Discrimination in Private and Public Organizations

Megan K. Leasher, manager of talent assessments with Macy’s Inc., in Cincinnati, Ohio and Corey E. Miller, associate professor at Wright State University, published “Discrimination Across the Sectors: A Comparison of Discrimination Trends in Private and Public Organizations” in the Public Personnel Management Summer 2012 issue. The paper warns of the dangers of discrimination in any organization, and ends by offering implications for training and awareness:

Individuals who feel as though they have been discriminated against in the workplace are less satisfied with their jobs, less likely to continue working for their current employer, and less likely to recommend their organization to others, as compared to individuals who do not believe they have been victims of employment discrimination.7 In addition, individuals who have been discriminated against are more likely to believe that their supervisors do not take a personal interest in them,8 feel burned out on the job, take less initiative, and care less about performing their tasks well.

Discrimination is also a large concern in workplaces because of the deteriorating effects it has on organizations. Not only are discrimination lawsuits costly, but accusations of discrimination damage employee morale and taints the reputation of the organization by making it unattractive to employees, customers, and partners.10 Alternatively, organizations that actively adopt diversity programs that aim to prevent workplace discrimination are more likely to have satisfied, loyal employees that speak positively about the organization with others.

Read “Discrimination Across the Sectors: A Comparison of Discrimination Trends in Private and Public Organizations” in Public Personnel Management, and click here to sign up for e-alerts so you don’t miss out on new research from PPM.