Case Study
Columbia Southern University
Legal accusations of race, gender and age bias was bases for the 2001 class action lawsuit of Streeter et al. vs. Ford Motor Co and Siegel et al. vs. Ford Motor Co. for possible age bias. The legal accusations of gender and race claims were dismissed in the Streeter lawsuit but age was still a legal accusation. Ford Motor Co. denied any legal accusations of wrong actions in either lawsuit (The Union Times, 2001). “The reverse-discrimination lawsuits claimed that Ford 's employee evaluation system preferred candidates of diversity -- mainly younger women and minorities -- and that a large percentage of older, white men were given low grades, resulting in loss of their raises or promotions. Ford Motor Co. agreed to pay $10.5 million in settlement for both cases” (The Union Times, 2001).
“Organizations establish performance management systems to meet three extensive bases: strategic, administrative, and developmental purposes” (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2011, p. 226). The use of performance management systems in organizations allows them to keep the staff that is more productive, close-out on …show more content…
At many times these structures use percentages to rank those who are more productive at high ranks and those least at low ranks. According to The Union Times, Five percent of the company was evaluated when the system was put into pace in 2000. A, B, or C grades were given to employees. Employees receiving a C could lose bonuses and raises, and two back-to-back C 's would possibly result in termination. Those involved in the class believed that before the grading program, they had received approving evaluations. Because of the new system, those evaluated, got C 's while some women and minorities with less work history or experience received greater ranks