Affirmative action is a practice that redresses discrimination in society and is therefore meant to promote equal opportunities between men and women. The purpose of this study was to examine the public perception of affirmative action on women recruitment and career development in organizations within Eldoret municipality. The study objectives were to establish: the public perceptions about affirmative action, the contribution of affirmative action on women career development, the extent to which affirmative action has been incorporated in recruitment of women and the relationship between affirmative action and organization performance. The study was guided by Rawls theory of Justice (1971) which states that all social primary goods - liberty and opportunity, income, jobs and wealth, and the bases of self-respect be distributed equally and there should be no differences and/or discrimination except those that can be justified on grounds of competence.
The research employed an Expost Facto Survey research design, which was deemed appropriate because it handles situations or events that have already occurred, examines variables with the same characteristics and does not manipulate the variables. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the organizations for study. The respondents were picked using simple random sampling. Eight organizations were selected. A sample size of 255 respondents was selected but 210 questionnaires were returned and 8 interviews done. Questionnaires and interviews were used in data collection.
Data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively facilitated by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Data was presented in frequency tables, graphs and pie charts.
An inferential statistic technique, the chi-square test and Mann Whitney U-test were used to test the hypothesis at ≤ 0.05 level of significance. The hypotheses that an affirmative action policy does not affect significantly recruitment policies in organization and affirmative action does not enhance women career development were tested.
The results from the study indicate that there is perverse inequality in employment since men are more represented than women in almost all employment categories. Affirmative action is perceived as the most ambitious attempt to put right the long history of gender discrimination. It was noted that women tend to lag behind their male counterparts in career development. The respondents proposed recruitment by performance.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Objectives
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Limitations of the Study
1.8 Scope of the Study
1.9 Theoretical Framework
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Public Perception about Affirmative Action
2.3 Contribution of Affirmative action to Women Career Development
2.4.1 Recruitment policies and procedures
2.4.2 Affirmative action policies and procedures
2.5 The relationship between affirmative action and organization performance
2.6 Critical reviews about affirmative action
2.7 Summary
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Research Area
3.4 Target population
3.5 Sampling Design and Procedures
3.6 Data collection
3.6.1 Questionnaires
3.6.2 Interview Schedule
3.6.3 Validity of Research Instruments
3.6.4 Reliability of Research Instruments
3.6.5 Administration of Research Instruments
3.7 Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Background information of the respondents
4.2.1 Gender of the respondents
4.2.2 Age of the respondents
4.2.3 Academic qualifications of the respondents
4.2.4 The current organization and occupation of the respondents
4.3 Perception held about affirmative action
4.3.1 Rating of the Kenyan government’s effort to eliminate gender discrimination
4.3.2 Affirmative action to put right long history of gender discrimination
4.3.3 Affirmative action promotes diversity
4.3.4 Affirmative action policy hampers productivity
4.3.5 Affirmative action policy fosters corruption in recruitment
4.3.6 Affirmative action incites women to aggressively look for job opportunities
4.3.7 Affirmative action as a program of gender preferences
4.3.8 Affirmative action leads to reverse discrimination
4.4 Contribution of affirmative action to women career development
4.4.1 Women still lag behind their male counterparts in career development
4.4.2 Many women do not advance beyond the entry-level
4.4.3 Significant barriers are still faced by career women during recruitment
4.4.4 Affirmative action as a solution to women career development
4.5 Incorporation of affirmative action by organizations in recruitment of women
4.5.1 Advertisement and sex of the applicant
4.5.2 Rating recruitment policies
4.5.3 High scores in school does not determine performance
4.5.4 Recruitment by performance
4.6 Relationship between affirmative action and organization performance
4.6.1 Affirmative action weakens the spirit of individual
4.6.2 Is performance a function of gender?
4.6.3 Affirmative action promotes inefficiency in organization
4.7 Testing of the hypotheses
CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 A Summary of findings
5.2.1 Personal details of respondents
5.2.2 Perception held about affirmative action
5.2.3 Contribution of affirmative action on women career development
5.2.4 Incorporation of affirmative action policies on recruitment of women
5.2.5 Relationship between affirmative action and organization performance
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendations
5.5 Suggestion for further studies
Research Goals and Focus Areas
The primary goal of this research is to evaluate public perceptions regarding the impact of affirmative action policies on the recruitment and career advancement of women within organizations located in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya, guided by Rawls' theory of justice.
- Public perceptions of affirmative action policies.
- The impact of affirmative action on women's career development.
- Integration of affirmative action in recruitment processes.
- Correlations between affirmative action and overall organizational performance.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.1 Recruitment policies and procedures
Recruitment and selection policy is there to ensure that the council selects the most suitable persons for the job on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and that no employee/job applicant is unfairly treated.
The first step in planning for the recruitment of employees into the organization is to establish adequate policies and procedures (Cole, 1997). A recruitment policy represents the organization’s code of conduct in this area of activity (Cole, 1997).
Typical policy statement should: advertise all vacancies internally first before doing external advertisement, reply to every job applicant with minimum delay, aim to inform potential recruits in good faith about the basic details and job conditions of every job advertised, aim to process all applications with efficiency and courtesy, seek candidates on the basis of their qualification for the vacancy concerned and aim to ensure that every person invited for the interview will be given a fair and thorough hearing.
A company should not discriminate unfairly against potential applicants on the grounds of sex, race, age, religion or physical disabilities, discriminate unfairly against applicants with a criminal record and knowingly make any false or exaggerated claims in its recruitment literature or job advertisement.
Chapter Summaries
CHAPTER ONE: Provides the foundational background, research problem, and theoretical framework for examining affirmative action in the context of gender equality.
CHAPTER TWO: Reviews literature concerning public perceptions, the contribution of affirmative action to career development, and its relationship with organizational performance.
CHAPTER THREE: Outlines the research design, area of study, methodology, and data collection tools, including surveys and interviews used in the inquiry.
CHAPTER FOUR: Presents the empirical data collected, including detailed tables and statistical analyses regarding respondent perceptions and organizational practices.
CHAPTER FIVE: Discusses the research findings, offers conclusions regarding the effectiveness of affirmative action, and provides specific recommendations for stakeholders.
Keywords
Affirmative Action, Women Recruitment, Career Development, Gender Inequality, Eldoret Municipality, Organizational Performance, Recruitment Policies, Gender Discrimination, Workplace Diversity, Rawls Theory of Justice, Human Resource Management, Employment Equality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
This research investigates how the public perceives affirmative action policies in relation to women's recruitment and career growth within Eldoret Municipality.
What are the primary themes covered in this study?
The study focuses on public perception, the impact on career development, how organizations incorporate these policies, and the effects on organizational performance.
What is the main objective of the work?
The central aim is to examine the perception of affirmative action's impact on women's recruitment and subsequent career development.
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The research used an Expost Facto Survey design, collecting data through questionnaires and interviews, analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics and chi-square/Mann-Whitney U-tests.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers theoretical frameworks (Rawls' theory), literature reviews, methodology, comprehensive data analysis of survey responses, and detailed discussions of findings.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include affirmative action, career development, recruitment policies, gender discrimination, and organizational performance.
How did respondents rate government efforts to address gender discrimination?
The majority of respondents found the government's efforts to be average, indicating a need for more proactive and visible commitment to the policy.
What did the study conclude regarding the link between gender and performance?
The study found that gender is not synonymous with performance, meaning that variables are independent and gender should not hinder recruitment when assessing actual performance capability.
- Citation du texte
- Tabitha Wangare (Auteur), Dr. John Boit (Auteur), Mr. John Magero (Auteur), 2009, Affirmative Action: A Kenyan Case, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/184461
