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Week 2 MGT 510

This document summarizes a case study about Xerox Corporation being sued by black employees for discrimination. It describes how Xerox used government policies to guide its hiring practices, which resulted in more black employees than white. In response, Xerox took actions to reduce promotions for black employees. The black employees filed a lawsuit claiming disparate impact discrimination. The document analyzes the types of discrimination at play, the burden of proof in the court case, and alternative ways Xerox could have handled the imbalance without resulting to litigation. It concludes that discrimination is a common pitfall for organizations and the best approach is to undertake policies in the long-term interests of all employees.

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Victor Muchoki
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165 views5 pages

Week 2 MGT 510

This document summarizes a case study about Xerox Corporation being sued by black employees for discrimination. It describes how Xerox used government policies to guide its hiring practices, which resulted in more black employees than white. In response, Xerox took actions to reduce promotions for black employees. The black employees filed a lawsuit claiming disparate impact discrimination. The document analyzes the types of discrimination at play, the burden of proof in the court case, and alternative ways Xerox could have handled the imbalance without resulting to litigation. It concludes that discrimination is a common pitfall for organizations and the best approach is to undertake policies in the long-term interests of all employees.

Uploaded by

Victor Muchoki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Running head: MGT 510: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Lesson 2 Week 2

MGT 510: Human Resources Management

Name

International American University

Tutor:

Date:
MGT 510: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 2

Brief Overview

It should be clear that Xerox Corporation uses government policies that are equipped

using labour force data. This is done on an annual basis. On the course of implementing the

policies, the company noted that the numbers of blacks working in the organization are more as

compared to the whites. It is noted that this situation has created certain levels of imbalance in

the organization hence conflicts arise in the workplace. For this reason it needs corrections to be

done. The corporation opted to take actions to reduce black employees’ dominance in the

workplace via reducing their promotions. Black employees working for Xerox filed a law suit

against their company for mismanaging them (Gatewood, Field & Barrick, 2015).

Critical Issues

Discrimination and Types

The analysis shows that the back employees are being discriminated in the workplace;

they are faced with disparate impact discrimination. This is considered as the rules and policies

in the workplace that seems to be normal in nature but in real sense they are very different to one

person or group in the workplace. Those that face disparate impact discrimination feel that they

are treated differently. It is also treatment of a group of people differently based on race gender,

colour and geographical location. According to the case study, the management of the company

is not intentionally discriminating the blacks as well as the government policy. However, keeping

an eye on the issues about the blacks as they try to stabilize the number of employees in the

workplace seems to be less privileged (Sparrow, Brewster & Chung, 2016).

Burden of Proof

Once the case is presented in court, the defendant company is needed to proof that the

provision of is considered as discriminatory; since on the law, the court considers that Xerox is
MGT 510: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 3

following the decision of the government policy during its recruitment. When the company notes

that their exist black protection caused by an increase in the number of blacks as compared to the

whites in the workplace, the company discriminates blacks by prioritising the whites during

recruitment and selection process so does during promotion. However, when the blacks consider

this is not the case and file a law suit, they are also able to offer employees promotion history

making the court to take their side of the story (Gatewood, Field & Barrick, 2015). It is the

chance of Xerox to prove that they are not discriminating the black. Hence the company proves

this.

Alternative ways

While we review the course materials, it is clear that the increase in the number of blacks

in the company is not a clear option. Rather than taking the case to the courts is should be clear

that the issue could have first ben raised and handled at labour unions. The imbalance is clear

that it offers no value to the number of blacks and whites in the workplace, following the

government policy, Xerox should have requested for government intervention in the issues to

reduce conflicts in the workplace (Sparrow, Brewster & Chung, 2016). Xerox could have

attained the same using decision making interventions with representatives of both parties.

Analysis

Analysis shows that the case of Xerox is not a single case in business world or even other

organizations. There are various type of discriminations in the workplace that don’t just happen

due to the intentions on board but because of the many functions and operations of an

organization leading to their cause. Taking law suits in not the only option available in handling

organizational issues between the management and the employees. Accepting employees’

decisions is very valuable in the workplace.


MGT 510: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 4

Recommendations

The following are recommended:

i. First, the Xerox should allow decision and advice from employees in all of its operations.

ii. Secondly, the organization should accept that there exist other alternative to law suits.

The same at the workplace should be noted by the employees.

Conclusions

It is true to note that workplace discrimination is one of the pitfalls of contemporary

organizations such as Xerox among others. There is not employee in the workplace that loves

discrimination. In most of the situations, an organization should be ready to undertake a decision

or a policy to the best interest of the employees not that of stakeholders, by keeping the law both

in the short-run and the long-run.


MGT 510: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 5

References

Gatewood, R., Feild, H. S., & Barrick, M. (2015). Human resource selection. Nelson Education.

Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., & Chung, C. (2016). Globalizing human resource management.

Routledge.

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