the best interest of the company from cultural; team unity and job fit perspective, but essentially were not conducive to standard employment practices.

It was deemed necessary to examine the company’s position and make comparisons with the prevailing literature on the advantages and disadvantages of these practices, as well as how successful companies implement diversity within their organizations, in order to see how Profit Global could benefit.

Cash, Gillen, & Burns (1977), writing in the Journal of Applied Psychology on sexism and Beautyism in Personnel Consultant Decision-making, concluded after  recruited consultants were used in a simulated operation involving diverse  bogus applicants  were interviewed on the basis of  attractiveness and unattractiveness, the nature of the jobs, expected success, gender suitability and other variables used to determine hiring decisions; that despite objectively equivalent qualifications, job applicants encountered different employment opportunities that were dependent on their sex, physical attractiveness and the sex role characteristics of the jobs they seek.

The aspect of the investigation that revealed very high percentages of women being employed by Profit Global that were under thirty years old, drove this consultant to the works of  Dermer &Thiel (1975),  and Dion et al. (1972),  and it was there the possible reasons why this human relations hiring practice  was adopted was found.  These writers infer that because expectations of occupational status rises with a person level of attractiveness, the strength of attractiveness may increase for upper strata positions.

This theoretical approach also blended well with Cash et al. (1977), who it was discovered, had noted that physical attractiveness affects personnel decisions to the general advantage of the good-looking applicants, unless they seek jobs that were considered inappropriate for their sex.

In order to verify the authenticity of the theory and its relevance in Profit Global, it was decided to do a follow up  visit to all three locations, to observe the level of attractiveness of the largely under 30 females, and to determine whether it was this practice that generated the number of complaints, accusations and lawsuits against the company.  The positions of these personnel and their level of qualifications for their current and higher jobs were also verified.

Research was extended to Susan Jackson’s (1992), The Challenges of Workplace Diversity, to develop better understanding of the prevailing problems at Profit Global as well as  what possible solutions could be identified for implementation.  Jackson (1992) wrote, in many organizations workplaces, diversity has been evolving gradually as a natural consequence of doing businesses in changing environments, but in some of these organizations it exist as a result of intentionally engineering aggressively EEO and AA programs.

According to Jackson (1992), Xerox and Pacific Bell are examples of companies that have taken these actions to create diversity and to manage it successfully.  Further research work in the near future on these two companies will prove vital for the leadership of Profit Global.

The case of Profit Global was identified with Jacksons (1992) earlier argument in the text, when she remark after concluding a survey, that some human resource managers had not acted towards diversity, because their top level line managers were insulated from the changing world that surrounded them.  Further, according to Jackson (1992), these people are managing mid level employees who are mostly from traditional American families that were made up basically of white males.

It could be surmised that the culture that Profit Global inculcated at its Ohio location was replicated in Milan and Bangladesh, without any consideration for the cultural operating environment and the changing human resource practices with respect to the diversity, and the benefits that it brings to organizations that embrace it as a resource that can be tapped into to ensure improved productivity and market competitiveness.  Additionally, it could also be argued that this was the major reasons that the company had to be settling discrimination lawsuits, and the situation will only exacerbate if corrective actions are not implemented.

In terms of remedial actions to take Profit Global in the realm of true diversity in its operations, programs like non-traditional work arrangements (flex-time and workstations),  education and training programs intended to reduce stereotyping, increase training in cultural sensitivity and development skills for working in multi-cultural environments, the use of career management  programs designed to promote constructive feedbacks to employees and mentoring programs over extended period  of time and involving the entire organizations where appropriate, will ensure the required diversity goals are achieved.

Critical to the success of the strategy, Profit Global should first retrain its present human resource managers, or systematically replace them either through transfers, terminations or other appropriate measures, as many because of their mind set, might not be amenable to the new direction of the company.

Reference

Jackson, S. (1992).  Diversity in the Workplace Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Guilford Press New York NY

Cash, T.F. Gillen, B. Burns, D.S. (1977).  Sexism and Beauty in Personnel Consultant Decision Making Journal of Applied Psychology Vol.62 Issue 3 pp.310-310

Dermer, M., Thiel, D.L. (1975).  When beauty may fail Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 31 pp.1168-1176

Dion, K.K., Berscheid, E., & White, E., (1972).  What is beautiful is good Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Vol. 24 pp.385-290