Introduction: Racial Profiling as One of the Greatest Concerns in the XXI Century
Whenever there is a human factor involved, it is impossible to consider an issue from a single viewpoint, and the business sphere is one of the most graphic examples of that. Demanding the ability to deliver accurate calculations and objective assessments of specific issues, the business also involves interactions between partners, which means that a human factor is involved anyway. However, in the course of research in the industrial and organizational psychology field, either the industrial or the organizational element will be the focus. The research conducted by Forstater is a graphic example of an emphasis on the organizational element in industrial and organizational psychology research.
The Case Study Summary: The Heroic Deeds of Bayard Rustin and Other Related Issues
In his research, Forstater explores the current trends in the employment of the African American population of the United States, using the ideas of Bayard Rustin as the fundament for his speculations. According to Forstater’s research, the rates of unemployment among the African American people are much lower than among the rest of the American citizens, which must be the sign that racial profiling is becoming an issue in the present-day business world. According to Forstater, “The
African American unemployment rate is always double that of whites, good economic times or bad” (Forstater, 2007, 1). After thorough research of the issue, Forstater comes to the conclusion that reconsidering Rustin’s idea of economics and social relationships, the U.S. government will be able to handle the current unemployment rates among African Americans and restore justice once and for all.
Between the Industrial and the Organizational: Shifting the Focus to the Aspect of Interactions
As it has been stated above, the analysis based on organizational and industrial psychology requires touching on both aspects. Therefore, Forestater’s decision to focus on the organizational issue needs further explanations.
What the connoisseurs have to say: the critical reception of the study
Evaluating the study without hearing from the most respected authorities in the given field is practically impossible. Hence, it is necessary to view Forstater’s paper through the lens of several critics. Sadly enough, very few reviews of Forstater’s research have been made so far; however, it is noteworthy that Forstater’s interpretation of Rustin’s ideas is unique and stands in sharp contrast to what the other researchers on the given issue offer. For example, Kathlyn Gay (2011) considers Rustin a dissident rather than the man who heralded a new epoch in American society. In his turn, Harris (2012) believes that Rustin attempted to introduce equality as a political idea. However, considering Rustin’s viewpoint from an economical perspective is Forestater’s innovative approach.
Forstater’s trump card: organizational imperfections of the U.S. employment system
When addressing the most prominent aspects of Forstater’s paper, one must mention the researcher’s ability to pin down the exact problems of the American system of employment. Instead of simply paraphrasing Bayard Rustin’s ideas, Forstater explores the wrongs within the current American society to understand the nature of discrimination – and he succeeds: “As will be seen below, Rustin would often credit Randolph not only for his commitment to full employment but for the general stance that economic security was necessary to make real the gains of the civil rights movement” (Forstater, 2007, 4).
When the issue is explored too deep: missing on the industrial aspect
However, offering a deep insight on the factors that enhance discrimination against Black people in American society and, as a result, increase the unemployment rates among African Americans, Forstater loses the track of an important issue, i.e., the industrial aspect of the problem. For instance, Forstater offers little to no opinions of the opponents. After all, it is necessary to realize that, making a choice in favor of a certain candidate for the job, the HRM is not necessarily guided by racial prejudices. In addition, the instances when private entrepreneurship did offer Black people jobs (Gregory, 2011, 43) could have been mentioned just to show the shocking difference in the rates.
What could have been addressed: the significance of the industrial factor
As it has been mentioned above, the focus on the organizational aspect seems to be the author’s gimmick and original intention. However, the fact that Forstater practically left out the second most important issue, i.e., the industrial aspect of the paper, can be regarded as a serious drawback. Even though Forstater clearly wants to address the aspect of human relationships within the realm of business, it would be still rather interesting to see the data on racial profiling in different industries, as well as the explanations for the discovered discrepancies, etc. Though it is a minor nitpick, it is still clear that the research could have been stronger.
Reconsidering the Impact of the Research: Heralding a New Era in Organizational Behavior Study
Despite the few flaws mentioned above, the research really holds up as a decent case study of organizational behavior and the prejudices in the labor market. Helping to replenish the lack in the business controversy research department, the paper study also offers a peculiar study of human nature, showing that, once rooted deeply, bias will not leave easily, even if those discriminated against will be offered full rights.
However, it would be wrong to consider that Forstater’s paper only rediscovers the ideas that Bayard Rustin suggested several decades ago. Forstater offers a different perspective on the problem by viewing unemployment as one of the effects of discrimination and not the basic obstacle that blocks the Black community’s way to a decent life. As Forstater puts it, “For Rustin, unemployment and underemployment were clearly the problems that directly and indirectly were the source of a myriad of social obstacles facing the Black community” (Forstater, 2007, 7).
Conclusion: When There Is Still a Long Way to Go
Weirdly enough, Forstater’s research combines industrial and organizational elements organically; however, it is still clear that Forstater’s focus is on the relationships between all those involved in the entrepreneurship system and, therefore, the organizational aspect of industrial and organizational psychology. Partially defined by the subject of the research, i.e., the racial issues in the American business system, the topic is both enticing and at the same time controversial. Dusting off the issue of racial profiling, Forstater provides a perfect example of a study on rather organizational than industrial psychology.
Reference
Forstater, M. (2007). From civil rights to economic security: Bayard Rustin and the African American struggle for full employment, 1945–1978. International Journal of Political Economy, 36, 63–74.
Gay, K. (2011). American dissidents: An encyclopedia of activists, subversives, and prisoners of conscience. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Gregory, S. (2011). Black corona: Race and the politics of place in an urban community. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Harris, G. A. (2012). The Ocean Hill Brownsville conflict: Intellectual struggles between blacks and Jews at mid-century. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.