Final answer:
The goal of emphasizing fairness in recruitment is to ensure meritocracy and proper selection of candidates based on qualifications while balancing the social goal of diversity. However, overemphasis on affirmative action can lead to perceptions of underqualification amongst those hired from underrepresented groups, potentially impacting an institution's performance. Market forces and competition can incentivize businesses to act in a less discriminatory manner although it's not always sufficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goal of emphasizing fairness in recruitment is often debated. Some believe the application and hiring process should focus on the individual's qualifications to ensure that meritocracy prevails, where only the best candidates are selected, aiding an institution's competitiveness. Others argue that affirmative action and preference towards underrepresented groups are necessary to promote social goals like diversity and representation. However, critics of affirmative action suggest that it could lead to a situation where qualified individuals from these groups are viewed as less competent, given they were hired or admitted through preferential selection, which can challenge the institution's success and competitiveness. In marketplace dynamics, businesses have incentives to reduce discrimination. For instance, a business owner noticing the ethnicity of their customer base, like the flower delivery owner with many black customers, might act less discriminatorily to keep the business thriving. An assembly line in dire need of qualified workers might hire more women if they can't find enough male workers. A home health care services firm may avoid paying lower wages to Hispanic workers to maintain a positive reputation and workforce productivity. Conflict theorists see sorting, which can be a way of dividing students or workers based on different criteria, as mainly a method to perpetuate divisions of socioeconomic status. Lastly, while competition tends to deter discrimination since non-discriminatory employers can profit by hiring equally productive discriminated-against individuals, firms with market power might still discriminate. Therefore, competition alone isn't always the solution to discrimination, and other interventions may be required.