EAC 555 Ethics in the Workplace and Education When the time came for me to choose a topic for

r my EAC 555 research paper, I was drawn to the ethics of gender equity. While this may at first seem like a strange topic for a white male, as a member of the military the recent highly publicized incidences of sexual assault and sexual harassment led me to believe that this topic deserved study. This paper focused initially and primarily on the ethics of gender equity within both the civilian and military work environment. It was designed to examine what role gender discrimination still plays, if any, in the ability of women to advance to leadership positions within their chosen career fields or to receive equal pay for equal work performed and if this discrimination could be explained as ethical behavior. Furthermore, in thinking about the topic, I was drawn to the additional focus of organizational change, a theme that was prevalent throughout the program. The latter part of this paper details the impact of gender discrimination on organizational change and it supports many of the ideas learned in the program. Organizations are impacted by both internal and external forces, but true lasting change occurs when the corporate cultures is altered by the people who participate in it. Unequal treatment of women (and other minorities although they werent the focus of this paper) marginalizes them and devalues their contributions to the company and its successes. Corporations are severely restricting their ability to adapt and grow by cutting the legs out from under this segment of their workforce. What I found in researching this paper is that many of our views on women in both the military and civilian world are perceptions based on stereotypes or beliefs and are not based in reality. These perceptions can be difficult to change and sometimes require external catalysts such as Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently removing the restriction on women serving in frontline combat roles. The external forces impact is only as strong as those who internalize it within a corporate culture. HRD has the ability and responsibility to influence this process. As military and civilian entities around the world continue to evolve, HRD must be ready to fight against discrimination within their ranks. The necessary organizational growth and change is stymied by stereotypes, discrimination, and other unethical decisions. HRD can promote ethical decision-making that also fosters positive organizational change. A lot of work has already been done to reduce discrimination, but much more is still required for true equality to be achieved.