Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Righting Society's Wrongs: Contextual Perspectives of EEO/AA

  • ARTICLES
  • Published:
Journal of African American Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we review the contextual background that has provided the pretext for the varying responses by US corporations to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA) issues over the years. The Hewlett-Packard Company is used as a case study to explore specific responses to EEO/AA issues. From this case study, we derive practical implications for how corporations around the world might better negotiate the legal environment of their respective country, as it relates to EEO/AA issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. This study was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit for the Society for Human Resource Management.

References

  • Akerlof, G. (1982). Labor contracts as partial gift exchange. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 97, 543–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, V. L. (1992). Phone survey of Hewlett-Packard (Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Practices in Organizations, May 1991 edition).

  • Andrews, V. L. (1992). Phone interview with Hewlett-Packard Company Affirmative Action Coordinator.

  • Aronson, D. (2002). “Managing the Diversity Revolution: Best Practices for 21st Century Business. The Civil Rights Journal, winter: 47-71.

  • Brooah, V. K., & Dubey, A. I. S. (2007). The effectiveness jobs reservation: caste, religion, and economic status in India. Development and Change, 38(3), 424–425. 423-445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bumiller, K. (1987). Victims in the shadow of the law: a critique of the model of legal protection. Signs, 12, 421–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, T., Jr. (2001). Creating the multicultural organization: a strategy for capturing the power of diversity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crenshaw, K. (1988). Race, reform and retrenchment: transformation and legitimation in antidiscrimination law. Harvard Law Review, 101, 1131–1287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Australian Government (2009). “Fact Sheet 8 - Abolition of “White Australia” Policy.” [Accessed 2 February 2012]. http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/08abolition.htm.

  • Dobbs, M. F. (1996). Managing diversity: lessons from the private sector. Public Personnel Management, 25, 351–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman, L. (1990). Legal environments and organizational governance: the expansion of due process in the workplace. The American Journal of Sociology, 95(6), 1401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edelman, L. (1992). “Legal Ambiguity and Symbolic Structures: Organizational Mediation of Civil Rights Law.” American Journal of Sociology. May 1992.

  • Ewing, D. W. (1982). Due process: will business default? Harvard Business Review, 60, 114–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Executive Order 11246, 3 C.F.R. 339 (1964–1965 Comp.).

  • Freeman, A. (1982). Legitimating Racial Discriminating Through Anti-Discrimination Law; A Critical Review of Supreme Court Doctrine. In P. Beirne & R. Quinney (Eds.), Marxism and law (pp. 210–235). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • General Assembly, U.N. Doc. A/66L.2. (2011). Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Global Rights Partners for Justice (2005). “Affirmative Action: A Global Perspective.” [Accessed 3 October 2011]. http://www.globalrights.org/site/DocServer/AffirmativeAction_GlobalPerspective.pdf?docID=2623.

  • Gonzalez, J. A., & DeNisi, A. S. (2009). Cross-level effects of demography and diversity climate on organizational attachment and firm effectiveness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan, L. H. (2005). Affirmative action in Malaysia. South East Asian Affairs, 2005, 211–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halaby, C. N. (1986). Worker attachment and workplace authority. American Sociological Reviews, 51, 634–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, J. Fair Measures: A Behavioral Realist Revision of “Affirmative Action”.

  • Koswanage, N. (2012). “Malaysia to set first minimum wage.” Reuters, 12 March.

  • Lauring, J., & Selmer, J. (2012). Knowledge sharing in diverse organizations. Human Resource Management Journal, 22, 89–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay, P. F., Avery, D. R., & Morris, M. A. (2008). Mean racial–ethnic differences in employee sales performance: the moderating role of diversity climate. Personnel Psychology, 61, 349–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Measure Magazine. Hewlett-Packard Company. April 1972. Page 9.

  • Measure Magazine. Hewlett-Packard Company. July 1966. Page 11.

  • Measure Magazine. Hewlett-Packard Company. July 1968. Page 16.

  • Measure Magazine. Hewlett-Packard Company. October 1964. Page 9.

  • Measure Magazine. Hewlett-Packard Company. October 1970. Page 2.

  • National Economic Advisory Council, Malaysia (2010). New Economic Model for Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: s.n.

  • Overseas Development Institute (2006). “Policy Brief 13 Interregional Inequality Facility, Sharing Ideas and Policies Across Africa, Asia and Latin America Affirmative Action Malaysia.” [Accessed 5 March 2012]. http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/4078.pdf.

  • Phillips, T. (2011). “Brazil census shows African-Brazilians in the majority for the first time.” [Accessed 5 March 2012]. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/17/brazil-census-african-brazilians-majority.

  • Phillips, T. (2011). “Brazil Census shows African-Brazilians in the majority for the first time.” The Guardian, 17 November.

  • Richard, O. C. (2000). Racial diversity, business strategy, and firm performance: a resource-based view. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 164–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richard, O. C., Barnett, T., Dwyer, S., & Chadwick, K. (2004). Cultural diversity in management, firm performance, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation dimensions. Academy of Management Journal, 47, 255–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, D. (2004). “Case Study: Diversity as Strategy.” Harvard Business Review 82, no. 9, September.

  • Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C 200e.

  • Tushnet, M. (1984). An essay on rights. Texas Law Review, 62, 1363–1403.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (2004). “Human Development Report.” [Accessed 29 February 2012]. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr04_complete.pdf.

  • Yang, Y., & Konrad, A. M. (2011). Understanding diversity management practices: implications of institutional theory and resource-based theory. Group & Organization Management, 36, 6–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, USA

    Vernon Andrews

  2. Brooklyn College, New York, NY, USA

    Willie E. Hopkins

  3. California State University, Chico, Chico, CA, USA

    Bonnie Persons

Authors
  1. Vernon Andrews
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Willie E. Hopkins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bonnie Persons
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vernon Andrews.

Additional information

The authors wish to thank the San Jose State University Kinesiology Department, Brooklyn College School of Business, and the California State University School of Business.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Andrews, V., Hopkins, W.E. & Persons, B. Righting Society's Wrongs: Contextual Perspectives of EEO/AA. J Afr Am St 18, 192–208 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-013-9262-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-013-9262-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation