Originally posted by Paul McKenna:
Here is the thing that is perhaps being missed. If I practise segregation in my hiring practices then the consumers have the choice of boycotting my products thereby forcing me to change my hiring practice. Isnt that a better way of enforcing regulation as compared to government asking me to fill say 10% of my employees with people from different ethnic backgrounds.
Consumers everywhere in the world are not same.Some protest immediately and boycott the products themselves whereas some consumers don't care and some consumers are not even aware that they are being cheated.In Indian context majority of consumers used to fall in last category.For initial few years,first few govts. had no options but to give full freedom to industralists knowing that many don't hire based on 'equal opportunity'.This was needed to increase in industrialization.Consumer movement too came into existance lately.and many Indian laws were in the partial.Consumer had little choice or option to choose.(Even today Indian consumer can rarely fight with any company bcos of partial laws.They are in the favour of company)To give the opportunity to 'others' whom they felt they are left behind in the race,quota/reservations came in govt. organizations.Many private industrial houses had partial hiring strategy.These practices were even dominant in computer industry in India till late 80s.Generally in these companies,people used to see management guys,and HR Manager and technial people sometimes belong to same state (means speak the same regional language).But these companies were used to be in profit.Take the example of biggest conglomerate which has 104 different companies in various sectors.If you gloss over their annual report,you used to see for its say Chemical company,management belongs some state X,for Consultancy,management belongs to some other state Y.I think in private sector,your mother tounge sometimes used to play important role than your religion or cast.That does not mean people are always hired based only on that criteria.Given two persons with equal talent and same skills,there was a tendency to hire a person who is familiar with your mother toungue.Now this practises are rapidly vanishing with increase in competition.
[ June 10, 2004: Message edited by: Ram Abdullah D'Souza ]
[ June 11, 2004: Message edited by: Ram Abdullah D'Souza ]