The Existence of Racial Discrimination: Diversity and Inclusivity Practice

Organizational Assessment:
Addressing Racial Discrimination
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The Existence of Racial Discrimination
Diversity and Inclusivity Practice
Organizational InitiativesThe Existence of Racial Discrimination
Despite the many campaigns for equality and diversity, racism in any form is still in existence. People get discriminated against for their race, gender, class status, and many more that some privileged people rarely sit for conversation. In solidarity with the campaign for equality, some establishments, industries, and even local governments organize events and projects that talk about diversity. Advertisements have become inclusive; events for cultural diversity became a tradition, and people now recognize the existence of the entertainment industry outside their localities. However, even with these efforts to acknowledge the world's diverse identities, racism and discrimination still occupy a space in conversations and actions.
A case study (Gupta & Bhardwaj, 2019) on the Starbucks racism issue discusses how the company addressed the problem and the backlash it received from the people. Starbucks, aside from a public apology, closed their stores for half of the day to put their employees on diversity training. Also, the company initiated some strategic moves like opening stores in underserved areas and appointed a woman of color in an attempt to present Starbucks as an ally of diverse people and culture (Gupta & Bhardwaj, 2019). Some people praised the efforts, but some did not buy it. There was still backlash to the initiatives of Starbucks, questioning the sincerity of their actions and how it can never address racism as a social issue.
Addressing racism issues in establishments can be challenging because of the critics it may receive from observers. Although there is an intention to be fair and just to everyone with the initiatives, to solve the problem in racism is to eliminate the racial biases and discrimination (Trenerry, Franklin & Paradies, 2012).Diversity and Inclusivity Practice
When Starbucks took the spotlight for racial discrimination issues, the company closed all its stores in the United States to conduct a half-day training on racial discrimination and policies for their employees (Gupta & Bhardwaj, 2019). This move intended to raise awareness of diversity in their stores. However, half-day training does not guarantee that employees will take what they learn right away. It would inform them of the existing forms of discrimination, may even tickle their interest to self-address their attitude towards biases, but it is not a long-term solution. According to a study (Trenerry, Franklin & Paradies, 2012), racial-based discrimination is systematic. It may root from an unfair method of hiring, interviewing, rewarding, or disciplinary actions. The unjust practices of the company may result in cultured and encouraged discriminatory actions and language.
As an alternative, instead of training the employees for half a day, Starbucks may apply new policies on reporting malicious behaviors of customers. Aside from a manager, each Starbucks store will have an appointed person who is knowledgable in cultural differences, practices, and...