Take-Home Fall Term Exam HRM3450 3.00 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Winter 2025 York University Course Director: Ahmed Mohamed Value: 25% of the final course grade Exam Release: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025, 2:30 PM Exam Due Date: Friday, February 14th, 2025, 11:59 PM Format: Typed, double-spaced, 12-point font Submission: Electronically via Turnitin on e-Class Complete all three sections of the exam: Section A – 40%, Section B – 30%, Section C – 30 % Instructions: • No use of AI tools of any kind is allowed for the completion of this exam. • By submitting, you confirm that all work is your own. • Any sign of AI usage or copying from external sources may result in an academic integrity investigation. • All answers must be based ONLY on the course material (the course readings, videos and lectures), no outside sources are allowed. • All answers must include citations (including definitions in Part I). • All citations must include page numbers (for readings) or dates and slide numbers (for lectures). Section A: Definitions (10 terms) • Instructions: Define each of the following 10 terms in 3–5 sentences. Discuss its conceptual or theoretical significance in the context of Chapters 1–6. Draw explicitly on course readings/lectures (include at least one page or date citation per definition). Value: 10 terms × 4 marks each = 40%. 1. Intersectionality 2. Oppression 3. Stereotyping 4. Social Inequality 5. Sexuality 6. Race 7. Poverty 8. Discrimination 9. Marginalization 10. Privilege Section B: Short Essay (2 questions) • • Instructions: For each question, write a short essay of approximately 400–500 words (excluding references). You must analyze and cite specific course readings (Chapters 1– 6) or lecture notes to support your discussion. Value: 2 questions × 15 marks each = 30%. Question 1 Explain Iris Marion Young’s overall concept of “oppression” and briefly outline each of the five faces of oppression—exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence—as they apply to contemporary social settings. Draw on at least two specific examples from course materials or lectures (cite page numbers/dates) to illustrate how these forms of oppression manifest in real-life situations. Question 2 Racism is a multifaceted social construct that operates at individual, institutional, and societal levels, often manifesting in various forms such as representational, ideological, discursive, and interactional racism. Using the theoretical frameworks provided in your course material, analyze how these different forms of racism intersect and reinforce each other. In your response, address the following: 1. How do the different forms of racism (representational, ideological, discursive, and interactional) operate independently and in combination to maintain systemic discrimination? 2. How do media, language, and institutional policies contribute to the persistence of racism? Provide specific examples from course materials. 3. What structural changes (policy-based or cultural) could be implemented to dismantle systemic racial inequalities? Discuss at least two actionable strategies. Section C: Scenario-Based Long Essays (2 questions) • • Instructions: Each essay should be 600–800 words (excluding references). Ground your analysis in Chapters 1–6 of the course readings and relevant lectures. Provide in-text citations. Value: 2 Long essays × 15 marks each = 30%. Question 1 Samantha is a Latina woman working at a corporate consulting firm. Despite her credentials and strong performance, she struggles to break into leadership roles, while her male colleagues, especially white men, receive high-profile projects and promotions. She experiences microaggressions—being mistaken for an assistant, her contributions being overlooked until repeated by men, and being assigned to less visible tasks. When she raises these concerns, HR insists the company is “gender-neutral” and that all employees have equal opportunities for advancement. However, Samantha feels the policies, while formally neutral, fail to address systemic barriers affecting women of color. At the same time, she notices patterns of racial and gender bias in media that shape public perceptions of professional competence. Studies suggest that women of color are often stereotyped as less authoritative, which she believes affects how her leadership potential is perceived. Frustrated, Samantha is considering taking action but worries about retaliation and career stagnation. 1. How does Acker’s "Theory of Gendered Organizations" challenge the idea that Samantha’s workplace is truly "gender-neutral"? Provide a critical analysis of how organizational structures and workplace hierarchies create invisible barriers that disproportionately affect women of color. 2. Using Susan Fiske’s Power and Stereotyping Theory, explain why stereotypes about women of color in leadership roles continue to persist. Additionally, propose structural solutions that go beyond addressing individual biases and tackle systemic discrimination in the workplace. Question 2 Alex is a Black, non-binary individual who has recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is applying for jobs in corporate leadership roles. Despite having strong qualifications, multiple internships, and glowing recommendations, Alex notices a troubling pattern: • • • Their résumé gets shortlisted often, but they rarely progress beyond the final interview stage. During interviews, they receive questions that seem unrelated to their skills, such as “How would you fit into our workplace culture?” or “Are you comfortable working in a fast-paced, competitive environment?” In some cases, recruiters appear uncomfortable when Alex clarifies their pronouns, and they have been misgendered multiple times. Alex eventually secures a position at a marketing firm that publicly promotes its commitment to diversity. However, once on the job, they experience: • • • Microaggressions from colleagues, such as assumptions that they are part of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) team rather than the leadership team. Exclusion from informal networking spaces, where important professional relationships are formed. A lack of career mentorship opportunities, as senior leaders appear reluctant to guide someone who doesn’t fit their “traditional” image of leadership. After months of feeling undervalued and alienated, Alex contemplates whether the company’s DEI policies are performative rather than truly fostering an inclusive work environment. 1. Apply Crenshaw’s Intersectionality framework to explore how Alex’s race, gender identity, and professional status intersect to create distinct challenges. How do these overlapping identities shape their access to career mobility, workplace respect, and leadership recognition? 2. What structural and policy-based solutions can organizations implement to ensure that their diversity efforts go beyond performative inclusion? Recommend one major hiring reform and one cultural workplace change that could address bias, increase genuine inclusivity, and promote leadership equity.
