Free Custom «Soc-Organization and Society» Essay Paper

Soc-organization can be defined as an active group that comes together to achieve a common goal. These groups usually vary in size and nature from workers to the specific factories or offices. However, various negative issues that hinder the development of minorities and women emerge at the workplace in the US.  Some of the common issues that hinder the prosperity of women and the minorities at the workplace include sexual harassment, politics, and inequality brought about by the existing stereotypes. More so, most corporations in the US perpetuate the spirit of racism by favoring Whites in terms of promotions and pay and ignoring the minority groups.  This has affected women and minorities living in the US as they continue earning lower wages at lower positions within organizations.

This essay explicates various aspects relating to the treatment of racial minorities and women in the US workplaces.

How Corporations Use Inefficient Diversity Practices

Corporations usually adopt various programs to ensure that the spirit of diversity is upheld at their workplace. In line with this, some of the common diversity practices that are used by organizations include mentorship and management training, recruitment, awareness training, and seminars. Most of these practices are always inefficient means of trying to create diversity within organizations. Awareness training is one of the ineffective diversity practices that are used in different corporations in the US.  Awareness training is always put in place with the symbolic aim of promoting accommodation and tolerance at workplaces. According to Collins (2011), diversity training used by corporations has led to the fall in the number of female managers by 10 % and the number of Black males in top positions by 12%. During awareness training sessions, workers are taught the importance of avoiding discrimination at the workplace since they are all humans with similar abilities. Female and racial discrimination within the corporation is always condemned during such sessions. However, this is an ineffective diversity practice, because the same corporations condone favoritism toward White old men. More so, most employees are always unwilling to apply the principles that they are taught during awareness sessions. Therefore, corporations conduct awareness training, which only symbolizes their fight against discrimination, but does not represent actual commitment to the elimination of discrimination.

In addition, organizations utilize the practice of trying to involve racial minorities in managerial positions to promote diversity.  O'Leary-Kelly, Bowes-Sperry, Bates, & Lean (2009) reiterate that most corporations tend to respond to the pressure of social welfare organizations by pretending to involve minority groups in the existing managerial positions and improve their pay. They do this only for a few individuals who may have worked for a longer time within the organization and leave the rest in the lowest positions within the organization. Corporations also employ the strategy of giving minority groups less significant positions and reserving the best for White males who may even be less qualified. The pretence of involving racial minorities in higher positions within corporations is a symbolic commitment to diversity promotion, because it is not beneficial as these individuals are put in less influential positions. Thus, it perpetuates institutional racism as Whites continue to hold influential positions within organizations. The promotion of racial minorities to less influential managerial positions expresses symbolic and not real commitment of corporations to affirmative action regarding racial minorities.

I agree with Collin’s description of such behavior as “a new form of institutional racism.” I support him, because it is evident that corporations are employing symbolic commitment to affirmative action instead of adopting real affirmative action. They pretend to be committed to the entire issue only to end up perpetuating racism.

Social Power Used by Managers to Reinforce Inequality

Inequality is a serious issue at most workplaces in the US. It is worth noting that any practices leading to inequality mostly affect racial minorities and women at workplaces. Managers may use the reward power and connection power to reinforce the existing workplace inequalities in the United States of America.

Reward power is the power based on the manager’s ability to bestow rewards on individuals. The rewards are always offered in the form of schedules, pay, and job assignments. Managers may promote inequality at the workplace by offering these rewards to individuals of the white origin alone.  Collins (2011) affirms that the rewards would not put into consideration the achievements of racial minorities and women, but would emphasize on the achievement of the dominant White males. Rewards such as pay and job assignments would promote inequality as most White men climb the ladder of the organizational structure due to the pretence that they are achievers and may play an instrumental role in transforming organization. More so, it would reflect inequality as the individuals offered rewards are moved to higher positions leaving out those with equal achievements from racial minorities and women.

Managers may also use connection power to reinforce the existing inequality between white men, racial minorities, and women. This power depends on whom you know within the organization. Therefore, they could utilize connection power by favoring white men whom they know hence reinforcing inequalities. They would promote these individuals to higher positions basing on the argument that they understand and trust them more hence reinforcing inequalities. This would leave out racial minorities and women as they do not have connections to the manager hence boosting inequality at workplaces.  

Tactics the Minority and Women should Use to Gain Power over Their Career

The high levels of inequality at workplaces in the US is a headache to racial minorities and women. However, they can come up with tactics that would ensure they rise in their careers. One of the best and reliable powers they can use is expert power. This requires them to gain more knowledge and skills in the specific fields.  O'Leary-Kelly, Bowes-Sperry, Bates, & Lean (2009) assert that this would assist them as there will be no excuse on why they should be discriminated at the workplace. They will utilize their expertise to advance to different ranks within the organization. Expert power will ensure that they are given some special consideration as they agitate for equality within organizations. They would be able to access challenging tasks and higher positions using their expertise.  

More so, they may join social welfare institutions that advocate for their rights. They will be able to be defended by these organizations hence ensuring that they access equal opportunities of advancement at the workplace. Social welfare organizations will be able to educate them about their rights and various strategies of ensuring that their rights are observed at the workplace. Therefore, they would be able to advance accordingly at their workplaces. These organizations will always be there for them and ensure that they advance at their workplaces.

In conclusion, soc-organization is an active group that comes together with the aim of achieving a particular objective. Racial and gender discrimination is common at most workplaces in the US. Organizations engage in practices such as awareness training of members and promotion of racial minorities to managerial positions within the organization. These are inefficient practices, because they only indicate symbolic commitment to the promotion of affirmative action for the minorities. They are never done with real commitment hence increasing levels of inequality. Managers may rely on reward power and connection power to perpetuate cases of inequality within organizations. Members from racial minority groups and women must improve their expertise and join significant social welfare organizations to promote their advancement at workplaces.