NAME: M.

Mubeen Afzal

REG. NO: 18-NTU-1485

Semester: BS-TMM 6th

Department: Faisalabad Business School

Assignment: 2nd HRM

Submitted To: Dr. Hussain Gillani

Date: 27-04-2021
DIVERSITY IS THE NEW COLOR THIS YEAR

Case overview:
Carla Grubb was hired at Abercrombie & Fitch. She was accepting that she could have a job
regarding sales but she couldn't get that. The reason was that she belongs to a minority group like
she had a black color. The organization authority won't prefer to hire minorities at the upper level
of the organization. She felt sad and she blamed that everyone should have to be treated equally
at the workplace. Due to that diversity, EEOC has filed suit against them. As the company
preferred white and athletic employees for their sales jobs and preferred minorities for back-of-
the-job work. Have lower minority manager’s average. The company settled the suit and paid
$50 million but didn’t admit guilt.

Questions to Answer:
1. Suggest several ways that Abercrombie & Fitch can increase their number of minority
employees to an appropriate level.

2. Can employers maintain a certain “look” or “image” to their retail sales force and not violate
EEOC regulations? Explain with examples.

3. Take a look at the Abercrombie & Fitch Web site (www.abercrombie.com) or visit an
Abercrombie & Fitch store. What evidence do you see that they are making progress toward their
diversity goals?

4. Are there other employers that you would suggest could make a better effort at diversity? Can
their lack of diversity be justified with Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQ)?
Q-1: Suggest several ways that Abercrombie & Fitch can increase their
number of minority employees to an appropriate level?

Ans: 1- Abercrombie and Fitch can increase their number of minority employees to an
appropriate level by hiring people based on their experience, knowledge, skills and education
not by the color of their skin, race, ethnicity or where they are from. When they hire people,
they should give them the opportunity to do the job they are hired on for.

2- By doing fair discrimination at the work place. Like treating every employ equally, by equal
reward system or by equal performance evaluation. When the minority employees treated
equally with other employees in every prospective. They tend to remain satisfy with their job and
it helps to reduce the turnover.

3- By assigning them the work for which they are particularly hired in a one organization. Not
like the Carla Grubb. As she was expecting to have a job in the sales department but she couldn't
get that due to her black color.

Q-2: Can employers maintain a certain “look” or “image” to their retail sales
force and not violate EEOC regulations? Explain with examples.

Ans: Yes, employers can maintain a certain look or image in relate stores without violating
EEOC regulations. Examples are: Maintaining a dress code or clothing policy in accordance
with store policy. Providing training to employees about behavioral aspect. They could also
require that employees wear a uniform. For Abercrombie, this would be an easy solution since
they are a clothing store. They could easily maintain the image by giving their employees a few
“uniforms” (Abercrombie outfits) to wear while working.

Q-3: Take a look at the Abercrombie & Fitch Web site

(www.abercrombie.com) or visit an Abercrombie & Fitch store. What
evidence do you see that they are making progress toward their diversity
goals?
Ans: As I have visited their web site through google and I have visited all sections their like
Man, Women and kid’s sections regarding clothes. According to my analysis from their website I
have found that Abercrombie and Fitch have improved their diversity goals a lot. They
represented blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians throughout the site. The company is now
started posting pictures of minorities as well for their brand awareness or sales. This Means the
company has now added the minorities into their sales department as well. they represented
blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians throughout the site Some pictures are here.

Equity Project: The company has also stated The Abercrombie Equity Project for the social and
racial justice through A&F conversations. Because we are dedicated to the equity and well-
being of everyone. Because we’re all made equal—and when we are treated equally, we can
embrace our innate confidence to realize our fullest potential. I found that the current image of
A&F is totally different than that I been studied in the case.

Q-4: Are there other employers that you would suggest could make a better
effort at diversity? Can their lack of diversity be justified with Bona Fide
Occupational Qualifications (BFOQ)?
Ans: 1- Personally, I don’t think they required some other employers for better diversity at their
sales stores. Because, as I have visited their website and I found that they are doing good for
managing diversity. The company has started posting pictures of monitories on their sales stores
as well.
From the case perspective Abercrombie & Fitch has to add the minorities into their sale stores as
well not only in the cleaning or washing departments. If the company adds pictures of minorities
on to their sales stores. This would help them to make a better effort for managing diversity,
employers their will confident and it will provide the good image to the viewers and helps them
to improve sales.
2- I think it would be difficult for a company to justify its lack of diversity due to BFOQ. As the
company is targeting all kinds of people like young, old and kids both male and female through
the worldwide into different countries. Or a country like Africa, so I think that they don’t even
can claim their lack of diversity through BFOQ.