ABSTRACT
U.S. companies have assumed, either voluntarily or by dint of government legislation, a vital HRM function: to provide equal opportunity for all U.S. citizens to access the rewards provided by paid employment (pay, growth, training, status). The overriding principle is that workers should be hired, promoted, and rewarded in a nondiscriminatory way based on individual merit. Their employment suitability should not be prejudged by stereotypes associated with race, gender, handicap, or other group characteristics.
