24 Jun The diversity of the evergrowing workforce can be said to be caused a large number of immigrants coming from other countries and expansion of worldwide operations. Consequ

Case Study

Introduction

The diversity of the evergrowing workforce can be said to be caused a large number of immigrants coming from other countries and expansion of worldwide operations. Consequently, managing religious differences is a profound concern for many corporations and human resource professionals (Combs, 2009). Employees’ interactions with formal and informal work practices are influenced by religious beliefs and practices. Treton is one of the American corporations faced with human resource challenges stemming from racial discrimination. Marshawn DeMur, an African American, who had worked for the company for six years, applied for a better paying job position and transfer to the company’s newly opened facility (Combs, 2009). DeMur was offered the position and then moved to Kansas. He joined the Church of International Spirituality, which required him to be away from work for about a week. However, the management and employees considered DeMur’s religion strange in the city perimeter. Those described them as voodooists and partakers of witchcraft (Combs, 2009). This paper comprehensively addresses questions regarding Marshaw DeMur’s experience at Treton.

Identify and Describe the Specific Issues Maalick Encountered in the Workplace. Do the Actions of Other Workers At Treton Represent Discrimination and Harassment? What Elements of Law Are Important For Treton to Consider?

Maalick faced discrimination and harassment based on his racial minority and religious affiliation. As he was preparing for a week-long spiritual practice, Jenkins almost refused to grant him permission alleging that what Maalick described sounded quite strange (Combs, 2009). Still, his coworkers suggested that members of the Church of International Spirituality were voodooists and partakers of witchcraft. The actions of Maalick’s coworkers amount to discrimination and harassment because they frequently cause Maalick to experience emotional turmoil. When he returned to work from his religious practice, his coworkers refused to greet him and only nodded their heads, laughed, and walked away (Combs, 2009). Using a picture of Africa with strange letterings/symbols on the wall behind Maalick’s desk was discriminatory because it represented black people as witches. Thus, Treton Company and its human resource management need to consider Tittle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination against protected classes.

Evaluate the Actions of the HR Director, Marta Ford, In Response to Maalick’s Situation. What Could She Have Done to Prevent the Situation, and What More Could She Do To Ensure That This Type of Situation Would Not Occur in the Future?

The HR director failed to be proactive in preventing discrimination and harassment experienced by Maalick. Maalick went to the HR director’s office to report the behaviors and actions of his core workers and change his name; the director only assured him that his name would be changed and reflected in the company’s records (Combs, 2009). The human resource director should not have disregarded Maalick’s concerns but proactively address the issue so that it does not escalate the way it did. Marta Ford ought to have called for a meeting with everyone to remind them about Treton’s policy on discrimination and harassment as soon as Maalick informed her during the name-changing process. More often than not, victims lack the resources to challenge the indignities they experience (Roscigno, 2019). However, the human resource director was the resource that did not prevent discriminatory practices from going on.

How Would You Characterize Clive Jenkins’ Behavior and Response to this Situation?

Jenkins’ character might be considered unethical, discriminatory, and disrespectful. As a member of the organization’s management team, Jenkins is in charge of increasing staff morale to boost productivity. Besides, Jenkins has been in the company for quite a while and understands Treton’s policy on discrimination and harassment. Sadly, he castigates Maalick for seeking permission to participate in religious practices and only reluctantly grants permission (Roscigno, 2019). Jenkins’ actions encouraged Maalick’s core workers to behave the way they did because he did not show respect for ethics, policies, and members of the racial minority. When Maalick called Jenkins to help solve the problem, he laughed and said that Maalick had admirers at the workplace. This was against what a policy-adherent leader should do. Jenkins encouraged Maalick’s coworkers to joke about him and put the company at risk of legal penalties.

What Resolution to this Situation Might Judith Dixon Suggest?

Maalick filed the complaint after he failed to secure the system manager’s position because of his racial identity and religious affiliation. Hence, Judith Dixon may suggest that the process of filling the position is halted immediately to pave the way for an investigation into the alleged discriminatory practice. If the allegations are established to be true, Judith Dixon might suggest diversity training for every employee. The ability to fit into any organization without any feeling of estrangement is a global corporate culture that thrives under effective diversity management (Inegbedion et al., 2020). Thus, diversity training will enable employees to appreciate everyone irrespective of their religious, racial, or ethnic background. It will also help them develop awareness about unconscious bias and other barriers to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

What Are the Broader Implications of This Situation For Treton? What Type of Organizational Review Might Dixon Initiate or Suggest From a Corporate Perspective? The broader implication for Treton is an extensive review of its equal employment opportunities and diversity policy. Judith Dixon might order reviewing the company’s policy, how it is disseminated to employees, and how the Treton creates employee awareness about the policy. The review might also cover how the organization’s leadership is informed about their responsibilities with regard to compliance and enforcement. This policy review is essential given Jenkins’s potentially harassing behaviors that encourage coworkers to engage in discriminatory practices against Maalick. Conclusion Workplace discrimination and harassment have become common especially due to globalization which forces companies to send employees to different parts of the world. Thus, corporations need to develop effective anti-discrimination policies to ensure diversity and inclusion of everyone irrespective of their background.

References

Combs, G. M. (2009). Religious discrimination and racial harassment: What ever happened to Marshawn DeMur? Society for Human Resource Management.

Inegbedion, H., Sunday, E., Asaleye, A., Lawal, A., & Adebanji, A. (2020). Managing diversity for organizational efficiency. Sage Open, 10(1), https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244019900173

Roscigno, V. J. (2019). Discrimination, sexual harassment, and the impact of workplace power. Socius, 5, 2378023119853894. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2378023119853894