Review of Audit and Assessment Tools, Programs and Resources in Workplace Settings to Prevent Race-based Discrimination and Support Diversity

There is consistent evidence that both interpersonal and systemic race-based discrimination continue to exist in Australia and have a detrimental impact on health and wellbeing (Paradies 2006; VicHealth 2007). Both systemic racism and many forms of interpersonal race-based discrimination are at odds with popular understandings of racism as 'terror and genocidal passions' (Cowlishaw 1992: 26-27). There is continued resistance in Australia to the view that a person adopting a moderate tone, disclaiming any pretence to superiority and defending 'common sense' propositions can be engaged in racism (Markus 2001: 10). However, recognising racism only in its extreme forms renders invisible its recurrent, everyday expressions (Essed 2007). Even consciously, egalitarian people may hold negative stereotypes and attitudes, of which they may not be fully conscious (Dovidio, Kawakami, and Gaertner 2002; Fazio et al. 1995), with the consequences of subtle, unintentional bias ultimately being as adverse as more overt biases (Burgess et al. 2007). Consequently, a definition of racism is adopted in this review that goes beyond both popular conceptions and legal definitions to encompass any treatment that results in unequal power, resources or opportunities across racial, ethnic, cultural and/or religious groups (Paradies, Chandrakumar, Klocker, Frere, Webster, Burrell et al. 2009). Organisational contexts, such as workplaces, have been identified both as places where race-based discrimination occurs, as well as a priority setting where anti-discrimination and diversity can be supported and enhanced (Berman, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and Victorian Multicultural Commission 2008; Paradies, Chandrakumar, Klocker, Frere, Webster, Burrell et al. 2009; VicHealth 2007). Organisations provide a natural environment for contact between people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds, and are places where established social norms are shaped. Therefore, organisations can play an important role in modelling and enforcing anti-discrimination standards (Paradies, Chandrakumar, Klocker, Frere, Webster, Burrell et al. 2009).