Veteran Hiring in Federal Entities: Hiring Discrimination - Assignment Example

Veteran Hiring in Federal Entities: Hiring Discrimination INTRODUCTION A literature review forms an essential and important aspect of a given research. Literature reviews analyze and critique important aspects of other scholarly sources and other documents that have propounded various theories and concepts that are applicable to this research. Literature reviews are important because they make an academic case and present a strong framework for dealing with situations and matters. This is because they create a foundation on which a researcher can analyze and evaluate concepts and ideas that are relevant to the current research. The aim of this research is to review and critically evaluate secondary sources for insights into discrimination in organizational hiring practices. The following objectives will mark the scope of this study: 1. An evaluation and analysis of recent scholarly sources and books about organizational hiring practices; 2. An inquiry into discrimination and how they affect organizational practices; 3. A review of concepts and ideas that can be employed to reduce discrimination in organizations; 4. Formulation of a strategy for dealing with discrimination in organizational hiring practices. This study will evaluate important elements and features of conducting literature reviews. To this end, the paper will examine some important secondary sources and how they work together with other aspects of research in order to define a core and a key concept. The process will involve amongst other things, the critique of literature and how these forms of literature work together to help in understanding theories and making inputs into various ideas and concepts. The analysis of the literature review will involve the critical assessment and evaluation of core concepts from recent scholarly articles. This will include peer-reviewed articles that were published over the past five years. This will involve the assessment of insights on discrimination in the workplace and how efforts have been made to deal with it. From thence, the study will propound a theory on how to develop human resource management theories and strategies for reducing discrimination in organizations. LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review is a systematic review of scholarly sources and similar materials in order to identify important concepts and theories that are integrated into a given study (Rocco & Hatcher, 2011). A literature review is concerned with the analysis of critical points of current knowledge and substantive findings in order to draw a theoretical and methodological structure for the conduct of a given research or study (Collins, Onwuegbuzie, & Jiao, 2010). This therefore gives the framework for explaining and drawing the parameters of a given research. Concerning this study, there is the need to draw the context and framework for concepts like organizational hiring practices, discrimination practices and other elements and aspects of constructively dealing with the situation and matter. This section of the research will analyze these theories and concepts and find important elements and aspects in order to draw conclusions on the matter. Organizational Hiring Practices Recruitment and selection are important stages and processes through which firms hire new employees. Recruitment and selection are closely related concepts and they aim at attracting and selecting appropriate persons with a given skill-set to carry out a given organizational function (Gatewood, Feild, & Barrick, 2013; Dwivedi, 2009). The recruitment process involves the advertising of a given vacancy to attract persons who have the relevant skills and also the preliminary screening and evaluation of applicants who show interest and apply for the vacancies (Cooper & Rothmann, 2012). The public sector and private sector both have different views and ends that they seek to attain. Thus, there are different hiring practices that thrive in these different sectors of the economy. In the case of the private sector, the desire and expectation is to hire people who will typically help them to meet their profit motive. On the other hand, the public sector seeks to get workers who can help to further the welfare of the organization and also meet the targets of the workplace. However, irrespective of the hiring strategy put in place by a firm, there is the need for the firm’s hiring practices to be in sync with the dominant rules and regulations of the state and federal authorities (Li & Goldschmidt, 2012). Therefore hiring practices and hiring processes must be presented in a way and manner that enables certain protected classes of the society to retain their rights to protection and also gain the right treatment as per the rules of the community or nation (Colaprete, 2012). Organizations are therefore required to come up with a hiring policy that will inform the public of their hiring processes and this must be done in a transparent and compliant way and manner in order to promote the relevant rules and regulations that cover employment in the particular sector or industry (Wolf-Wendel, Twombly, & Rice, 2013). Discrimination and Organizational Practices Discrimination is a set of practices that consciously excludes certain people in a given society from attaining certain ends and this culminates in the institutionalization of certain practices that keeps some groups marginalized in the community. Discrimination in the work environment creates a social closure that prevents certain people from entering some institutions and organizations in the economy (Mong & Roscigno, 2009). This can be viewed from various facades which include exclusion, joblessness, and restrictions in relation to wages and job mobility. This implies that discrimination in organizational practices creates some kind of social situation and social matter that is felt more in the external environment as well as the economic sector. The role of exclusion in the wider society has led to the creation of laws in states and the federal government that are meant to protect certain classes of the population (Hollinshead, 2012). This is because most people and individuals go through various forms of discrimination and where an identifiable population is detected; there is a general tendency to try to move to protect such persons. This provides the impetus for defining and identifying issues with discrimination in organizations. In reality though, most firms will have various hiring processes and practices that will demand certain inputs and certain forms of activities that will get potential candidates to showcase their talents and competencies. Sometimes, these requirements might have various direct and indirect discriminatory systems that will prevent some sections of the wider population from getting hired (Sumanth & Cable, 2011). These discriminatory practices are often detected and brought to bear in the society either by the persons affected by them or by the media and other agents of the community and society (Carlsson & Rooth, 2012). The media and other related entities in the community have the capability to bring massive and large-scale abuses and discrimination in hiring processes to the public domain and this prompts public outcry and communal condemnation (Carlsson & Rooth, 2012). Sometimes, discrimination in employment comes in the form of refusing to grant access or further consideration to people who are seen to have certain connections and certain origins and typical examples include people with surnames that sounds foreign and alien to the dominant culture of the society (Eriksson & Lagerstrom, 2012). The media has the ability and capability to deal with cases relating to systematic discrimination as it exists in various nations and various communities around the world. This is because the media can present factual cases and this will inevitably prompt public outrage and disagreement that can lead to social discourse that will bring about change. In order to establish a case of discrimination in organizations, there is often the need to use statistical models to evaluate hiring trends and percentages of people within the organization and this gives an idea of what is going on inside the organization and how this is influencing the level of diversity in the organization (Green, 2011). This is because in most cases, discrimination can come to bear if there is one type of people only who tend to find hiring opportunities in a given entity as opposed to others of a certain background or origin. This shows a strong case for a systematic discriminatory structure in the hiring process and system. A deep introspection into indirect discrimination reveals that it is a form of discrimination in which certain requirements are put in place that keeps out certain people and certain groups (Carter-Boyd, 2012). This implies that there are some hiring systems and processes, particularly in the federal sector that keeps out certain sections of the population. This is because practices like high standards and high insistence keeps out certain people who are not qualified enough to be in certain positions and places. This causes so many barriers and limitations in the workplace and issues like self-interest, favoritism and public interest which keeps these discrimination practices inherent in the hiring process (Carter-Boyd, 2012). Indirect discrimination in the field of hiring veterans in the federal sector is often related to the fact that employers often place barriers that cannot be met by most veterans. This is because most veterans might have had to be drafted into service early or at crucial points in their lives where they could not have attained those qualifications and requirements. Hence, the systematic presentation of these barriers creates an indirect system through which veterans are kept out of certain employments and roles in the federal entities around the United States. Hiring follows the need for building trust with the staff members thus most firms also need to select people who can meet their ends (Batchelor, 2013). This implies that firms also need to formulate some kind of system in order to hire the right people who will gel within their system in order to meet the work requirements and strategic objectives of the organization. Hence, there is a basis for some kind of discrimination in organizations’ hiring processes. This implies that there must be a balance to be drawn between the need for fairness and justice in the hiring process. Reducing discrimination in Organizations’ Hiring Processes There is some evidence that discrimination occurs in different sectors and organizations around the world. And in an empirical study, it was discovered that stereotyping is a central and significant feature of discrimination in the work place and in organizations and this prevents equal opportunities in hiring and employment throughout the United States (Mong & Roscigno, 2009). Therefore, it is important for stereotyping to be identified, and conceptualized in organizations in order to draw a plan on how to eliminate it from the hiring processes (Mong & Roscigno, 2009). Another approach to reducing discrimination against specific persons in the society in the hiring and employment process is to invoke state laws and regulations that will compel businesses and federal organizations to hire certain classes of people (Hollinshead, 2012). This can be done by states putting forward significant laws that address specific issues and matters that are prevalent in its jurisdiction. This will prevent organizations from discriminating and excluding specific sections and segments of the society due to programs and practices they put in place by their own volition. In cases where people could be victimized and treated negatively because of their origins and other obvious features and characteristics like names and social features, there might be the need to institute various programs that will consciously provide protection for minorities (Eriksson & Lagerstrom, 2012). This is because it is obvious that without such programs, there will be a natural tendency for employers to exclude and discriminate against various persons of minority backgrounds. In that case, there might be a legal or ethical requirement that will provide some kind of guarantee for these minorities. This is because in the absence of such processes, there is a tendency for minorities to be excluded and this will add up to aggregate marginalization and the prevention of benefits to certain persons because of their origins. The protection of minorities can realistically be done by presenting issues and matters through statistical evaluations and related matters (Green, 2011). This is because statistical analysis can identify whether hiring practices are fair or not. If there is the exclusion of people from certain classes of the society, there might be the case for some kind of positive discrimination to get them carefully represented and drafted into the wider corporate environment. Such a situation will promote fair representation and inclusion in various ways and forms. These all-inclusive methods and processes must set quotas and protection limits for certain people of certain backgrounds (Sumanth & Cable, 2011). This can be done by detecting all indirect barriers to hiring in order to eliminate them consciously by the effort of staff members and organizations. Smith and Ho on the other hand argue that there is the ultimate onus for ensuring fair and inclusive hiring practices reverts to employers. Hence, it is recommended that employers take a proactive role in examining and evaluating their hiring processes and their hiring practices in order to identify if there are any obvious laws that are being overlooked (Smith & Ho, 2012). These things must be seen as part of corporate social responsibility and also a part of corporate governance. This is because in cases where there is a lawsuit against a firm for discrimination in hiring, that firm is likely to lose a lot of money because where claims are proven; a company might be liable to pay for the damages they have caused. The media has the role of becoming a steward in social and corporate affairs. Therefore, it is identified that in cases where there is discrimination in hiring processes, the media might need to come in to conduct surveys and checks in order to identify the scope and extent of discrimination in hiring and its implications on the society (Carlsson & Rooth, 2012). This is because the media has a higher degree of success in exposing issues and matters related to discriminatory hiring practices and its impacts on the society. APPLICATION OF THEORIES In the case of veterans in the United States and their entry into the US federal job sector, there have been some kinds of limitations and restrictions that have been placed on them. This is because many veterans might not have the right qualifications or inputs that can enable them to adapt quickly in order to be considered to be part of the workforce of the federal sections (Carter-Boyd, 2012). Whereas some of these issues and restrictions to hiring might be factual and might be steeped in circumstances and situations that have a bearing on the wider society, there are other issues and matters that might relate to the fact that some veterans might have a set of experiences and training that might not be directly in sync with what employers in federal entities may want (Carlsson & Rooth, 2012; Eriksson & Lagerstrom, 2012; Colaprete, 2012). In all these situations, there are likely to be some kind of tension and limitation placed on veterans who seek to apply for jobs in these federal entities. Therefore, deducing from the theories identified above, it can be identified that there will be an improvement in hiring practices in these federal entities if a conscious effort is made to eliminate various forms of stereotyping. This can best be done through the examination of the processes and activities that keep the negative practices thriving through different situations and contexts (Sumanth & Cable, 2011). There must be various studies and enquiries into the main causes of these stereotypes and the forms they take. Through this, there will be an important improvement and enhancement in the way these veterans get hired and how they are integrated into the organization. Hence, the various forms of stereotyping must be detected and dealt with. Also, it is known that there is a general convention for federal entities to employ veterans. However, the law is sometimes less pronounced in guaranteeing their position in the hiring process. This can be done by the institution of laws and regulations that protect the veteran population in the federal service. This will enable the veterans to get important positions and sensitive roles in organizations so that the objective and desire of keeping the promises to American soldiers can be institutionalized and protected. In cases where there are hiring discrimination processes that affect veterans, there is the need for statistics to be presented as a means of linking the practices to the reality. This will help to gain public sympathy for marginalized veterans and from there, there could be appropriate actions that can be taken by authorities to deal with the processes and its related issues. Statistics can help to detect issues and the issues can be traced further and deeper in order to find the root causes of hiring discrimination matters and issues in order to improve the kind of treatment and opportunities veterans get in the federal hiring process. Another aspect of promoting the hiring of veterans and protecting their interest is through the use of positive discrimination processes and projects. This is because as a minority population, there is the need for veterans to be given some kind of cover and protection in order to ensure that they are treated as they deserve to be treated. This can be done by designing a nationwide approach and system for helping veterans and protecting them from all problems. This will ensure that veterans are treated as an integral part of the society and hence, they will be given the right and preferential treatment in order to enter the federal workforce. This can be done through the identification of barriers to the hiring of veterans and an identification of the methods and ways of dealing with them. Also, the federal entities must be tasked to take proactive roles in examining loopholes in the quest to identify better ways of integrating veterans into their workforce (Carlsson & Rooth, 2012). This is because such a process will help and enable these federal entities to streamline their processes and avoid getting into situations where they will have to face charges for discrimination and other forms of exclusions in their hiring processes. Finally, the media can be employed by various stakeholders in order to find ways and means of sharing information about statistics and limitations that are placed on veteran employment by federal authorities. This will prompt debate and get the public to try to change issues and also promote discussions about how to deal with unemployment amongst veterans. The integration of the public through the media will also provide an education to various stakeholders and this will be a good way of promoting fairness and sensitivity to the employment situation amongst veterans. RECOMMENDATION The human resource strategy for eliminating discrimination in the hiring of veterans needs to be done in a way and manner that veterans will be protected by various laws and various forms of dialog that will be fueled by the use of statistics and the creation of awareness. Legally, there must be a system of protecting veterans as a specific and special social class. This must be done by the provision of more expressed laws and regulations that will present veterans as a different social group that needs to be treated with uttermost sensitivity in the federal work environment and hiring processes. This protection will come with various forms of positive discrimination practices that will be skewed in such a way that the hiring processes of federal authorities and organizations will be done in a way and manner in which the best interests of veterans will be protected. Also, the protection of veterans as a social class will promote the use of various techniques to get federal entities more accountable and more proactive in listening to the cases and needs of veterans. This will include various forms of self-review that will ensure that federal entities are more prone to introspection and self-analysis in order to re-evaluate their hiring practices and hiring systems so that they can make changes where the need arises. Bibliography Batchelor, Z. R. (2013). Does Trust Matter? A Study of the Relationship between Organizational Trust and an Employee's Intent to Leave Among Federal Workers. Doctorate Dissertation, Capella University , 10144. Carlsson, M., & Rooth, D.-O. (2012). The Power of the Media and Changes in Discriminatory Practices among Employers. Journal of Media Economics , 98-102. Carter-Boyd, B. L. (2012). Transitioning from the Military to Federal Civil Service Employment: Preferential Hiring and its Unintended Consequences on the Mid-Life Career Transition and Workplace Adaptation of Veterans. Doctorate Dissertation: Capella University , 1- 209. Colaprete, F. A. (2012). Pre-Employment Background Investigations for Public Safety Professionals. New York: CRC Press. Collins, K. M., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Jiao, Q. G. (2010). Towards a Broader Understanding of Research. New York: IAP Press. Cooper, C., & Rothmann, I. (2012). Organizational and Work Psychology. London: Routledge. Dwivedi, R. S. (2009). A Textbook of Human Resource Management. Delhi: Vikas Publications. Eriksson, S., & Lagerstrom, J. (2012). Detecting Discrimination in the Hiring Process: Evidence from an Internet-based Search Channel. Empirical Economics , 537-563. Gatewood, R., Feild, H., & Barrick, M. (2013). Human Resource Selection. Mason, OH: Cengage. Green, T. K. (2011). The Future of Systematic Disparate Treatment. 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