On the Discourse of Affirmative Action and Reservation in the United States and India

Abstract

The Problem Discriminatory practices appear to be part of the human condition and these practices negatively impact historically oppressed and marginalized groups. The United States developed the system of Affirmative Action (AA), and India developed the system of Reservation to end discriminatory practices and increase diversity; particularly in the areas of employment and education. The sustainability of both systems is an open question because the dominant discourses about AA and Reservation generally are negative. AA and Reservation are viewed as public goods by some as well as public nuisances; and are criticized as thwarting meritocracy and creating innocent victims. Organizations as microcosms of society experience this controversy which impacts the utility of AA and Reservation, and the implementation of diversity management (DM) programs. In some instances, misunderstanding and opposition to AA, Reservation, and DM programs can be attributed to the human maladies of racism, sexism, and casteism. These conditions require dynamic and complex interventions that go beyond simplistic training and development interventions. The Solution Human resource development (HRD) practitioners should adopt an expansive definition of HRD which include the design and implementation of developmental interventions for an increasingly diverse workforce. Given the growing adoption of HRD practice internationally, we provide two units of discourse about AA and Reservation to demonstrate the importance of dialogue and inclusion when developing DM interventions. Importantly, we illustrate how conversations representing majority and minority perspectives can foster Dialogic HRD (DHRD) practice. The Stakeholders The stakeholders are organizational leaders, policymakers, DM program managers, and HRD practitioners.