Montez 1
Classism Isn’t Classy: Exploring Socio-Economic Diversity
Catarina Montez
Human Resources Management
Professor Martin
6 December 2022
Montez 2
Rita Rizzo’s Case, Classism Isn't Classy:Exploring Socioeconomic Diversity details the
challenges of managing people of different backgrounds and how understanding one's
differences will increase productivity. The case follows the Peacock family run business, a pool
company and how they react to the differences of their workers, mainly made up of a lower
socioeconomic class. The Peacock family for a lack of better words had everything handed to
them including this business but at the end of this case, they instructed themselves with empathy
to make their business work to be more inclusive. Throughout the case we go through three
modules: The Proud Peacock Pool Company, Converting Class Clashes to Cooperative
Collaboration, and Respect Is Basic to Inclusion all to understand their employee's different
needs and cultural background can help management resolve client complaints and employee
related issues.
Peacock pool company which is pool maintenance service, and a custom pool design and
construction division that integrates pool and landscape aesthetics into each project ended their
first year of business with 53 employees. The three siblings made up the management team:
Stanley served as the company’s chief financial officer, Steven was the general manager; and
Susan was in charge of human resources. They instituted employee benefits including health
insurance, provided at an employee cost of $150 per month; a 401(k) plan; two weeks of paid
vacation; and five days of paid annual sick leave, which for a small family business starting out
is progressive for them. Salaries ranged from minimum wage for clerks and construction laborers
to $125 per hour for the architect’s services. Skilled laborers made $25 per hour, and supervisors
were paid $45 per hour. Overtime pay was available to compensate workers when short
deadlines required long hours to bring a project in on time.
Montez 3
The business became aware of complaints from clients, when brought up to the
employees, overwhelming backlash arose, calling the clients “snobs”. The issues of the
overwhelming tension between social class between the wealthy and lower middle/poverty class
was extreme, there was no understanding of how they lived or cultural awareness between the
clients and the management to the employees. This is what the management needed to change.
As we learned from the textbook Fundamentals of Human Resource Management for
Competitive Advantage by Gowan, having resources and establishing a network is key to having
a productive employee base and to instill intrinsic motivation. In this case there was an exercise
beginning on page 10 which I took part in in “Could you survive Poverty Quiz”, as well, there
are corresponding ones for the middle and upper class. In the Poverty Quiz, it checks knowledge
on food stamps, where soup kitchens are located and how to get a gun even if you have a police
record where I scored a total 5/16. This implies the lack of knowledge of how the lower class
lives and what survival skills they need in order to live. Part of this quiz is to help management
and other staff to be aware of who they are employing and what resources to have readily
available. This is a tool, that I believe if your employee base is across the socioeconomic scale it
can help for more inclusivity, even if it was anonymous.
One of the exercises I saw was beneficial was Learning Assessment 2: Tenets of three
Classes. The assessment indicated how the socio economic classes differ on money, personality,
social emphasis, time, destiny, language, family structure,and driving force. For example on page
14, money to poverty is to be used, for the middle class it's to be managed, and for the wealthy
it's to be invested. The deeper understanding of how these characteristics affect employees and
how they do their job is important in how management can support them. Once management
narrowed down the issues discussed between the workers, they remedied solutions. For example
Montez 4
many employees are on foodstamps and most of their paycheck goes to rent, food for their
family, school, and gas are all an added cost. A solution made by the company is they will
provide drivers with a $75 gasoline gift card each week to compensate them for their effort and
added expense. We can conclude this is a voluntary benefit, in which It will give workers options
that allow them to keep current employees happy and attract new ones. As well, in lieu of their
flex-time program, 16 hours of annual personal time will be added to the benefits package that
can be taken in increments as small as one hour. Many more solutions came about but this is the
start of respect between socioeconomic classes that exist within their company and gained trust
from the employees. The pool company management, comprising the three siblings will now
know how to motivate their employees, have more resources available and have reasonable goals
for their companies. If there is no awareness from management, resources and knowledge of
your employees will not create a great foundation of trust and success for your company.
As well, from HR Source, 5 Ways of Better Understanding of Your Employees, listed at
number 2 is ‘Make time for play’, in this case at the end, the Peacock Family invited its
employees over to their house for a pool party. Many of the employees never had been in a
Peacock constructed pool they advertised and built for a living, this was a good way for them to
get to know the product/team. Having fun in the workplace is a great way to integrate everyone's
personality and a better understanding of how each employee does their job. In this case it
highlights how most companies hiring employees of a lower socioeconomic status forget how to
manage them because they do not understand where they come from. This is incredibly present
in every retail, food, hotel, blue collar job that world under a wealthy individual or company. It is
critical for management to be knowledgeable of who they employ to help be more inclusive in
job design, benefits and to improve employee satisfaction like the Peacock Family.
Montez 5
Work Cited
Gowan, M. (2022). Fundamentals of HR Management for Competitive Advantage. Chicago
Business Press.
Rizzo, R. (2022, July 15). Classism Isn’t Classy: Exploring Socio-Economic Diversity. SHRM.
Retrieved December 1, 2022, from
https://www.shrm.org/Membership/student-resources/Pages/Student-Workbooks.aspx
The HR Source. (2020, July 1). 5 ways to better understand your employees. The HR Source.
Retrieved December 1, 2022, from
https://thehrsource.com/5-ways-to-better-understand-your-employees/
Montez 6
● Why is this issue/topic relevant?
● Are there recent or current employment cases related to this topic? If so, give
an example or two (be sure to cite your sources!)
● What are the current trends regarding this issue?
● Is this trend prevalent in a particular industry? If so, why could this be?
● How might this issues from this case evolve in the future of HRM?
Introduction to your case study topic - this is the who, what, why, where, and how.
2. Factors contributing to the issues in this case. This should be backed up with
learnings from our textbook, videos, or any external sources you find to support your
analysis. One to two in addition to the textbook is a good starting point.
3. Options to select a most suitable solution - this may look different for every case. Be
sure to conduct a careful analysis (a SWOT analysis would work for this) of the
possible options for addressing the issue(s) in the case and give a clear
explanation of your suggested optimum solution and ways in which it could be
implemented.
4. Best practices at use in organizations or other conceptual frameworks that are
applicable for avoiding and/or mitigating such issues in the future.
5. A closing paragraph or two that include how organizations can use this example to
avoid similar issues, some ideas and plans for organizations to implement best
practices, or any other thoughts that came to mind as you considered the overall
implications of your case.
Montez 7
“Wealth allows the rich to self-actualize by becoming experts at anything that interests
them.” pg 11
Could you survive in Poverty Quiz
5/16
Could you survive middle class
12/15
Could you survive in wealth
1/14
All employees participated in quiz
Had mixed reviews, knows how much we dont know each how much we need to learn
from each other
Learning assessment 2: tenets of three classes
How the classes difference on money, personality ,social emphasis, time,
destiny,language,family structure,driving force
For example on page 14, Mony to poverty, is to be used for middle its to be managed
and for wealth its to be invested
Learn how they interact , with each other , food how they keep there space, in
mangeimg people and how to do it well you have to be observant
Another exercise which i truly think will be beneficial is problems that need to be
addressed and their possible solutions as indicted on page 17, based onbthe different
soclial class
Montez 8
Went one by one of the six issues that need d to be addressed and talked theme out
with the workers
Respect is asic to conclusion
Showscasing the dos and dont
Peacock ppool party
- Study groups made of the children
- Get to know the pool and other
-
Peacock Family:
3 kids- who wanted a in ground pool for mansion couldn’t find a contractor to do so
Susan, Steven, Stanley
Their father gave them 8 million dollars to invest in a company to make a apool and spa
company to fix their needs- wants them to have a profit of 18 million
There company would have a pool maintenance service, and a custom pool design and
construction division that would integrate pool and landscape aesthetics into each
project.
Promise pool completion ot be half the time of competitors
Has a store is an upscale mall
End of first year had 53 employees
Stanley served as the company’s chief financial officer, Steven was the general
manager; and Susan was in charge of human resources.
Employee benefits included health insurance, provided at an employee cost of $150 per
month; a 401(k) plan; two weeks of paid vacation; and five days of paid annual sick
leave.
Salaries ranged from minimum wage for clerks and construction laborers to $125 per
hour for the architect’s services. Skilled laborers made $25 per hour, and supervisors
were paid $45 per hour. Overtime pay was available to compensate workers when short
deadlines required long hours to bring a project in on time.
Montez 9
Monthly staff meetings
Susan compiled complaints from clients
Most of the employees replied that they didn't like the treated of the upper class calling
them”snobs”
Between the owners and the store clerks/ employees they don't understand the
relatability. There is no common ground therefore they don't know how to fit in
One member suggested cultural sensitivity training that they had at her last job
Learn abut the different normssurvival skills they have learned
Offers more discussion around management
resources/establishing a network/
“Wealth allows the rich to self-actualize by becoming experts at anything that interests
them.” pg 11
Could you survive in Poverty Quiz
5/16
Could you survive middle class
12/15
Could you survive in wealth
1/14
All employees participated in quiz
Had mixed reviews, knows how much we dont know each how much we need to learn
from each other
Learning assessment 2: tenets of three classes
How the classes difference on money, personality ,social emphasis, time,
destiny,language,family structure,driving force
Montez 10
For example on page 14, Mony to poverty, is to be used for middle its to be managed
and for wealth its to be invested
Learn how they interact , with each other , food how they keep there space, in
mangeimg people and how to do it well you have to be observant
Another exercise which i truly think will be beneficial is problems that need to be
addressed and their possible solutions as indicted on page 17, based onbthe different
soclial class
Went one by one of the six issues that need d to be addressed and talked theme out
with the workers
Respect is asic to conclusion
Showscasing the dos and dont
Peacock ppool party
- Study groups made of the children
- Get to know the pool and other
-
