Final answer:
The greatest potential for discriminatory recruitment is through nepotism or 'word of mouth', as it can lead to a lack of diversity and perpetuate biases. Market forces can, however, incentivize businesses to reduce discriminatory practices to maintain a positive reputation, avoid staff turnover, and meet hiring needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Of the methods of recruitment mentioned, nepotism or "word of mouth" could have the greatest potential to be discriminatory. This is because it often relies on personal networks that can be homogeneous, and this could lead to a lack of diversity in candidates and potential discrimination against those outside of these networks. Furthermore, such practices can perpetuate existing biases and reduce opportunities for a broader range of job seekers.
Market forces can provide an incentive for businesses to act in a less discriminatory way as evidenced in the given situations. For example, a flower delivery business might rely on a diverse customer base, and discriminatory hiring practices could alienate these customers, potentially harming the business's reputation and sales. An assembly line struggling to find qualified workers may be compelled to hire from a wider pool of candidates, including women, regardless of past discriminatory hiring practices. In the case of underpaid Hispanic workers in a health care services firm, the business might face employee turnover to competitors offering better pay. These market pressures can force a business to reconsider discriminatory wage practices to retain staff.