Editing Ascribed characteristics (section)

=== Hiring / promotion ===

[[Ronald P. Dore]] was a British sociologist that was a specialist in the Japanese economy. His view will be expressed here. In his largest work, ''British Factory, Japanese Factory'',<ref>{{Cite book|title=British factory, Japanese factory : the origins of national diversity in industrial relations|last=Dore|first=Ronald|date=1973|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520024953|location=Berkeley|oclc=20130326}}</ref> Dore investigates whether decisions on hiring and promotion, in the Japanese firm [[Hitachi]], over a particular time were based chiefly on "achievement" or chiefly on "ascribed characteristics". The context of the discussion implied that achievement-based decisions are good, while those based on ascribed characteristics are bad. His discussion admits explicitly and, implicitly, that there are several complications to moral judgement that include:

* Some achievement characteristics are positively correlated with some ascribed characteristics such as intelligence and socioeconomic success.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Strenze|first=Tarmo|date=2007-09-01|title=Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal research|journal=Intelligence|volume=35|issue=5|pages=401–426|doi=10.1016/j.intell.2006.09.004}}</ref> For example, "the power to command...may be much more likely to be bred in upper class families" to the extent that "the power to command" is viewed as a measure of merit. Promotion decisions favoring high merit would not be entirely distinguishable from making promotion decisions favoring high class thus, it can be difficult, to tell whether a particular promotion decision has been made for just or unjust reasons.
* It is possible to, "irrelevantly acquire discriminatory characteristics", or even do so intentionally. For example, by converting to a new religion or getting married. 
* It is reasonable to view even some ascribed characteristics as factors that should affect employee compensation. In Hitachi, for example, pay is positively correlated both with performance and with age. The latter is an ascribed characteristic, but Dore suggests that it is a perfectly reasonable consideration, especially since expenses such as childcare, tend to increase over the duration of employment at Hitachi.

Dore also points out that what counts as an ascribed characteristic can vary depending on context. In evaluating the fairness of hiring standards, he viewed an applicant's success in the educational system as a good approximation of achievement. Thus, he noted that hiring decisions at Hitachi, during the time of his study, were "regulated by very strict qualification standards" and not very significantly influenced by ascribed characteristics. When he turned to evaluate opportunities for advancement within the firm, however, Dore noted that "educational qualifications...limit the range of posts which one can achieve", meaning even if one's level of achievement increases, one may still be kept down by a relative lack of achievement in the educational system. Therefore, in investigating opportunities for promotions, educational achievement "the two become another form of ascribed characteristic."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hearn|first=James C.|title=Attendance at higher-cost colleges: Ascribed, socioeconomic, and academic influences on student enrollment patterns|journal=Economics of Education Review|language=en|volume=7|issue=1|pages=65–76|doi=10.1016/0272-7757(88)90072-6|year=1988}}</ref> These additional forms of ascribed characteristics expand on the definition of an ascribed characteristic allowing for it to have more applications.