2 Topic Submission Assignment Jasmin Ware Liberty University BUIS472 Professor Steven Seay

2

Topic Submission Assignment

Jasmin Ware

Liberty University

BUIS472

Professor Steven Seay

July 8, 2024

Topic Submission Assignment

Topic

The impact of ethical leadership on diversity and equality in the workplace

Research Question

Can ethical leadership enhance diversity and equity in the workplace?

Research Problem

            Despite measures government and non-governmental organizations have adopted to curb discrimination in the workplace, cases of lack of diversity and equality are prevalent to date. Data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) revealed the number of discrimination charges from 2021 to 2022 increased by 20% (Westfall, 2024). In a survey conducted by Pew Research, it was observed that forty-eight percent of black men and thirty-six percent of black women face discrimination in the United States (Schaeffer, 2023). In addition, black employees earn lower salaries, unlike other races in the country. Thus, the topic is vital to the study of business ethics since it would help examine if the adoption of ethical leadership can help address the above issues.

Rationale for Selecting the Topic

            One reason for selecting the topic is that it would help identify the ethical solutions that company managers can adopt to curb the issue of discrimination in the workplace. Besides, studies indicate that a lack of unfair treatment in the workplace hurts employee morale, leading to a decline in performance (Nepal & Lertjanyakit 2019). As a result, business leaders who fail to address the problem are likely to experience a decrease in the productivity of an organization. 

Thesis Statement

Despite numerous cases of unfair treatment in the U.S. work environment, ethical leadership is one strategy business managers can adopt to enhance diversity and equality in the workplace.

References

Nepal, J., & Lertjanyakit H. (2019). Impact of gender-based discrimination on employee performance in case of Nepalese commercial banks. Nepalese Journal of Management Science and Research, 2(1), 21-30.

Shaeffer, K. (2023, August 31). Black workers’ views and experiences in the U.S. labor force stand out in key ways. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/31/black-workers-views-and-experiences-in-the-us-labor-force-stand-out-in-key-ways/

Westfall, C. (2024, January 24). States with highest rates of workplace discrimination and retaliation. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2024/01/24/states-with-highest-rates-of-workplace-discrimination-and-retaliation/