The Roots of Workplace Discrimination

Exploring the concepts of bias, attitude, prejudice, stereotype, discrimination and the Cultural Iceberg Model (at an individual as well as organizational level)

In today's diverse workplace landscape, understanding and addressing bias is crucial for fostering inclusive environments where all employees can thrive. Bias, whether conscious or unconscious, can significantly impact workplace dynamics and perpetuate inequality if left unaddressed.

Let's delve into the intricacies of bias, the 3 components of attitude and explore the Cultural Iceberg Model (individual and organizational), to understand better, the root cause of workplace discrimination.

Before we explore the subjects under this edition, let me tell you a story.

John and Maya are colleagues in XYZ organization. John is 4.5 years senior to Maya, w.r.t overall corporate experience, but, in XYZ, both have equal number of years of experience and both are due for a promotion and are competing for a single seat.

John has been working very hard for the last 6 months, oftentimes missing family dinners and children's recitals at school. He and his wife have two children and two old parents to take care of. The stakes are pretty high as the expenses are increasing day-by-day and he needs that higher salary package to live a comfortable life in his current situation.

Maya, too is working very hard, often staying at office till late hours and waking really early to make it to work before the rush hour delays her entire day's schedule. But she does not mind. She is young, single, driven and loves to call herself a workaholic. Moreover, she is burdened by her hefty student loan as well as her widowed mother's medical bills. The promotion is essential for her and will help to set off the burdens to some extent.

One day at work, boss calls John in and says, "John, I need this report by 5 PM, today, and remember, we need to present this to the board, so ensure a hundred times before putting it on my table, that there are zero errors. Also, involve Maya so that you can distribute the workload and get this done on time."

This is the moment when things change. John meets Maya at her cubicle and gives her the wrong file, asking her to work on a data set that has no relation to what the boss had asked for. Thus, he tells her that at 5:30 PM, she should present the same to their boss.

On the way back to his desk, John told himself, "She is an unmarried girl, just in her early 30s. What responsibilities does she even have? She doesn't need this promotion! She will just squander away all her money on those fancy clothes she wears to work. She can very well wait. Her entire life is ahead of her. Moreover, how can she dare to compete with me? I am a corporate veteran!"

While Maya was working on the wrong data set, John spent the day carefully compiling and finishing the crucial report and right at 4:45 PM, he stepped into the boss' cabin and started presenting. Appreciation for his efforts and careful consideration of all crucial data points, came pouring in from the superior. Just as John was about to close, Maya, invited herself into the room and handed over her updated file to the boss.

"First of call, how can you be so late into a scheduled meeting? Second, what nonsense is this?", the boss exclaimed.

Maya looked at John. The screen behind him was flashing a presentation, she was never a part of. It took her a few seconds, but she realized that this was a classic case of sabotage. She tried to defend herself but was shot down immediately.

"I don't have time for any excuses. John, you are coming along with me. We need to leave for the board meeting in 5 mins", the boss said, rushing out of the room.

2 months later, John was promoted while Maya was not.

We shall refer to this story a few times throughout our article for today.

What is Bias?

According to Wikipedia, "Bias is a disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is inaccurate, closed-minded, or prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned."

Conscious bias, also known as explicit bias, refers to deliberate and intentional prejudices or stereotypes that individuals are aware of. On the other hand, unconscious bias, or implicit bias, operates at a subconscious level, shaping our perceptions and actions without our conscious awareness.

In order to understand how biases lead to certain kinds of behaviour, we need to understand what attitude is.

What is attitude?

In psychology, an attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. Attitudes are often the result of experience or upbringing. They can have a powerful influence over behavior and affect how people act in various situations. While attitudes are enduring, they can also change.

According to social psychology, attitudes typically consist of three main components:

1. Cognitive Component: This component pertains to the beliefs, thoughts, and perceptions an individual has about the object, person, group, or issue. It involves the individual's understanding and knowledge related to the attitude object. This is also known as Stereotype.

John thought that because Maya was young and single, she had no responsibilites and because she was junior to him, she did not deserve the promotion. He held a strong age stereotype against her. He also stereotyped against her well-dressed demeanour, attributing it to a perceived frivolous extravagant attitude.

2. Affective Component: This component involves the emotional or feeling aspect of an attitude. It reflects how an individual feels about the object, person, group, or issue in question. This is also known as Prejudice.

John held prejudices against Maya because she was single, young and junior to him. He also held negative feelings towards her because she dressed well to work.

3. Behavioral Component: This component refers to the actions or behaviors that result from an individual's attitude. It involves the tendency to behave in certain ways toward the attitude object. Usually, in the workplace context, if the behaviour is negative, it is called Discrimination and if it is positive, it is called Favouritism.

John sabotaged Maya's prospects for the promotion through manipulation and this was a direct outcome of discriminating against her because of the negative biases he had had towards her.

Therefore, it is understood that these three components are interconnected and can influence each other, strongly.

This brings us to the point where we need to explore the Cultural Iceberg Model.

What is the unique feature of any iceberg? That 2/3rds of it is under water, invisible, unknown, unchartered, while, just 1/3rd floats above, visible to the naked eye.

Our mind works in a similar fashion. A lot goes on under the surface, deep inside our subconscious. Our behaviour, floats above the surface, just like the tip of the iceberg and is the only thing that is visible to others, as well as to us. But what is really going on deep under? What is shaping our inclusive/discriminatory behaviour?

Well, our behaviour subconsciously constructed by our needs, values, thoughts and emotions do. Let us dig a bit deeper.

Let us again take the example of John and Maya.

Why did John behave the way he did with? Let us try to explain it through the iceberg model.

Need - John was motivated by the need to take care of his family.

Values - John was driven by the value of trying to be a provider to his family and ignored the value of corporate ethics.

Thoughts - His needs and values, drove him to have negative thoughts about her, like she does not need this promotion because she is young and unmarried. Moreover, without knowing Maya's story, John assumed that she doesn't have any responsibilities and also that she is a spendthrift.

Emotions - He is driven by emotions such as jealously and anger.

Behaviour - He sabotaged Maya's promotion prospect by manipulating the situation in his favour.

Whatever John's need might have been, it does not justify his behaviour towards Maya. It rather shows that he held certain negative biases (be it conscious or unconscious) against her that led him to behave in the discriminatory way that he did.

This example, thus, makes an attempt to show you how our overt behaviour is shaped by our covert needs, values, emotions and thoughts. Self-awareness and recognition of each of these underlying subconscious components are very important if we wish to be future leaders who motivate people and march ahead together.

We spoke about the ice-berg model at an individual level. Now let us look at it from an organizational level.

The Iceberg Model of Organizational Culture is a conceptual framework used to understand the layers of culture within an organization, where the visible aspects represent only a fraction of the total culture.

Visible Artifacts (Above the Surface): This layer includes the visible, tangible elements of organizational culture that can be easily observed and experienced by employees and outsiders alike. These artifacts may include:

• Physical environment: Office layout, decor, and facilities.
• Dress code: Attire expectations and workplace aesthetics.
• Rituals and ceremonies: Regular events or activities that symbolize and reinforce organizational values, such as award ceremonies or team-building exercises.
• Language and jargon: Specialized terminology or phrases unique to the organization.

Visible artifacts provide cues about the organization's values, priorities, and norms, but they only scratch the surface of its deeper cultural elements.

Espoused Values (Partially Submerged): This layer represents the stated or espoused values and beliefs of the organization, as articulated through official documents, mission statements, and corporate communications. Espoused values may include:

• Mission and vision statements: Statements of purpose and long-term goals that reflect the organization's aspirations.
• Code of ethics: Guidelines outlining expected behavior and ethical standards for employees.
• Corporate policies: Formal rules and regulations governing conduct and decision-making within the organization.

While espoused values are publicly declared and promoted, their alignment with actual behavior and practices may vary, leading to potential discrepancies between what an organization professes and what it actually does.

Underlying Assumptions (Beneath the Surface): At the deepest level, the iceberg model encompasses underlying assumptions, beliefs, and unconscious norms that guide behavior and decision-making within the organization. These assumptions are often taken for granted and may not be explicitly acknowledged or discussed, but they significantly influence organizational culture. Examples include:

• Attitudes towards risk: Organizational tolerance for uncertainty and willingness to take risks.
• Leadership style: Implicit expectations about leadership behavior and authority within the organization.
• Approach to change: Organizational attitudes towards innovation, adaptability, and resistance to change.
• Conflict resolution: Unspoken norms governing how conflicts are addressed and resolved within the organization.

Underlying assumptions shape organizational culture at its core, influencing employee attitudes, motivations, and interactions.

The Iceberg Model of Organizational Culture highlights the multi-layered nature of culture within organizations and emphasizes the importance of understanding both the visible and invisible aspects to effectively navigate and shape organizational dynamics, and therefore give rise to an engaged/disengaged, productive/unproductive workforce. By recognizing the underlying assumptions that drive behavior and decision-making, leaders can cultivate a more cohesive, values-driven culture that aligns with the organization's mission and goals.

In conclusion, exploring the concepts of conscious and unconscious bias, prejudice, stereotype and discrimination unveils the intricate roots of workplace discrimination. By shedding light on the Cultural Iceberg Model, we can uncover the subtle yet profound ways invisible factors of culture permeate organizational structures and interpersonal dynamics. Recognizing and addressing these cultural components is crucial for cultivating inclusive workplaces where all individuals are afforded equal opportunities and treatment. Let us strive to dismantle discriminatory practices, foster inclusion, and create environments where merit and talent flourish unimpeded by prejudice.