Page 252 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

226 microaggressive impact in the workplace and employment

Rules and regulations are developed to normalize operating procedures,

increase efficiency and clarity in roles and responsibilities, and ensure fair and
equitable treatment of employees. Rather than achieving these goals, how-
ever, rules and regulations can foster economic and job segregation, decrease

efficiency and effectiveness, and prevent certain groups from moving up in
an organization. This occurs when criteria in performance appraisal systems
are biased and when organizations espouse the principle of “ equal treatment ”
in applying policies and practices. On the surface, this seems like a contradic-
tion because when people are treated the same or equally, aren ’ t we avoiding
discrimination?
In fact, equal treatment can be discriminatory treatment and differential
treatment is not necessarily preferential treatment. Equal treatment philoso-
phies and practices have been a means for organizations to avoid charges of
discrimination or bias. The complexity of this argument is exemplified in our

Asian American managerial promotion example. Although the same criteria
used in the job description were applied equally to all employees (White and
Asian), it resulted in a differential outcome (Whites promoted over Asian
Americans). Yet, those who made the decision are immunized from charges
of discrimination because the same standard for promotion was used and
no one was treated differently. This argument might have validity if it accu-
rately predicted leadership qualities. But, for Asian American employees,
ability to increase productivity and influence others was not correlated with

the criteria used.
Organizations must begin to address the notion that “ equal access and
opportunity ” may dictate differential policies and practices. A cultural audit
of policies and practices (most strongly in performance appraisal systems)
needs to be implemented if the organization hopes to become a multicultural
one. Companies have always maintained that attracting the “ best and
brightest ” employees in order to maintain a competitive advantage, retaining
good employees, and not losing trained employees to better offers increases pro-
ductivity in the workforce. Therefore, managing and minimizing diversity
and providing everyone with equal opportunities are paramount to success
in the marketplace (Gore, 2000). Employees of color, women, and LGBTs are
not necessarily arguing for equal treatment. They are arguing for equal access
and opportunities that may dictate differential treatment! Until organizations
begin to understand these differences, large numbers of employees who do

not fit the definition of the traditional worker (White, male, and heterosexual)
will be prevented from maximizing their contributions to the company.

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