Black Lives Matter: Are there changes in the UK corporate world yet?

Black Lives Matter: Are there changes in the UK corporate world yet?

Prior to explaining the term diversity, it is important to start by stating that diversity directly affects the workplace, and its influence is increasing in significance (Natter, 2019). The term "diversity" simply implies the understanding and acceptance of the fact that people have their own unique features, which makes them unique from other people, with particular reference to when these individuals are being compared in a group (Natter, 2019). These features can include: ethnicity, gender, race, political ideologies, religion, sexual orientation, physical abilities, age, or socio-economic status. However, the focus of diversity as applied in this entry is on race within the working environment. That is, how people of different races are treated differently in the same workplace. This is featured more in multi-cultural organizations, which is an organization that houses people from different backgrounds across all departments and also offers them equal opportunity for input and advancement within the company (Hayes, 2020). In terms of race, it is extremely difficult to see companies (except for family owners and small enterprises) that don’t have people from different races, and this makes understanding the issue of diversity in the workplace pivotal.

One paragraph

One of the main movements for equality and inclusion of the black race is the Black Lives Matter movement. According to BBC News (2020), Black Lives Matter is an anti-racism movement (protest) that began in the United States with the sole goal of advancing the interests of the black race and other minority groups in the areas of: equal access to opportunities at work; fairness before the law; absolute respect for human rights and dignity; and the abolition of all forms of exclusion.In accordance with Faragher (2020), this protest has added urgency to the growing concerns over ongoing inequality in the workplace. The author stated that the movement has been able to demonstrate that power ideas, in relation to equality, don’t need to be viewed from the context of individual identity – as they increasingly resonate with society at large. It is designed to keep the focus strongly on and make sure that individuals are granted access to genuine opportunities and participation that will help them thrive in an organization, as it will eventually deliver on both the commercial obligations and morals of employees. The movement has resulted in an outpouring of criticism of workplace practices, as well as a woefully under-representation of black and minority ethic employees across most industries.According to Birchall (2020), the movement gained its most outstanding international recognition following the outcry from the tragic death of George Floyd in the United States, and it dominated social media and the news in the following years. In the UK, as well, thousands of people participated in a large demonstration that happened across the country, and many of the participants took a knee in a solidarity movement against racism. Across the world, numerous organizations and institutions have also confirmed their support for the movement and have shown commitment towards addressing the issue of inequality in the workplace. This is a positive direction for global race relations, and all employers are encouraged to renew their commitment towards tackling all manners of discrimination that occur within the workplace (McCulloch, 2020).

Two paragraphs

In accordance with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (2013), the main legislation guiding equality in the UK is the Equality Act, 2010, which legally protects people (of all races) from discrimination in the workplace and society at large. This Act was enacted to replace the previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act, making it easier to understand the law and strengthening protection in certain situations. Thus, it sets out the different ways that are considered unlawful to treat people as: a) The fundamental framework of protection against all kinds of direct and indirect discrimination, victimization, and harassment in services and public functions; b) Bringing about changes in the definition of gender reassignment as it removed the need for medical supervision; c) Provides for protection of people against discrimination on the ground that they are considered to have, or are associated with someone who has, a protected characteristic; d) A clearer protection anchored for breastfeeding mothers; e) Application of a uniform definition of indirect discrimination to all kinds of protected characteristics; f) honouring provisions that permit for voluntary positive action; and g) covering all features, like disability, race, workplace, gender, age, and so on, which are used as a source of discrimination in society (Equality and human rights commission, 2013).

Three.

"Success should be measured not so much by the position that one is able to reach in life, but instead, by the obstacles which the person had to overcome in order to reach that position (Roberts & Mayo, 2020)." In accordance with Roberts and Mayo (2020), these were the words written by Booker T. Washington, author, educator, activist, and presidential adviser, a century ago as a way of encouraging fellow African-American compatriots—a significant number of them recently emancipated from slavery—to take a solid stand in the fight for equality in both rights and economic opportunities. Booker held a strong belief that there is satisfaction in fighting and triumphing over adversity, but it must also be acknowledged that this belief extended to the desire to see future generations of Black Americans face fewer difficulties.The hope was that in today’s world, black leaders would find it easier to succeed. In any case, there is still the question of whether this dream has been realized (UN Global Compact Network UK, 2021). Having spent the past 20 years conducting and reviewing research in relation to the advances of African-Americans, especially in the workplace, Roberts and Mayo (2020) reported that the answer to this question is partly yes but mostly no. This response is based on their view that while there has been significant progress: the passing and affirmation of the civil rights laws; companies are committed and strongly investing in diversity, as it is shown to enhance business sense; and there are several black billionaires and CEOs occupying different economic sectors. However, based on the quantitative and qualitative data gathered and reviewed by Roberts and Mayo (2020), working African-Americans still face obstacles in advancement which other minorities and whites don’t face. They are less likely to be hired, developed, or promoted than their white counterparts, and their overall workplace experience is clearly worse, even more so than that of other people of color.Therefore, there is still a need to push for further advancement of African Americans in the workplace, contributing to managing diversity and equality in the workplace in order to ensure fairness to all races. This serves as the central purpose of this entry, which is focused on understanding how the Black Lives Matters movement has helped in advancing equality and diversity in the workplace, with reference to African-American employees. In the UK, companies have understood the need to align their policies with this movement, and this is reflected in many corporate policies. It is more of a goodwill movement, with companies focused on ensuring that their corporate image is not affected by their decision not to align with this movement. In most recent cases, Premier League clubs have taken the initiative down to social media, boycotting social media in protest of reduced racism among their black employees.

Four paragraphs

For the movement under review, a number of theories abound, but they are all related to ethnocentrism. One of the earliest definitions of ethnocentrism was opined by Sumner (1911), in an essay titled "War," as: the sentiment of cohesion, devotion to the in-group, and internal leadership. It is based on a sense of superiority to any out-group, and comes with the readiness to define the in-group’s interests against those of the out-group. Questions have also been asked as to what causes ethnocentrism and social science theorists have proposed six broad causes as: 1) threat and insecurity; 2) intra-group similarity and out-group differences; 3) self-aggrandizement; 4) social factors or the influences that are located outside the individual; 5) proneness to ignorance and simplification; and 6) evolutionary factors. For the purpose of this study, the theories of ethnocentrism adopted are: realistic group conflict theory, authoritarian personality theory, and terror management theory. The Realistic Group Conflict Theory is based on the understanding that ethnocentrism and out-group hostility are born out of conflict or competition over resources like employment, territory, and material benefits, or threat posed to the in-group’s access or possible attainment of these resources (LeVine & Campbell, 1972; Sherif, 1966). Authoritarian Personality Theory holds the view that a given form of insecure personality (the authoritarian personality) is likely to beget ethnocentric behavior (Adorno et al., 1950). Finally, Terror Management Theory argues that ethnocentrism is a product of intra-psychic threats of mortality (Castano et al., 2002; Greenberg et al., 1990). As a result, based on the case under consideration, racism against black races in the workplace could be the result of hostility arising from conflict for other resources from other races, whites or other races believing themselves to be superior, or intrapsychic threats of mortality arising from other races.Essentially, they are scared of having to lose out to the black races, and this pushes them to find other ways of keeping control – through racism.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Black Lives Matter movement is a social movement against ethnocentric behaviour against black people (of African descent) and other minority groups in the western world (Wasim & Wasim, 2020). Based on the realistic group conflict theory, the whole protest is born out of competition for fair and equal treatment in all forms of life. Based on the authoritarian personality theory, it is believed that the authoritarian personality is the main reason why whites display ethnocentric behavior against blacks and other minority groups. Finally, based on terror management theory, it is believed that the whites display this ethnocentric behaviour because of the threat of mortality (their race declining and being overpowered by the black race and other minority groups). In any case, one still needs to assess whether the movement has been able to attain its set objectives. Winfield (2020) looked at how Black Lives Matter has redefined diversity and inclusion in the workplace, stating that while diversity and inclusion policies are not new in the workplace, the movement has forced businesses to enhance the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion initiatives within their workplace. This has now been made more visible in the corporate systems of many companies in the UK. Durham University, for example, has a Black Lives Matter webpage on its official website, stating that the institution seeks to inspire and foster a community of expression and engagement, and encourages its community to be active in all forms of anti-racism activism (Durham University, 2021). A similar statement and view is held by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2021). This is even more visible in the case of Premier League clubs that have come out in full support, taking the knee in solidarity and advancing the push for an equal and inclusive community. Employees have also been urged to take a stand (Webber, 2020), and now is the time to act (Mildon, 2020). However, Somers (2020) pointed out that ensuring black lives matter in the workplace will require perspective-taking, thoughtful leadership, and symbolic and structural changes within the system. Thus, the change process is more of an action than just words or taking a stand. Roberts and Mayo (2020) affirmed this by stating that notwithstanding the anti-discrimination laws and increasing corporate investment in diversity efforts, race still continues to be a major barrier to advancement in the U.S. workplace. Therefore, it is hard at this point to determine whether or not the movement has attained its objectives, although there seem to be visible signs from the corporate world. Further understanding would be best gained through research, interviewing the affected races in order to determine whether there has been an actual change.

REFERENCES

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, P. J., & Sanford, R. N. (1950). The authoritarian personality . New York: Harper & Brothers

BBC News (2020). Anti-racism: What does the phrase 'Black Lives Matter' mean? Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53149076 [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Birchall, N. (2020). Black Lives Matter: tackling racism in the workplace. Black Lives Matter: tackling racism in the workplace . BDJ In Pract, 33(31). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-020-0476-7

Castano, E., Yzerbyt, V., Paladino, M. P., & Sacchi, S. (2002). I belong therefore I exist: Ingroup identifi cation, ingroup entitativity, and ingroup bias. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28 , 135–143.

Caulfield, J. (2021). How to write an essay outline. Retrieved from: https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/essay-outline/#:~:text=An%20essay%20outline%20is%20a,how%20your%20argument%20will%20unfold. [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Durham University (2021). Black Lives Matter. Retrieved from: https://www.dur.ac.uk/equality.diversity/blacklivesmatter/ [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Equality and Human Rights Commission (2013). Equality Act 2010: guidance. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance#:~:text=The%20Equality%20Act%202010%20legally,strengthening%20protection%20in%20some%20situations [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Faragher, J. (2020). We need to talk about diversity and inclusion. Retrieved from: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/long-reads/articles/we-need-talk-diversity-inclusion#gref [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Veeder, M., Pyszczynski, T., Rosenblatt, A., Kirkland, S., & Lyon, D. (1990). Evidence for terror management theory II. The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who threaten or bolster the cultural worldview. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58 , 308–318.

Hayes, A. (2020). Multicultural Organization. Retrieved from: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/multicultural-organization.asp [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

LeVine, R. A., & Campbell, D. T. (1972). Ethnocentrism: Theories of confl ict, ethnic attitudes, and group behavior . New York: Wiley

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2021). Black Lives Matter. Retrieved from: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/organisation/governance/equality-diversity-inclusion/black-lives-matter [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

McCulloch, A. (2020). Global businesses embrace Black Lives Matter movement. Retrieved from: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/global-businesses-embrace-black-lives-matter-movement/ [Retrieved on: 10-05-2021].

Mildon, T. (2020). Black Lives Matter: now it's time to act. Retrieved from: https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/black-lives-matter-now-it-s-time-to-act [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Natter, E. (2019). Define Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/define-diversity-workplace-4926.html  [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Roberts, L., M.., & Mayo, A. J. (2020). Toward a Racially Just Workplace. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2019/11/toward-a-racially-just-workplace [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Sherif, M. (1966). In common predicament: Social psychology of intergroup conflict and cooperation. Boston: Haughton Miffl in

Somers, M. (2020). 3 ways leaders can make Black lives matter in the workplace. Retrieved from: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/3-ways-leaders-can-make-black-lives-matter-workplace [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Sumner, W. G. (1911). War and other essays . Freeport: Yale University Press.

UN Global Compact Network UK (2021). Black Lives Matter & Business. Retrieved from: https://www.unglobalcompact.org.uk/black-lives-matter-business/ [Retrieved on: 10-05-2021].

Wasim, A., & Wasim, R. (2020). Brands support #BlackLivesMatter on social media, but what’s missing? Retrieved from: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2020/10/30/brands-support-blacklivesmatter-on-social-media-but-whats-missing/ [Retrieved on: 10-05-2021].

Webber, A. (2020). Black Lives Matter: Employers urged to take a stand against racism. Retrieved from: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/black-lives-matter-employers-urged-to-take-a-stand-against-racism/ [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].

Winfield, A. (2020). How #BLM has redefined D&I in the workplace. Retrieved from: https://hrexecutive.com/how-blm-has-redefined-di-in-the-workplace/ [Retrieved on: 27-04-2021].