NEGATIVE OUTCOME OF DISCRIMINATION AT THE EMPLOYEE LEVEL
Discrimination in the workplace can come from many different sources including managers, colleagues, clients, and in the policies and procedures of the company itself. Undeniably, discrimination from all of these sources result in negative outcomes for both the employee and the organization as a whole. Most research focuses on the negative outcomes faced by an organization, very little is to be said for the individual workers themselves. It is important for organizations to analysis the effects of perceived discrimination on the individual employees as it affects everyone in the organization. If an employee feels discriminated against that is translated in their behaviour, productivity …show more content…
In the workplace, individuals have experienced major depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and psychological distress (Kessler et al., 1999). The study conducted by Kessler and colleagues indicated that distress and depression were mostly due to a fear of being fired from a job or not being hired for one (1999). Most of the recent research conducted in North America, however, focuses on the effects of racial discrimination faced by ethnic minorities. A study conducted with 520 African-Americans showed that the participants reported varying levels of stress relative to discriminatory experiences (Huynh, et al., 2012). These participants also felt that discrimination in service jobs caused more stress than being treated unfairly in a social setting (Huynh, et al., 2012). Regarding physical health, a study conducted by Barnes and colleagues suggested that perceived discrimination is associated with a higher mortality risk and other chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes (Barnes, et al. 2008). Organizations often associate discrimination with financial burdens, but it usually plays a huge role in the physical and psychological health of each employee. Not only does it have an impact on the immediate individual’s effect, but everyone in the organization can feel the negative atmosphere. Often, discrimination will affect everyone’s work behaviour and …show more content…
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment are both important factors that can be influenced by discrimination (Ensher et al., 2001). If an employee perceives discrimination in the organization, they are likely to receive less satisfaction from their work and performance at a lower level. A study conducted by peer-reviewed authors: Ensher, Grant-Vallone and Donaldson (2001), looked at the overall levels of discrimination between 336 non-professional employees working in a wide range of industries. The results showed that one-third of employees felt that their organization’s policies and practices were sexist or racist (Ensher et al., 2001). When asked about their co-worker’s behavior, one-third stated that their co-workers made racist comments and thirty-two percent felt that their co-workers were not supportive of individuals with diverse backgrounds (Ensher et al., 2001). Overall, the study concluded that there was no significant difference between ethnic and racial groups on perceived discrimination, suggesting that discrimination creates a negative work environment for everyone (Ensher et al., 2001). Other aspects of this research were able to identify that perceived discrimination did play a significant role in employee-level job satisfaction and commitment to the organization
Discrimination in the workplace can come from many different sources including managers, colleagues, clients, and in the policies and procedures of the company itself. Undeniably, discrimination from all of these sources result in negative outcomes for both the employee and the organization as a whole. Most research focuses on the negative outcomes faced by an organization, very little is to be said for the individual workers themselves. It is important for organizations to analysis the effects of perceived discrimination on the individual employees as it affects everyone in the organization. If an employee feels discriminated against that is translated in their behaviour, productivity …show more content…
In the workplace, individuals have experienced major depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and psychological distress (Kessler et al., 1999). The study conducted by Kessler and colleagues indicated that distress and depression were mostly due to a fear of being fired from a job or not being hired for one (1999). Most of the recent research conducted in North America, however, focuses on the effects of racial discrimination faced by ethnic minorities. A study conducted with 520 African-Americans showed that the participants reported varying levels of stress relative to discriminatory experiences (Huynh, et al., 2012). These participants also felt that discrimination in service jobs caused more stress than being treated unfairly in a social setting (Huynh, et al., 2012). Regarding physical health, a study conducted by Barnes and colleagues suggested that perceived discrimination is associated with a higher mortality risk and other chronic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes (Barnes, et al. 2008). Organizations often associate discrimination with financial burdens, but it usually plays a huge role in the physical and psychological health of each employee. Not only does it have an impact on the immediate individual’s effect, but everyone in the organization can feel the negative atmosphere. Often, discrimination will affect everyone’s work behaviour and …show more content…
Job satisfaction and organizational commitment are both important factors that can be influenced by discrimination (Ensher et al., 2001). If an employee perceives discrimination in the organization, they are likely to receive less satisfaction from their work and performance at a lower level. A study conducted by peer-reviewed authors: Ensher, Grant-Vallone and Donaldson (2001), looked at the overall levels of discrimination between 336 non-professional employees working in a wide range of industries. The results showed that one-third of employees felt that their organization’s policies and practices were sexist or racist (Ensher et al., 2001). When asked about their co-worker’s behavior, one-third stated that their co-workers made racist comments and thirty-two percent felt that their co-workers were not supportive of individuals with diverse backgrounds (Ensher et al., 2001). Overall, the study concluded that there was no significant difference between ethnic and racial groups on perceived discrimination, suggesting that discrimination creates a negative work environment for everyone (Ensher et al., 2001). Other aspects of this research were able to identify that perceived discrimination did play a significant role in employee-level job satisfaction and commitment to the organization