Workplace Bias: Here’s something about as shocking as seeing Santa Claus at
Christmas: Most people don’t think racial discrimination in the workplace is a
good idea. Nonprofit organization WorldPublicOpinion.org, in a global study of
nearly 15,000 workers, says 90 percent believe that “treating people of
different races and ethnicities equally is important, with 69 percent saying it
is very important.” Interviews were conducted with people in 16 countries or
regions—Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, France, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Mexico, Nigeria, the Palestinian territories, Russia, South Korea, Turkey,
Ukraine and the United States. Those polled are said to represent 58 percent of
the world’s population.
Large majorities in most countries believe “employers should not be allowed
to discriminate based on race or ethnicity,” and say increased government
interference is needed to prevent such practices. France (94 percent), China (88
percent), the U.S. (86 percent), Indonesia (84 percent), Britain (83 percent)
and Azerbaijan (82 percent) have the largest majorities opposed to corporate
discriminatory behavior.
This opinion, however, is not universally held. In India—the only nation
whose people voiced dissenting views—30 percent said employers should be
permitted to reject job applicants on the basis of race or ethnicity.
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