Download Employment Discrimination: Protected Classes, Affirmative Action, and Global Perspectives and more Assignments Introduction to Business Management in PDF only on Docsity! Assignment #14 (a) Topic: Employment Discrimination Readings: 1. Chapter 13 in text 2. Schemo, “Groups Support University of Michigan Affirmative Action” New York Times Feb. 18, 2003 3) Greenhouse, Linda “Justices Back Affirmative Action by 5 to 4” New York Times June 24, 2003 4) “A Win for Affirmative Action” editorial, New York Times June 24, 2003 5) Winter, Greg “U. of Michigan Alters Admissions Use of Race”, New York Times 8/29/03 (Readings #2-5 are available at University Libraries Reserves, Assignment #14) The subject of this chapter is covered briefly in the Legal Environment of Business class, a core course, and in more detail in several other courses which are required of some, but not all COBA majors. This extensive coverage provides evidence of the topic's importance to contemporary business in the U.S. The chapter contains considerable law and some of the cases will be familiar to students. However, the nature of some of the questions asked will be different because our emphasis in this course is one of public policy. For example, because of previous courses, rigorous investigation of sex discrimination law may be less important. We will address employment discrimination by attempting to make an inquiry into its impacts on our society. Some of the questions we will explore are: (1) Attitudinal differences between men and women employees, (2) Global differences between employment discrimination in the U.S. and other countries, and (3) Arguments by some that, in the private sector, market forces and not government regulation should be employed in discrimination cases. Students should be prepared to discuss the following in class: 1. What are the current classes of "protected employees" in the U.S.? Why are some "classes" not protected, i.e. "red-haired persons", “disagreeable looking persons” or “persons who are homosexual”? 2. Do you agree with the decision in the Duke Power Case (pg. 485) concerning the use of education and/ or intelligent tests as a condition of employment or job transfers? Should "seniority" be a lawful basis of differential treatment of employees? 3. Explain why the Farmington Fire District Physical Ability Test (PAT) was invalidated in the case on page 494-495. 4. Is regulation or the free market a preferable way to deal with the "Hooters" case (pg. 495-496)? Should regulation or free market forces be used in gender discrimination cases? 5. What is your current "take" on affirmative action after Croson and Adarand case (P.509 City of Chicago)? Do the articles and the editorial (Item #2, 3, 4 above) on reserve covering the University Michigan Affirmative case change your views about the wisdom of affirmative action programs? Why have many employers supported the position taken by the University of Michigan?
