Discrimination of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australian Workplace - Assignment Example

Assessment 1 Student’s Name University Affiliation Question 1 Discrimination of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australian workplace The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are believed to be the most disadvantaged ethnic group in Australia because of various historical, racial, cultural, political, and personal factors. National statistics point out that almost all social indicators rank the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the most disadvantaged. According to the Australian Public Service Commission (2008), the group registers worse result as compared to other ethnic groups in terms of incidences of family violence, standard of living, health, employment, and education. For that reason, other members from different ethnic backgrounds seem to have developed a negative perception towards the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people. Those negative perceptions are commonly manifested as discrimination in the Australian workplace. Numerous disadvantages associated with the community prompted the government to formulate a strategy dubbed “closing the Gap.” Current factors contributing to discrimination if the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people emanate from government policy that was in force between 1909 and 1969 (National Human Rights Action Plan, 2011). The community was forcibly evicted from their ancestral land and in the process; many of them experienced sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. Additionally, distress resulted in other negativities, such as suicide, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The traumatic incident was transferred from one generation to another, even to the post-modern society. Employment discrimination against the community was supported by unfair government policies that were in force during the 20th century. According to the National Human Rights Action Plan (2011), between 1900 and 1980s, various State and Territorial governments unfairly withheld wages and other employment benefits from the community. The event subsequently resulted in serious historical, political, civil, cultural, social, and economic repercussions. The disadvantages were closely linked to the poverty level that is witnessed within the ethnic group today. The Australian government has since refused to compensate the ethnic community for the numerous generations of stolen wages. Currently, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to suffer in workplaces because of negative perception attributed from other ethnic groups. The Australian Human Rights Commission has recorded countless incidences of workplace discrimination against the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ORIMA Research., & Australian Public Service Commission, 2010). In many instances, the members of the ethnic group may find it difficult to secure jobs as compared to individuals from other ethnic backgrounds. Besides, when the Aboriginals succeed in securing jobs, they experience higher risks of facing stereotypes, bullying, harassment, lower wages, and unfair treatment (Kowal, 2007). In many workplaces, it is commonplace to overhear discriminatory names, such as “coon,” “half Cast,” “dark,” and “black” used in reference of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Countless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publics have complained of racial discrimination and sexual harassment in workplaces. The low social profile has majorly contributed in denying members of the community due respect in various workplaces. Because members of the community are known to be largely uneducated, many employers tend to misuse national statistics by labeling employees from the community as “dumb” or “unprofessional.” Despite the fact that members of the ethnic group have trouble in securing jobs, they also face difficulties in securing boarding houses. Many complaints have emerged where caretakers blatantly refuse to take any person from the Aboriginal group because of “management policies.” Partly, the owners of the boarding houses justify their action by claiming bad experiences in the past. Recommendations a. The Australian Human Rights Commission needs to consider reviewing its anti-discriminatory and harassment policies to capture various unfair practices targeting members of the ethnic group. In the past, regulations, laws, and policies were proven to contain many loopholes that encouraged unscrupulous employers and workers to direct discriminatory action towards members of minority groups. b. The Australian government need to increase consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to find out areas that require changes. Without proper consultation, policies and regulations may fail to capture real issues affecting members of the ethnic group. c. National campaigns should be increased to sensitize the public on the importance of unity, cooperation, and appreciation of diversity. Many issues arising in workplaces are associated with inadequate knowledge of damage caused by discriminatory statements and actions. If members of the public receive adequate education on ways of recognizing and handling discriminatory cases, then notable improvement can be registered throughout the country. d. Obstacles facing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in accessing social amenities, such as health, education, justice, and employment opportunities should be eliminated. If the members of the ethnic group can access information, facilities, and assistance, then they can easily come at par with other ethnic groups. e. The Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 should be fully implemented to ensure that rights of the indigenous communities are not continually infringed. Unwavering application of the Act will ensure that principles of human rights are upheld in many public places including workplaces, hotels, service centers, sports arenas, and religious institutions. Question 2 Part A Common types of unethical and deviant behaviors in modern workplaces i. Organizational misbehavior This is a type of unethical and deviant behavior where organizational members engage in deliberate acts that constitute gross violation of organizational or societal norms (Iaconi, 2007). In most cases, unethical and deviant behavior may be targeted at benefiting an individual or organization. Ideally, organizational misbehavior materializes via achievement of objectives, which inflict damage. Organizational misbehavior includes broad activities and events, such as sexual harassment, crime, turnover, absence, and time wastage. Organizational misbehavior mostly generates tension and conflict between the subordinate and the executive. ii. Dysfunctional behavior The form of unethical and deviant behavior occurs when personnel undertake an act associated with negative consequences on another individual, group, or the entire organization. Two types of dysfunctional behavior exist. The first one is violent and deviant behavior, which encompass terrorism, verbal assault, physical assault, and aggression. The second type is nonviolent and deviant behavior, which encompass theft, absence, revenge, drug use, and alcohol use. iii. Counterproductive behavior Counterproductive behavior is a form of unethical and deviant behavior, which involves any intentional conduct exhibited by member of an organization perceived as contrary to legitimate action. In most cases, counterproductive behavior is an element of job performance, which may include various activities. Some of the activities under the category include poor quality work, poor attendance, unsafe behavior, misuse of information, property destruction, and theft (Iaconi, 2007). All the activities are geared towards reduced production or failure to achieve organizational goals. iv. Antisocial behavior Antisocial behavior is a harmful undertaking to the employee, co-workers, organization, and external stakeholders. Antisocial behavior may encompass negativities, such as whistleblowing, revenge, lying, harassment, sabotage, interpersonal violence, theft, discrimination, and aggression. It may be concentrated on property interaction, political issues, and personal issues. v. Coworker backstabbing This is another unethical and deviant behavior that is common is many workplaces. It involves an activity done by employee to achieve a “leg up” on fellow employee. Techniques employed in coworker backstabbing include taking credit for another person’s work, discrediting another individual, blame game, and dishonesty. The motives behind the misbehavior include jealousy, revenge, self-gain, and personal reasons. Why unethical and deviant behavior is still common in modern workplace Unethical and deviant is a commonplace in postmodern workplace because of numerous reasons. The first reason for continued misbehavior is laxity in formulating and enacting organizational codes of ethics. Organizations that have well-defined, comprehensive codes of ethics have less instances of unethical and deviant behavior. On the contrary, organizations that lack codes of ethics or fail to implement existing codes of ethics provide rom for employees to engage in various malpractices. Second, individuals may develop deviant behavior because the organization supports such behaviors. Many organizations across the globe value to work with individuals considered honest, transparent, and professional. Nonetheless, certain organizations depend and thrive because of employees that are deceitful and dishonest. Such organizations are mostly considered as “toxic” because they are characterized by history of high degree of employee dissatisfaction, poor decision-making, poor performance, and high employee stress levels. The third reason for unethical and deviant behavior in the contemporary workplace is the influence associated with deviant role models. The social learning theory indicates that deviant role models, in groups or organizations tend to influence others to undertake deviant actions as well (Piquero, 2005). When analyzing deviant behavior in organization structure, it is vital to consider influence of various groups. The fourth reason for engaging in deviant behavior is the existence of unsuitable operation environment. Negative operation environment in postmodern workplaces is one of the leading predictor of existence of deviant behaviors. Some operation environment may force individuals to realign their personality characteristics because their needs are not met. Under certain circumstances, operation environment may not be adequately defined leading to overstepping of an employee’s mandate, and thereby creating chances for deviant behavior. Such activities may include working with firearms, disciplining others, supervising others, serving alcohol, and undertaking security functions (Barsky, 2011). Lastly, unethical and deviant behavior is common in postmodern workplaces because of failure to punish unwanted actions. Supervisors and managers may notice deviant behavior and walk away without taking appropriate action to counter the identified discipline issue. In most cases, management tend to allow subordinate to do whether they desire as long as they are consider useful in achieving the organization’s goals. Such events encourage growth of deviant behavior to a level that entire organization will be “toxic.” Part B Code of ethics 1. Personal and professional responsibility 2. Respect for people 3. Equity and justice To ensure that the codes of ethics will be effective, a well-defined code of conduct must be used. Moreover, personnel must be well informed on all code of ethics and code of conduct via use of training, workshops, workgroups, and conferences. The code of conduct includes the following. i. Personal and professional responsibility Professional development Risk management Social media Ethical conduct of research Conflicts of interest Public comment Safety and health Information technology Fraud and corruption Sustainability Use of facilities and equipment Public interest disclosure ii. Respect for people Intellectual property Complains Confidentiality iii. Equity and justice Lawful obedience Union membership Academic freedom Harassment Achievement comparative to opportunity Access to career development opportunities Every code of conduct will be defined based on organizational goals and desires of both internal and external stakeholders. Ideally, the code of ethics and code of conduct will guide personnel in adopting actions that will encourage harmony and cooperation with all stakeholders. References Australian Public Service Commission. (2008). Building an Indigenous employment strategy: A starter kit for APS agencies. Canberra: APSC. Barsky, A. (2011). Investigating the Effects of Moral Disengagement and Participation on Unethical Work Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(4), 256-289. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-0889-7 Iaconi, G. D. (2007). Positive and negative deviant workplace behaviors: causes, impacts, and solutions. Corporate Governance, 7(1), 78-124. doi:10.1108/14720700710827176 Kowal, E. (2007). Measuring emotional and social wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations: an analysis of a Negative Life Events Scale. International Journal for Equity in Health, 14(2), 134-156. doi:10.1186/1475-9276-6-18 National Human Rights Action Plan. (2011). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Retrieved from: http://www.humanrightsactionplan.org.au/nhrap/focus-area/aboriginal- and-torres-strait-islander-peoples ORIMA Research., & Australian Public Service Commission. (2010). 2009 Census Report: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander APS employees. Phillip, A.C.T: Australian Public Service Commission. Piquero, N. L. (2005). Examining the role of differential association and techniques of neutralization in explaining corporate crime. Deviant Behavior. doi:10.1080/01639620590881930 Read More