Management Sciences Department

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION & GLASS CEILING EFFECT

COURSE FACILITATOR

SUNDAS AZEEM

SUBMITTED BY

JHANZAIB AKHTER

REG # 1925104

MBA-DAY-1
Q.No.01: Discuss what is affirmative action? Discuss arguments in favor and against
affirmative action programs.

Ans: The concept of affirmative action was introduced by the Kennedy’s in 1961 for the purpose
to promote the equal employment opportunities in corporate sectors. The concept of affirmative
action describes that there is no any discrimination among employment in terms of race, religion,
color, disability, and gender. Affirmative action practices to promote the equal employment
opportunity within the corporate culture. The major purpose to execute this policy within the
organization is to promote equality during the recruitment process and promotion process. This
policy must be adopted by the corporate sectors.

Pros of Affirmative Actions in Corporate Culture:

 Promotion of Diversity
 Egalitarian Virtues
 Substantive Equality
 Distributive Justice & Social Justice
 More Inclusive Development

PROMOTION OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT:

Affirmative action policy promotes diversification within the corporate culture it

leads to the higher productivity, creativity, distributive and interactional justice and it also leads
higher motivation and satisfaction among workforce by executing the five techniques to promote
the diversification inside the organizational culture;

 Trained managers for the purpose to execute the change in an efficient and effective
Way.
 Clearly defined the Goals and Roles to the Employees.
 Promotes the culture of Job Rotation for the purpose to make the work meaningful for
employees and employee’s engagement.
 Create Mentorship Program.

Affirmative action not only promotes the diversification but also it promotes the inclusive
development which means to give the maximum benefits to each and everyone who is the part
of the society by eliminating the race, religion, gender discrimination etc.

EGALITARIAN VIRTUES:

The policy of affirmative action also practices the egalitarian virtues by treating personnels
equally and there are no any discrimination factors on the basis by which employees treated
unfairly within the corporate culture. It promotes equality, discipline, and justice inside the
organizations.
SUBSTANTIVE EQUALITY:

Affirmative action also promotes the dilemma of substantive equality in the corporate world. It
is concerned with outcomes and results. It also promotes the interactional justice. The meaning
of substantive equality is “achieving equitable outcomes as well as equal opportunities”.

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE:

Affirmative action also promotes the concept of distributive justice and social justice
in the organizational culture. It has the good impact on organizational productivity and
personnel’s well being. Distributive justice addresses the equality in the context of work and
rewards. It describes equal work is taken by the personnels and equal compensation and benefits
are distributed among the workforce and social justice addresses the equality in terms of
opportunities which means equal opportunities are given to the workforce.

Cons of the Affirmative Action In Corporate Culture:

There are so many disadvantages of affirmative action policy which are considered like;

 It promotes discrimination in reverse.

 It still reinforces stereotypes and racism
 It changes accountability standards
 It lessens the achievements that minority groups obtain
 It destroys the idea of Meritocracy
 Personal bias always exists.
 It can generate unfavorable results for business

These all are the disadvantages which still exists by executing the affirmative action within the
corporate sectors and it can leave bad impact on organizational productivity and destruct the
capabilities of personnels so organizations must have to overcomes these issues by
implementing the policy of affirmative action in an efficient and effective way.
Q.No.02: What is the glass ceiling effect? Why should it be a concern for Pakistani
managers?

Ans: The discriminatory ingredient of corporate culture in which women prevent to get the top
management position and not assigned highest tasks or responsibilities such a concept is called
glass ceiling effect.

In 1970’s due to lack of knowledge skill, abilities and other characteristics women did not get
the top management positions but late in 1980’s trend got change women started to get higher
education, knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics.

In these days the dilemma of glass ceiling effect found a lot in the corporate culture of
Pakistan but every organization must have to execute the policy of an affirmative action in terms
of given chance to women by assigning them top management positions because according to
research which was conducted in 2019 on leadership styles by Harvard Business Review and
according to that research majority of attributes of leadership are found in women and the
conclusion of that research was women is better leader than men so that’s why top positions
must be given to women in the corporate sectors of Pakistan.