Diversity Programs

Affirmative Action Programs

David Harrison and colleagues developed a typology that describes four types of affirmative action programs. First, opportunity enhancement programs represent pre-selection initiatives aimed at providing increased recruitment efforts and interview opportunities for members of under-represented groups; however, demographic characteristics are not taken into account during the selection process. The preselection activities are intended to increase the diversity of the pool of applicants, something that should consequently result in more diverse hiring. In the next category, equal opportunity programs, personnel decision makers are forbidden from assigning a weight to an applicant based on his or her demographic characteristics. Thus, discriminating against applicants based on their demographics is considered illegal, but engaging in intentional recruitment efforts or other activities that might advantage a target group is also illegal.

In tie-break programs, members of targeted groups are selected over their counterparts only when all other qualifications are equal. As such, members of underrepresented groups are assigned a small, positive weight in their favor. In the final category, strong preferential treatment, organizations give preference to members of targeted groups in the selection process, even when their [Page 189]qualifications are inferior to their counterparts. These programs are sometimes associated with quotas and their negative connotations. A number of researchers have examined people's attitudes toward affirmative action plans. Analysis of these studies across contexts and time shows that as the prescriptiveness of the plan increases (i.e., as stronger weights are assigned to demographic characteristics), attitudes toward the programs become increasingly negative. However, individual characteristics also influence attitudes toward the programs. Ceteris paribus, racial minorities, women, people who have experienced discrimination in the past, and individuals who believe that target groups are subjected to prejudice and discrimination are all more likely than their peers to support affirmative action plans. On the other hand, racists, people who hold sexist attitudes, and political conservatives are likely to oppose such programs.

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