Commentary by management consultant Michael Wade on Leadership, Ethics, Management, and Life
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Oscars, Diversity, and Quotas
The criticism of this year's list of Oscar nominees is troubling because it seems to be a cry for equal results instead of equal opportunity. Will a bold, new, emphasis on diversity produce a covert quota system in which various groups set markers for acceptable representation and where merit is subjected to a de facto ceiling? ["We've had enough Asians for that award." ]
Numbers alone can be enormously misleading. [Does anyone seriously believe that the professional basketball teams discriminate on the basis of race? Check out their composition.] Analysis can become even more fragile when something as subjective as artistic expression is considered. Every year, you can spot individuals who sincerely believe the Oscar selections were ill-considered and unfair. They're the audience members with dazed eyes and frozen smiles.
And here's a dirty little secret: often they are right.
But some perspective is provided by a line from The Godfather, Part II: "This is the business we've chosen."
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