Which of the following is an example of adverse impact, a criterion used in determining whether companies have engaged in discriminatory hiring and promotion practices?
A) A company's hiring policies dictated that only 10% of the employees in the company can be women.
B) The women in a company were given responsibilities equal to that of men but were paid lower salaries than men.
C) Sixty percent of the questions on a competitive exam taken by blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese were on African American history, and most of the candidates who passed the test were black.
D) The chief executive officer of an American company blatantly refused to employ an African American although he had an excellent academic record and was also the best performer in the interview.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adverse impact refers to a practice that appears to be neutral but has a discriminatory effect on a protected group. In this case, the exam questions disproportionately favor one minority group, resulting in a higher pass rate for that group. This could be seen as discriminatory against other minority groups who did not have the same cultural and historical background knowledge. Options A, B, and D are all obvious cases of discriminatory practices, whereas option C represents a more subtle form of discrimination.

Which of the Following Is an Example of Adverse Impact