For years, affirmative action has been one of the most fiercely debated topics in corporate America. While proponents of affirmative action programs firmly believe that economic and social gains can be achieved through increased diversity in the workplace, opponents view affirmative action as social evil promoting reverse discrimination at the cost of better qualified candidates. However, before discounting the advantages of affirmative action programs, one must fully understand the prevalent misconceptions that opponents hold. .
1. "You can't fight discrimination with discrimination." .
2. "A large percentage of White workers will lose out if affirmative action is continued." .
3. "The only way to create a color-blind society is to adopt color-blind policies." .
4. "Support for affirmative action means support for preferential selection procedures that favor unqualified candidates over qualified candidates." .
If affirmative action is a form of job discrimination, it would be grounded in prejudicial and exclusionary treatment. However, the main objective of AA programs is to include members of the society who have historically been excluded based on their color and race. .
Those who truly understand affirmative action know that white males are not being discriminated against, and in fact, still hold the same opportunities that existed before AA programs were instituted. Rather, affirmative action seeks to amend the criteria on which one is judged to be a qualified candidate. .
Years of research have indicated the importance of diversity in improving productivity at the workplace. Therefore, the inclusion of race as a qualification for employment is perfectly reasonable. Many benefits can result by adding different cultural experiences to the workplace. For example, hiring a candidate from Taiwan can help the firm open new markets in Taiwan. In today's global marketplace, the additional business ventures that can be gained from such HR practices cannot and should not be ignored.