Couse:
Introduction
Discrimination at this time of era is unlawful in all aspects of life. In the workplace, discrimination implies the unequal treatment of people on account of their gender, race, age, and disability. It is a harmful trend bearing in mind that they harbor unwanted consequences for instance, it does affect the productivity of those discriminated and to a large extend, may lead to psychological torture. With the world becoming a smaller village through technological advancements, it is paramount to accept the various diversities that come along with it. Through diversity, it is common to find people of different culture, age, sex, race, and religion working together at the workplace and hence, embracing the diversity and eliminating discrimination of any kind is crucial. It is with this in mind that this paper will be endeavoring at elucidating on the issue of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) discrimination in the workplace through the analysis of two empirical research articles.
Rationale for selecting this issue and its relevance to organizational settings
The issue of discrimination due to diversities individuals come along with to the organization has a major concern to each and every organization in recent times. According to research, these issues have organizations must have a diverse workforce in order to capitalize on the diverse markets and that each and every member of the workforce ought to embrace the principle of diversity to realize the permanency in the organization, progression, and increased profits. There are numerous relevancies that the issues of workplace dynamics have towards the organization. For instance, it is through workplace dynamics that organizations can benefit and learn from other’s ideas something that enhances uninterrupted perfection, increasing the efficiency and inventiveness of the organization resulting in the process of viewing encounters as openings for more effective decision making and problem deciphering (Raeburn, 2004). Secondly, the issue is imperative due to the fact that once individuals in the organization can have the right assertiveness, they stand a chance of understanding and acclimatizing to the objectives and high expectations that the organization requires from them.
It is one thing to hire individuals with the need skills and expertise but it is totally different to get people with the right assertiveness for it plays a major role on how they will perform in the organization. That therefore makes the issues of primary concern to organization. In addition, diversity in the workplace is deliberated to be a noble and worthy investment whose returns are beneficial to organization the same reason that organizations are becoming more and more predominant in inspiring and boosting foreigners, minorities, women, aging workers as well as people with disabilities to join their organizations. In recent international market, diversity is an imperative (Raeburn, 2004). This can be attributed to the fact that traditional obstructions are being broken down as more and more organizations are crossing borders. This is due to the fact that international trade is indispensable for organizational survival thanks to the technological advancements that have allowed even small companies to market themselves over the internet. These explanations among other make workplace dynamics very important issues in the organizational setting especially at these competitive times.
Summary of the article
The editorial that will be analyzed in this paper is by the Williams Institute and it is entitled documented evidence of employment discrimination and its effects of LGBT people. The article cites that sexual orientation and gender identity have no correlation to workplace performance, there have been however an increased reports of discrimination against lesbians, gay people, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) at the work place. This is a fact that has been backed up by the Williams Institute of UCLA School of Law to be true in most organizations in recent times (Sears & Mallory, 2011). In addition to that, it can be deduced that there has been substantiated reports that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender understanding policies that an organization may adopt carries with it benefits that range further than those that the policies impact directly. This can be attributed to the fact that as a countries workplaces or organizations embrace a more diverse nature, industries as well respond to that trend standing to gain more competitive advantage globally. Evidently, organizational strategies that rule in favor of lesbian and gay workers do produce positive business impressions as well as greater job obligations, increased job satisfaction; improve healthiness outcomes among the LGBT workers due to reduced stigma associated with discrimination as a result of their status and less job absenteeism. Some of the contributors of the research have been mentioned and they are for instance legal scholars, court findings, federal states and local governments among others (Badgett et al, 2013). Among all the groups of people that are discriminated in all social aspects of life the LGBT individuals stand to be among the top most followed closely with the discrimination aging individuals (Raeburn, 2004). It is clearly seen the article that even though rules and regulations have been put in place to protect this group of individuals of which they are protected for they are not prosecuted, one thing still remains unchanged and that is the people’s attitude towards them. It is indicated that fairness towards them has increased as well but the attitude towards them is yet to change at all (Sears & Mallory, 2011). Just like other forms of workplace discrimination, LGBT discrimination at the workplace has its negative effects all of which have been elucidated in the editorial. In organizations, they are more likely to be discriminated in terms of wages that they receive, job opportunities are minimal for them, their productivity in the workplace is below their optimum due to the attitude that fellow workmates show them resulting to low job satisfaction leading to resigning from their jobs (Sears & Mallory, 2011). That as well increases the number of LGBT individuals that are out of employment making them to leave below the national average as per the deductions that can be found from the editorial.
Critical evaluation of articles
The editorial that has been elucidated herein is about the LGBT individuals’ discriminations not only in the workplace but also in all aspects of life. The outstanding strength of the editorial is its clarity on the issue as well as its evidence that help the reader to substantiate the materials that have been given concerning the subject (Raeburn, 2004). Moreover, the subject has been discoursed from the present points of view supporting it with facts from previous findings not only from the scientific research but also from court finds and governmental bodies (Sears & Mallory, 2011). Consequently, it is through the editorials that it can be seen clearly that the LGBT supportive organizational policies and workplace environments are interconnected to greater job commitment not only by the LGBT group but also by the other employees, improved workplace relationships since they are accepted within the workplace, increased job satisfaction for they have a conducive working atmosphere as well as improved health outcomes as it has been indicated herein as they are not stigmatized in the workplace. As a result of that, their productivity is for sure bound to increase eliminating the notion that the LGBT workforce is unproductive within organizations (Badgett et al, 2013). One feeble that can be deduced from the articles is that the LGBT individuals were never offered the means of surviving in their workplace without having to quit their jobs for that puts them in a bad economic status. In addition to that, as much as they indicate that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender policies produces workplace environments and outcomes that will advantage the employees as well as the employers, it is worth noting that nowhere in the studies has a undeviating quantitative approximation of the impact has been given (Badgett et al, 2013). That is one part that the antagonists of such policies can put forward in discrediting the implementation of such a policy within an organization.
Personal perspective
It is without doubt that the issues of discrimination due to various issues still exist and do affect the organization. The main issues that have been of main concern in this paper is the LGBT of which it has been elucidated clearly herein by means of analyzing the two articles. It is evidently that this discrimination contributes negatively to organizations and avoiding them for total productivity of the workforce is mandatory (Raeburn, 2004). Not only does the issues affect individuals but also organizations stand to be affected for instance through law suits, loss of international plus local markets, high turnover, nonappearance at work stations, bad reputation to stakeholders and shareholders do affect the organization that does not embrace the workplace dynamisms (Badgett et al, 2013).It is therefore advantages that organizations embrace cultural diversity and eliminate any forms of discriminations to enhance work relationships among the employees improving team work that will eventually meet the set targets and objectives. But one thing that will help the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals is to first accept them-selves the way they are and stop fearing to come out. For fear of intimidation, discrimination, and loss of their jobs that make them hide their status but it is only by coming out openly that such policies can be implemented within the organization for their own benefit (Badgett et al, 2013). Beside, in present times, organization’s workforce is progressively more diverse in all aspects such as sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation among many more and there is no reason as to why the LGBT workforce group cannot be accepted and utilized for they have the same capability as the other entire workforce.
References
Badgett M.V. Lee, Durso E. Laura, Kastanis Angeliki, & Mallory Christy, (2013). The business impact of LGBT-Supportive Workplace Policies. Retrieved on 22rd October 2013: From http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Business-Impact-of-LGBT-Policies-May-2013.pdf
Raeburn, N. C. (2004). Changing corporate America from inside out: Lesbian and gay workplace rights. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
Sears Brad, & Mallory Christy, (2011). The Williams Institute: Documented evidence of employment discrimination and its effects of LGBT people. Retrieved on 20th October 2013: From http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Sears-Mallory-Discrimination-July-20111.pdf
