The Implications Of White And Male Privileges In The Workplace
Privilege is “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group”. Privilege can manifest itself in numerous ways, yet some are more acknowledged than others. While it is not one’s fault they possess it, privilege creates unfair opportunities in the business world. Inequalities are consequences of male and white privilege which leads to how we should address it. White privilege is receiving special treatment or certain advantages over others because of the colour of your skin.
Many individuals are unaware of the implications of white privilege. A field experiment that compared racial and criminal biases had sets of two applicants, one white and one black. In each pair, one applicant was randomly assigned a criminal record. The results found that a black applicant with no criminal history is offered the same job prospects as a white applicant with a criminal history. Another experiment compared the number of callbacks and job offerings for equally qualified Latino, black, and white applicants. The white applicant received a job offer 31 percent of the time compared to 25.2 percent for Latinos and 15.2 percent for black applicants. The findings of the experiments indicate that a black applicant needs to search twice as long before receiving a callback or job offer from an employer when compared to an equally qualified white applicant.
These results demonstrate a racial preference during the hiring process for entry-level jobs. Favouring white applicants is limiting the growth of organizations. It is restricting the degree of diversity within an organization which when managed properly can be an asset and lead to a competitive advantage. Privileging white applicants hinders the process of individuals generating new ideas and solutions. These individuals can innovate because of their diverse backgrounds and varying perspectives.
Male privilege is the advantages or rights that are available to men based on their sex. An issue surrounding male privilege that has been given attention recently is the gender wage gap. When comparing the annual earnings of full-time workers in Canada in 2016, women earned an average of 75 cents for every dollar a man earned. In 2015, women earned an average of 87 cents for every dollar a man earned when comparing hourly wages of full-time working women to full-time working men. In Ontario, the top paid ten percent of men are paid 37 percent more than the top paid ten percent of women. With current progress, the economic gap will not close for another 217 years. Male privilege is also visible in top levels of management. Women are less likely to be given priority assignments which makes it difficult to advance into the top levels of an organization. Women face the challenge of breaking through barriers that prevent them from being promoted to the highest ranks in a corporation. In 2016, only three executive positions were held by women out of Canada’s top 100 wealthiest CEOs.
Women must fight harder for the same opportunities as men. Excluding women from top levels of management denies the organization access to talent and perspectives which could advance their company. Male privilege is limiting the diversity within the influential positions of an organization thus impeding their growth. Companies are beginning to be more proactive, but real transformation requires more than policies and practices. Real progress requires the company culture to change. Top management influences an organization's culture. Strong cultures often reflect the values and beliefs of those in executive positions. To address unearned advantages, people in positions of power should wield their influence to effect change. Change should include the elimination of biases based on race or sex. The insurance of inclusion and equality should be at all levels of an organization to ensure representation for all races and sex.
Society needs to recognize and challenge social constructs and stereotypes that engrain the belief that there are appropriate jobs for men and women. Women need to believe that they have the capability and the desired requirements to succeed in any given job. Young women and people of colour need to be encouraged to pursue their passions no matter what society labels them. White and male privilege create unjustified advantages in the workplace with no merit.
Undermining privilege requires top executives to focus their efforts on fostering a culture that promotes inclusion and diversity. The colour of one’s skin or sex should not be a factor in whether they receive job offerings or promotions. The future landscape of the business environment is changing. A conscious effort by organizations must be made to prioritize equality and diversity.
