BHR3352 Columbia Southern Uber Slow on Diversity Case Study Paper Instructions Read “Case 3-1, You Can’t Get There From Here: Uber Slow On Diversity”. Aft

BHR3352 Columbia Southern Uber Slow on Diversity Case Study Paper Instructions

Read “Case 3-1, You Can’t Get There From Here: Uber Slow On Diversity”. After you have read the case study, write an analysis of the case study.

Write an introduction to give context to your paper by explaining what the paper will cover. Then, divide the body of your paper using the seven headers below. Address the points within that section, as indicated under the header.

Employment Law

Identify what employment law Susan Fowler’s sexual harassment claim would be characterized as. Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

Type of Harassment

Identify the type(s) of harassment to which Ms. Fowler was exposed. Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

Uber’s Actions

Identify actions Uber has taken to limit their liability relative to sexual harassment charges. Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

EEOC and Affirmative Action

After reviewing Uber’s diversity report, does it appear Uber is in violation of any EEOC and affirmative action laws? Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

Diversity Matters

Explain why diversity matters in general and more specifically to Uber. Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

Benefits/Challenges of a Diverse Workforce

Identify and explain the benefits and challenges Uber derives from a more diverse workforce. Be sure to develop your answer to include your rationale.

Legal Provisions of Uber Case

Write a summary that identifies legal provisions or considerations covered within this case study as it relates to a human resource management (HRM) perspective.

Conclude with an analysis with your thoughts on how ethics and HRM professional standards are framed by legal provisions within a specific organization or industry (e.g., business, health care).

Your case study must be at least two pages in length, not counting the title or reference pages. Adhere to APA style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed. CASE 3-1 YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE: UBER SLOW ON
DIVERSITY
Established in 2009, Uber provides an alternative to taxi cab service in 460 cities and nearly 60
countries worldwide. The trick? Their mobile application for smartphones allows riders to
arrange for transportation with drivers who operate their personal vehicles. A dual rating
system (drivers and customers rate each other) serves as a quality control device keeping Uber
standards high.(1)
As an international technology firm, Uber has been challenged, along with other tech giants like
Google and Twitter, to demonstrate that they are attuned to the specific needs of their
employees, more specifically people of color and women. In Uber’s own words:
At Uber, we want to create a workplace that is inclusive and reflects the diversity of the
cities we serve: where everyone can be their authentic self, and where that authenticity is
celebrated as a strength. By creating an environment where people from every
background can thrive, we’ll make Uber a better company—not just for our employees but
for our customers, too.(2)
Yet actions speak louder than words. Uber employees describe the firm’s work environment
amid some managers as Machiavellian and merciless. Many blame Travis Kalanick, Uber’s
founder and former chief executive, for establishing such a negative culture. Uber’s fast growth
approach to the market has rewarded employees and managers who have aggressively pushed
for greater revenues and fatter profits at the seeming cost of human dignity.
For example, Uber has had its share of troubles addressing issues of sexual misconduct and
workforce diversity. These issues came to light when a former employee, Susan Fowler,
reported in her personal blog that she was being sexually harassed by her manager and that
human resources had been informed of these infractions.(3) Susan Fowler said in her blog:
On my first official day rotating on the team, my new manager sent me a string of
messages over company chat. He was in an open relationship, he said, and his girlfriend
was having an easy time finding new partners but he wasn’t. He was trying to stay out of
trouble at work, he said, but he couldn’t help getting in trouble, because he was looking for
women to have sex with. It was clear that he was trying to get me to have sex with him,
and it was so clearly out of line that I immediately took screenshots of these chat messages
and reported him to HR.(4)
Uber’s first reaction was to call Ms. Fowler’s accusations as “abhorrent and against everything
Uber stands for and believes in.”(5) Ms. Fowler purported that her manager was not punished
because he “was a high performer”; yet other female employees reported similar incidents with
the same manager, leading Ms. Fowler to believe that HR was covering up for her manager.
Uber was in trouble as more and more scandals emerged and they quickly took the following
actions: (a) apologized for some of their managers’ actions, (b) had a board member and
several female executives provide testimonials on the firm’s positive work environment, and
(c) began to probe workplace policies and procedures.
Arianna Huffington, a board member, repeatedly labeled new employees as “brilliant
jerks.”(6) Huffington said that this investigation would be different when Eric H. Holder Jr., the
former United States Attorney General (as well as some others), were hired to conduct their
investigation.
Uber released its first diversity report on March 28, 2017, one month after these allegations.
This report indicated that women and nonwhite employees are underrepresented at the firm,
not overly dissimilar from other technology-based firms. Some of the most egregious statistics
include: (a) racial configuration?6% Hispanic, 9% black, 50% white, and (b) 85% of all
technology jobs are held by men, with a mere 36% of the total workforce comprised of
women.(7)
Liane Hornsey, Uber’s chief human resource officer, acknowledged, “We need to do better and
have much more work to do.”(8) Here are Uber’s next steps:
We’re dedicating $3 million over the next three years to support organizations working to
bring more women and underrepresented people into tech. This year, our recruiting team
is also embarking on a college tour to recruit talented students at colleges across the
country, including a number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Our employee resource groups play a huge role in all
our recruiting events that are focused on hiring women and people of color at Uber.
In recruiting, we’ve updated our job descriptions to remove potentially exclusionary
language, and we are running interview training to make our hiring processes more inclusive
for women in tech. We’re also rolling out training to educate and empower employees,
covering topics like “why diversity and inclusion matters,” “how to be an ally,” and “building
inclusive teams.” Training is not a panacea, but educating employees on the right behaviors is
an important step in the right direction.
This is just the beginning of our efforts. Whether you’re a veteran returning from service or
a person with a disability and regardless of your religious beliefs, your sexual orientation, your
gender identity, or the country you call home, at Uber, we want to create an environment
where you can be yourself. By deepening our commitment to diversity, we will strengthen our
business and better serve our customers in over 450 cities in more than 70 countries.(9)
Only time will tell if this fast growth firm can manage its aggressive culture and diversity as it
continues to expand into new marketplaces and those with differing cultures.
References
(1) Anderson, A. (n.d.). Uber International C.V. Hoovers. Retrieved April 4, 2017, from http://0subscriber.hoovers.com.liucat.lib.liu.edu/H/company360/fulldescription.html?companyId
=163401000000000
(2) Uber. (n.d.). How do we want Uber to look and feel? Retrieved April 4, 2017, from
https://www.uber.com/diversity/
(3) Fowler, S. (2017, February 19). Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber.
Retrieved April 12, 2017, from
https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-atuber
(4) Ibid.
(5) Patnaik, S. (2017, February 21). Uber hires ex-US Attorney General Holder to probe sexual
harassment. Reuters. Retrieved April 4, 2017, from http://www.reuters.com/article/usuber-tech-sexual-harassment-idUSKBN160041
(6) Isaac, M. (2017, March 28). Uber releases diversity report and repudiates its “hardcharging attitude.” The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2017, from
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/28/uber-releases-diversity-report-and-repudiates-itshard-charging-attitude.html
(7) Ibid.
(8) Uber slow on diversity. (2017, March 29). AM New York, p. A2.
(9) Uber. (n.d.). How do we want Uber to look and feel? Retrieved April 4, 2017, from
https://www.uber.com/diversity/
Case written by Herbert Sherman, Long Island University

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