Bias at Google: Response (CP #1)

Bias at Google

In the article, "Exposing Hidden Bias at Google," Farhad Manjoo discusses the bias and prejudice displayed towards women in one of today's largest multinational corporation: Google. Many companies in today's society display what is known as "unconscious bias" toward women. This is supported by Google's statistics page (calculated in the workplace) with examples such as overall gender distribution/employment, where men consist of 83 percent of engineering employees at Google, and gender distribution in executive positions where men consist of 79 percent of Google's managers. The fact that Google has reached the prosperous point it is in today, with the workplace consisting of a majority of men, upsets me because if the workplace was more diverse, they would have a more diverse mindset accomplishing tasks or developing new and unique innovations, and Google would have achieved more than it has today (where a majority of one of type of mindset is accomplishing tasks).

Another issue of the unconscious bias at Google that frustrates me is that since Google is one of the biggest companies today, it serves as a role model for future/arising companies. If Google serves as a poor model, containing hidden bias (with a majority of males in the workspace), it will affect the future companies that theme their companies off of Google's standards, and this will in turn will affect America's future. It doesn't surprise me of how companies like Google acknowledge that their company consists of a majority of men, and claim to be doing everything they can to improve these issues, but the numbers don't support their claim. After all, they company was founded by men, and was successful, so why would they not continue this trend. However, containing an even amount of males and females in the workplace will not only create a sense of equality and justice in the workplace, thereby increasing efficiency, but it will also create a more diverse team, which results in innovations and developments that could not be accomplished with one mindset. Google is just one of many examples of companies that exhibit bias and claim to be "solving" the issue. 

Source: Exposing Hidden Bias at Google