Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 17: Problem 17

Why might employers be more likely to interview a job applicant with a white- sounding name than an applicant with an African-American-sounding name? Leaving aside legal penalties, will employers who follow this practice incur an economic penalty? Briefly explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Employers might show preference based on subconscious biases that reflect societal stereotypes. Economically, such discrimination could result in penalties as it can lead to subpar hiring decisions, missing out on potentially more qualified candidates, and a lack of diversity that could weaken the organization's performance.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Societal Bias

There might be several reasons why employers could discriminate based on the sounding of the name. This could be due to unconscious bias where the employer inclines towards a person who they subconsciously relate to. This reflects societal norms and stereotypes that associate certain groups with particular positive or negative traits. Alternatively, it could be a matter of socio-economic class or race discrimination.
02

Analyzing Economic Penalties

If employers discriminate based on the sounding of the name, they risk overlooking talented individuals who could bring tremendous value to their organization. This could lead to suboptimal hiring decisions and economic penalties as they could be missing out on potentially better qualified candidates. Furthermore, a lack of diversity could lead to a weaker performance of the organization.
03

Conclusion

In conclusion, discrimination during the hiring process, either conscious or unconscious, could potentially lead to an economic penalty for employers. This is due to the missed opportunity of hiring potentially more qualified, talented candidates who could contribute more effectively to the performance of the organization.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Daniel was earning \(\$ 65\) per hour and working 45 hours per week. Then Daniel's wage rose to \(\$ 75\) per hour, and as a result, he now works 40 hours per week. What can we conclude from this information about the income effect and the substitution effect of a wage change for Daniel?

The total amount of oil in the earth is not increasing. Does this mean that in the market for oil, the supply curve is perfectly inelastic? Briefly explain.

What is the marginal productivity theory of income distribution?

State whether each of the following events will result in a movement along the market supply curve of agricultural labor in the United States or whether it will cause the market supply curve of agricultural labor to shift. If the supply curve shifts, indicate whether it will shift to the left or to the right and draw a graph to illustrate the shift. a. The agricultural wage rate declines. b. Wages outside agriculture increase. c. The law is changed to allow for unlimited immigration into the United States.

Daniel Hamermesh, an economist at the University of Texas, has done a great deal of research on labor markets. According to an article in Forbes, Hamermesh wrote that "below-average-looking men earn \(17 \%\) less than those considered good-looking, while below-average-looking females earn \(12 \%\) less than their attractive counterparts." Is this difference in earnings due to economic discrimination? Briefly explain.
See all solutions

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free