Discriminatory Practices

First Globals™ are the most likely of any generation to believe that employers who discriminate in employee hiring will be punished by the market, with 34.1% of First Globals strongly or somewhat agreeing with the above statement. The percentages of those agreeing with this statement declines as the age group increases, with only 23.7% of those over 65 strongly or somewhat agreeing that employers who discriminate in employee hiring will be punished by the market.

Why do you think young people have more confidence that the market will punish discriminatory employees? Do you agree with those who believe this is true? And if it is true, would it mean that affirmative action in hiring employees is unnecessary because the market would punish a discriminatory firm?

The Quest for Fairness

Among all age groups, First Globals™ are most likely to agree that “affirmative action levels the playing field,” as opposed to “affirmative action rewards some groups at the expense of others.” Overall, 34% of First Globals™ agree with the former (either strongly or somewhat), compared to 28% of those over 65.

However, a majority of all generations sees affirmative action as rewarding some groups at expense of others.

Is a relative preference for affirmative action among First Globals™ a sign of growing popularity of those measures -- or is the overall unpopularity a sign that affirmative action is fading? What is your view of affirmative action?