Another unproven hypothesis I’ve thought of is the use of affirmative action and diversity hiring for the underlying purpose of assuring greater one-dimensionality [One Dimensional Man (1964) by Herbert Marcuse] and less autonomy of the individual to function outside the hierarchical management pyramid or to oppose it by innovation or defiance from within the organization.

The rationale for this hypothesis is that many who are hired due to the accretive addition of “diversity” or “affirmative action” to their qualifications, the more likely that individual is beholden to the employer, and less apt to risk termination for unilateral action in the workplace.  After all, the diversity hiree is now a statistic and is being monitored ever so closely by the employer and interested third parties.  The “diverse applicant” cares about the corporate team presumably more than the so-called non-diverse applicant because of his or her “place” in the organization.  Since there continue to exist less “diverse applicants” actually working for American corporations, there is an ample supply of replacements available in the general population as well as abroad, if need be.

copyright John Rubens

July 31, 2015