Affirmative action is the policy of providing special opportunities and favoring members of, one group over another, when those being favored are perceived as a disadvantaged group who suffer from discrimination within a culture(Dictionaries). It also defined as the process or strategy implemented by the work environment to overcome obstacles to equal employment opportunity, through a broad variety of activities relating to, inter alia, selection and recruitment, development and training and promotion practices targeting all previously disadvantaged communities (Human, 1993). Affirmative action policies help to create a more different work environment, increases job satisfaction and organizational obligation among beneficiaries. ADVANTAGES Diversity Affirmative action provides businesses with more adaptability in terms of problem solving by offering a wider selection of possible solutions and companies that …show more content…
Although affirmative action hires are qualified for the position, in some cases they are not the most qualified of all applicants. This could possibly lead to high turnover if the position turns out to be a poor fit or the applicant fails to perform job duties optimally. Major disadvantage of affirmative action in the workplace is the reality or perception of reverse discrimination. Affirmative action programs claim that the programs penalize those from the historically dominant group, especially white males, even when they enjoy the appropriate qualifications for a given job and the accusation of reverse discrimination can generate a negative social backlash for a company, which may undermine its financial future. The accusation can also potentially undercut the confidence of minority and women employees concerning their skill