Page 128 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

5. ORGANIZATIONAL-LEVEL DISCRIMINATION
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determining their behavior (Cox, 1994; Mischel, 1977), which could result
in a situation in which each person is free to act based upon his or her own
particular desires or prejudices without regard for organizational priori­
ties (i.e., a fragmented culture; Martin, 2002). Thus, neither a weak nor a
strong organizational culture is necessarily an antecedent to discrimina­
tion. Rather, the essential consideration is whether the values pertaining
to the inclusion of all employees are strong (i.e., the cultural content about
diversity and inclusion), whereas values pertaining to the range of behav­
ioral styles and diverse approaches to work are weak. Organizations that
have this particular combination of strong and weak cultural values are
those that are likely to be the most successful at eradicating discrimination
(Cox, 1994).
Leadership

Without the full commitment of upper-level leaders in an organization,
diversity initiatives are likely to fail and thus discriminatory practices are
unlikely to be eradicated (Cox& Blake, 1991). However, it is also necessary
to look below the upper-most levels to examine the ways in which the
behaviors and decisions of mid-level management and direct supervisors
may also perpetuate discrimination.
Upper-level Management At the highest levels of leadership in organiza­
tions, the CEO, the top management team (TMT), and the corporate board
are instrumental in determining the direction that the organization will take
with regard to diversity and discrimination. Leaders must first recognize
the potential for discrimination in traditional organizational practices and
structures and must believe in the need to value all employees and remove
obstacles to their success (Stoner & Russell-Chapin, 1997). The CEO and
top management team make important decisions regarding organizational
strategies and resources, and they communicate the organization's priori­
ties to all members and stakeholder groups (Yukl & Van Fleet, 1992). The
extent to which leaders choose to emphasize inclusiveness in the organi-
zation's strategy and the extent to which resources (i.e., personnel, money,
time) are devoted to eliminating all forms of discrimination are indicators
of leaders' priorities and of which "types" of employees are valued (Lo­
den & Rosener, 1991). Top-level leaders can also discourage discrimination
by implementing systems of accountability that make rewards contingent
upon meeting diversity goals (Morrison, 1992).
In the case in which the corporate board and TMT have decided to
pursue an organizational change strategy to increase diverse represen­
tation and inclusiveness throughout the organization, the symbolic role
of the CEO is particularly important. Cox and Blake (1991) argued that