Subtle Discrimination in the Workplace
Author(s):
Joel Palacios
Joel Palacios, MIT
Introduction
Subtle discrimination does exist in the professional workplace, whether we want to accept it or not. Recognizing this fact seems to be the key to overcoming the obstacles of cultural differences and to successfully integrating at all levels of the corporate world. Despite efforts to diversify corporate America, there is still a disturbing shortage of minorities at the upper level positions of all professions.
I am personally concerned about this issue because I am a Mexican-American with a distinct cultural identity. I want to understand the issues I will face in the future, and I want to be prepared to do what is necessary to overcome these barriers to professional success. I am also concerned about the problem from the point of view of human rights and equality. The essence of the problem is that discrimination, in any sense of the word, is unfair and may infringe on the right of individuals to pursue their own goals and their own way of life.
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Interviewees
To investigate the issues presented in the hypothetical scenario, I conducted interviews with people who have experience with the problem of subtle discrimination. Within the M.I.T. community, the best qualified people in this field are the two ombudsmen (complaint handlers), Mary Rowe and Clarence Williams, and I interviewed both of them. The fact that one is a white female and that the other is a black man ensures a rather broad perspective on the issue. I also interviewed a minority engineer who has a good deal of experience, having worked for both small and large engineering companies. His view, as opposed to the other characters of the scenario, was most important because, from my interviews with the ombudsmen, it seemed that the ultimate solution to the problem must come from the person being discriminated against. This is not to say that the other factors of subtle discrimination are insubstantial. However, I felt that the minority's perspective was the most relevant if it is expected that he ultimately remedy the situation. A summary of the interviews is given.
Questions
The following set of questions was used to guide the interviews.
- Is this scenario realistic? If it is, do you feel that it presents an ethical issue?
- Who is responsible for finding a solution to Pepe's problem, and what do these responsibilities involve?
- Are there programs or policies in technical companies which are aimed at dealing with subtle discrimination?
- Are these programs or policies effective and/or necessary?
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Scenario
Casper and Pepe started working for the same company at the same time and under the same supervisor, Mr. Harmless. Casper and Mr. Harmless are both European-Americans, while Pepe is a Mexican-American. Soon after they started working, Mr. Harmless invited both of them to his traditional Sunday afternoon barbecue, an event which was held biweekly and attended by many of the other professionals in the company. Both Casper and Pepe attended the event.
While Casper seemed to have a great time, Pepe felt uncomfortable because he was the only minority present out of about six employees and their families. His cultural expectations of the event had proven to differ from those of the others. For example, he prepared a dish to share with everyone and then realized that the families had each brought their own food and drinks. He also felt that it was difficult to find common ground with his co-workers outside the world of their profession.
Pepe decided not to attend any future barbecues, not because he disliked the other employees but simply because he felt uncomfortable. For the next several months, the event continued and the supervisor continued to invite both subordinates. Casper attended every time; however, Pepe never did, and he consistently struggled to come up with reasons why he could not do so. He certainly did not want the supervisor and other employees to either take his rejections personally or develop negative feelings towards him.
As time went on, Pepe sensed the personal relationship between Casper and Mr. Harmless developing into a strong one. Eventually, a year after they had both joined the company, Casper had been promoted to a high-level position, mainly as a result of a fine recommendation from Mr. Harmless. Pepe had occasionally thought that Mr. Harmless exhibited favoritism for Casper due to their personal relationship, and he believed this was the main reason for the recommendation. Pepe felt that he had been doing superior work and that his contributions to the company had been at least as significant as, if not more so than, Casper's. Pepe became even more concerned about the situation when the new subordinate, hired to replace Casper, turned out to be another European-American. A month after this, the new subordinate seemed to be following in Casper's footsteps, by developing a strong personal relationship with Mr. Harmless.
What should Pepe do?