General Motors’ Commitment to Diversity

Read the vignette “General Motors’ Commitment to Diversity” at the end of Chapter 3. This vignette explores General Motors. Back in the 1980s, valuing diversity was far from the minds of the leadership at General Motors. True, GM had established a program to promote minority-owned dealerships, but there were problems within the company. Women and minorities complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the carmaker was discriminating against them. In 1984, the EEOC and GM reached a $42.4 million settlement in which GM promised to promote women and minorities into management positions. Since then, the company has never swerved from that effort at inclusiveness. Today GM garners praise as a company that far exceeds legal standards for equal employment opportunity.

Directions

Read the vignette “General Motors’ Commitment to Diversity” at the end of Chapter 3. Imagine that you are a consultant to GM and have been asked to help them identify ways to avoid discrimination. Write a 500-word business memo to GM leadership answering the questions below. Follow the memo format in the Business Memo example provided here. Note that APA style is NOT required for business memos.

1. Of the activities and accomplishments described in this case, identify which activities General Motors needs to do in order to meet legal requirements and which go beyond legal requirements.
2. Identify at least three ways General Motors can avoid illegal discrimination.