Marc Bendick Jr. Explained

Marc Bendick, Jr. is a United States economist and interdisciplinary social scientist who conducts and applies research concerning public policy issues of employment, discrimination, poverty, and social and economic inequality.

Background

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut on August 20, 1946, Bendick graduated as a Regents' Scholar from the University of California, Berkeley in 1968, where he studied economics and social psychology. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975, where he was affiliated with the Institute for Research on Poverty.[1] His work also reflects the systems analysis approach developed in the U.S. Defense Department under Robert S. McNamara,[2] to which he was exposed as an operations research analyst in the aerospace industry from 1968-1970.[3] His thinking has been further influenced by long-time collaboration with Mary Lou Egan, Ph.D., a business school professor, researcher and consultant on business strategy, international business, and economic development.

From 1975 to 1984, Bendick was a senior researcher and program manager at the non-profit Urban Institute.[4] From 1964 to 2023, he was a co-principal in Bendick and Egan Economic Consultants, Inc.[5]

Research and Its Impact

Bendick's more than 140 research publications have been cited in other scholarly work, both in the USA and internationally, more than 5,000 times.[6] Focusing on "mid-level theory," in which empirical findings are integrated with (and often motivate) academic theory,[7] this work is as frequently included in university syllabi in applied fields such as public policy, business, law, social work, education, and business management, as in more academic fields such as economics, sociology, and psychology. As such, it has contributed to the growing movement for evidence-based policy in multiple social policy fields.

The majority of these publications concern improvement in employment opportunities for workers traditionally disfavored in the mainstream American labor market. This work often involves developing innovative quantitative measures of employment discrimination, including: applying situation testing (also called discrimination audit studies) to hiring;[8] benchmarking firms' employment patterns against those of peer firms;[9] distinguishing voluntary and involuntary occupational segregation;[10] quantifying wage discrimination;[11] and identifying conscious and unconscious bias in employers’ organizational culture.[12]

This documentation of the continuing prevalence of employment discrimination in the American workplace in the 21st Century has been frequently cited as a factual predicate for research by others, including on emerging topics such as bias in algorithmic- and artificial intelligence-based screening of job applications.[13] Equally, it has been widely cited by news media and policy advocates in debates on anti-discrimination strategies including government-mandated affirmative action[14] and employers' initiatives to promote workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion.[15] Because it linked organizational policies and practices and individual psychological processes directly to biased workplace outcomes, this research illuminating topics that economic analyses of discrimination had traditionally left an unexamined "black box"[16] and contributed to the emerging sub-discipline of behavioral economics. In evaluating anti-poverty strategies in the United States, Bendick’s research has emphasized the complementarities, rather than the substitutability, between public programs and private market-based alternatives. It thus defined common ground between policies advocated by political liberals (e.g., the War on Poverty) and private market-based alternatives championed by political conservatives (e.g., the Reagan Administration in the USA in the 1980s and the Tea Party Movement in the USA in the early 21st Century).[17] This research typically identified best practices to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of both approaches.[18]

A related theme also sought common ground between liberal and conservative approaches. It identified opportunities to implement liberal proposals for expanding government's role in forms more acceptable to proponents of limited government. These approaches included providing income assistance to low-income families in "in-kind" form rather than cash;[19] contracting out government operations;[20] pairing income assistance to low income families with strong work requirements;[21] and releasing government data to support private legal enforcement ("information regulation").[22] Reflecting this non-ideological mind set, Bendick has often helped to achieve consensus in government and non-profit advisory bodies.[23]

Other research by Bendick has examined the experience of other industrialized nations to identify lessons relevant to United States.[24] This work promoted attention to these perspectives when it was less common in U.S. public policy analysis.

Applying Research

Bendick has served as an expert witness in several dozen large class action lawsuits involving race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation/gender identity discrimination in employment.[25] His litigation analyses have been cited in opinions by 44 Federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court, and in 109 law review articles or legal treatises.[26] He has also been a consultant to major U.S. employers on best practices for increasing the diversity of their workforces and the inclusiveness of their workplaces.[27]

Bendick's research has been recognized by awards from the Human Resource Planning Society, National Tax Association, and Women in International Trade. In 2022, he received the Impact for Equality Award of the Equal Rights Center, Washington DC.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.irp.wisc.edu; M. Bendick, Jr., "Designing Circuit-Breaker Property Tax Relief," National Tax Journal 27 (March 1974), pp. 19-28.
  2. E.S. Quade & W. I Boucher (eds.), Systems Analysis and Policy Planning, Applications in Defense (New York: Elsevier, 1968)
  3. Book: Bendick, Jr.. M.. Linear Programming Tools for Aircraft Systems Analysis. 1970. McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Long Beach, CA.
  4. Web site: Home . urban.org..
  5. Web site: Home . bendickegan.com.
  6. Online search with Google Scholar, academia.edu, and other search engines, February 2024.
  7. R.K. Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (New York: Free Press, 1968).
  8. F. Cherry & M. Bendick, Jr., "Making It Count: Discrimination Auditing and the Activist Scholar Tradition," in S.M. Gaddis (ed), Audit Studies: Behind the Scene with Theory, Methods, and Nuance (Springer, 2018); M. Bendick, Jr. & Elias Cohn, "Race Discrimination and Segregation in Manufacturing Jobs: Evidence from Matched Pair Testing of Staffing Agencies" Social Science Journal (2021); M. Bendick, Jr., R. Rodriguez, & S. Jayaraman, "Employment Discrimination in Upscale Restaurants: Evidence from Paired Comparison Testing," Social Science Journal 47 (2010), pp. 802-818; M. Bendick, Jr., & A. Nunes, "Developing the Research Base for Controlling Bias in Hiring," Journal of Social Issues 68 (2012), pp. 238-263; M. Bendick, Jr., "Adding Testing to the Nation's Portfolio of Information on Employment Discrimination," in M. Fix & M. Turner (eds.), A National Report Card on Discrimination in America: The Role of Testing (Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press, 1999), pp. 47-68.
  9. M. Bendick, Jr., "Setting Industry-Level Priorities for EEOC Enforcement," Testimony, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Hearings on the Strategic Enforcement Plan (2012); A. Blumrosen, M. Bendick Jr., et al, Employment Discrimination Against Women and Minorities in Georgia (Rutgers Law School, 1999); M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, Research Perspectives on Race and Employment in the Advertising Industry (Washington: The Madison Avenue Project and the NAACP, 2009); M. Bendick, Jr., "Using EEO-1 Data to Analyze Allegations of Employment Discrimination" (Presentation, Annual National Meeting of the American Bar Association, 2000).
  10. A. Hegewisch, M. Bendick, Jr., B. Gault & H. Hartmann, Pathways to Equity, Narrowing the Wage Gap by Improving Women’s Access to Good Middle-Skill Jobs (Washington: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2016); M. Bendick, Jr. et al., The Availability of Women, Racial Minorities, and Hispanics for On-Site Construction Employment (Washington: U.S. Department of Labor, 2011)
  11. National Research Council, Collecting Compensation Data from Employers (Washington: National Academies Press, 2012); M. L. Egan, M. Bendick, Jr., & J. Miller, "U.S. Firms’ Evaluation of Employee Qualifications in International Business Careers," International Journal of Human Resource Management 13 (February 2002), pp. 76-88.
  12. M.L. Egan & M. Bendick, Jr., "Are You Ready to Recruit?" Employee Relations Today (July 2018); The Great Service Divide: Occupational Segregation and Inequality in the New York City Restaurant Industry (New York: Restaurant Opportunity Center, 2009); M. Bendick, Jr., "A Fair Shake," Fire Chief (April 2008), pp. 36-40; M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Manage Employer Inclusion, Not Workforce Diversity!" Presentation, Society for Human Resource Management Annual Diversity Conference, October 2008; M. L. Egan, M. Bendick, Jr., & J. Miller, Enhancing Inclusion at the World Bank Group (Washington: World Bank Group, 2003); M. Bendick, Jr., M. L. Egan, & S. Lofhjelm, "Diversity Training: From Anti-Discrimination Compliance to Organization Development," Human Resource Planning 24 (2, 2001), pp.10-25; M. Bendick, Jr., "Changing Workplace Cultures to Reduce Employment Discrimination," Presentation, Conference on Low Wage Workers in the New Economy, Washington, May 2000; P. Robertson, A. Blumrosen, & M. Bendick, Jr., State of Michigan Equal Opportunity Review (Lansing, MI: Civil Service Commission of the State of Michigan, 1996).
  13. For example, A. Gonzalez & L. Rampino, "A Design Perspective on How to Tackle Gender Biases When Developing AI-Driven Systems, "AI and Ethics 2 (2024); M. Raghavan et al., "Mitigating Bias in Algortihmic Hiring: Evaluating Claims and Practices," Proceedings of Association of Computing Machinery 2020 Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency.
  14. For example, J. Wicks-Lim, Wal-Mart Makes the Case for Affirmative Action," Dollars and Sense (September/October 2011); T. Vesco et al., "Racism, Causal Explanations, and Affirmative Action," Political Psychology: New Explorations (Taylor and Francis, 2017).
  15. R. Hays-Thomas, Managing Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Routledge, 2022); M. Bell & J. Leopold, Diversity in Organization (Cengage, 2022).
  16. A. Andersson & B. Andersson, "Inside and Outside the Black Box: Organizational Interdepedencies," Journal of Regional Science (November 2018)
  17. M. Bendick, Jr., "Linking Learning and Earning," Economic Development Quarterly 10 (August 1996), pp. 217-223; M. Bendick, Jr. & M.L. Egan, "Employee Ownership and Participation Enhance Economic Development in Low-Income Communities," Journal of Community Practice 2 (Winter 1995), pp. 61-85; M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Linking Business Development and Community Development in Inner Cities," Journal of Planning Literature 8 (August 1993), pp. 3-19; M. Bendick, Jr., & D. Rasmussen, "Enterprise Zones and Inner City Economic Revitalization." in Reagan and the Cities (Urban Institute Press, 1986), pp. 97-130; M. Bendick, Jr., "Private Sector Initiatives or Public Private Partnerships?" in L. Salomon & M. Lund (eds.), The Reagan Presidency and the Governing of America (Washington: Urban Institute Press, 1985), pp. 455-479; M. Bendick, Jr., "The Role of Public Programs and Private Markets in Reemploying Displaced Workers," Policy Studies Review 2 (May 1983), pp. 715-733; M. Bendick, Jr., "Employment, Training, and Economic Development," in The Reagan Experiment (Washington: Urban Institute Press, 1982), pp. 247-269.
  18. M. Bendick, Jr., "Quality Control in a Federal-State Public Assistance Program," Administration in Social Work (Spring 1980); M. Bendick, Jr. et al, Toward Efficiency and Effectiveness in the WIC Delivery System (Urban Institute, 1976); M. Bendick, Jr., "Vouchers vs. Income vs. Services: An American Experiment in Housing Policy," Journal of Social Policy (July 1982); M. Bendick, Jr., "Designing an Effective Program for Dislocated Workers," Testimony, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, April 30, 1992; M. Bendick, Jr. "The Croson Decision Mandates that Set aside Programs be Tools of Business Development," George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal 1 (Spring 1990), pp. 87-104; M. Bendick, Jr., "Cost-Effective Actions for Reducing AFDC Eligibility and Payment Errors," Testimony, Committee on Government Operations, U.S. House of Representatives, October 1977; M. Bendick, Jr., "Research Evidence on the Cost-Effectiveness of the Job Corps," Testimony, Committee on Government Operations, U.S. House of Representatives, May 23, 1985; M. Bendick, Jr., "Matching Workers and Job Opportunities: What Role for the Federal-State Employment Service?" in D. Bawden and F. Skidmore (eds.), Rethinking Employment Policy (Washington: Urban Institute Press, 1989).
  19. R. J. Struyk and M. Bendick, Jr. (eds.), Housing Vouchers for the Poor: Lessons from a National Experiment (Washington: Urban Institute Press, 1981); M. Bendick, Jr., "WIC and the Paradox of In-Kind Transfers," Public Finance Quarterly 6 (July 1978), pp. 359-367.
  20. M. Bendick, Jr., "Privatizing the Delivery of Social Welfare Services: An Idea to be Taken Seriously." in S. Kamerman and A. Kahn (eds.), Privatization and the Welfare State (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989), pp. 97-120. Rebuilding Inner-City Communities: A New Approach to the Nation's Urban Crisis (Washington: Committee for Economic Development, 1995);M. Bendick, Jr., "Privatization of Public Services: Recent Experience," in H. Brooks (ed.), Public-Private Partnerships (Ballinger, 1984).
  21. Welfare Reform and Beyond: Making Work Work (Washington: Committee for; Economic Development, 2000)
  22. M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Using Information Regulation to Enhance Workplace Diversity, Inclusion and Fairness." Argumenta Oeconomica Cracoviensia 10 (2015), pp. 59-77.
  23. National Research Council, Collecting Compensation Data from Employers (Washington: National Academies Press, 2012)
  24. M. L. Egan, M. Bendick, Jr., et al., "France’s Mandatory ‘Triple Bottom Line’ Reporting: Promoting Sustainable Development through Informational Regulation," International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability 7 (5, 2009), pp. 27-47; M. L. Egan & M. Bendick, Jr., "Workforce Diversity Initiatives of US Multinational Corporations in Europe," Thunderbird International Business Review 45 (November–December 2003), pp. 701-727; M. L. Egan & M. Bendick, Jr., "Combining Multicultural Management and Diversity into One Course on Cultural Competence," Academy of Management Learning and Education 7 (September 2008), pp. 387-393; M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Transfer Payment Diversion for Small Business Development: British and French Experience," Industrial and Labor Relations Review 40 (July 1987), pp. 528-542; M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Promoting Employer-Provided Worker Reskilling: Lesson from a Tax Credit System in France." Testimony, Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, October 29, 1987; M. Bendick, Jr. & M. L. Egan, "Dislocated Workers and Midcareer Retraining in Other Industrial Nations," in Kevin Hollenbeck et al. (eds.) Displaced Workers: Implications for Education and Training Institutions (Columbus, Ohio: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, 1984), pp. 189-208.
  25. L. Featherstone, Selling Women Short, The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart (New York: Basic Books, 2004), pp. 98-103; J. Adamson, The Denny’s Story, How A Company in Crisis Resurrected Its Good Name (New York: John Wiley, 2000); S. Watkins, The Black O, Racism and Redemption in an American Corporate Empire (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1997; R. Boggs, J. Sellers, and M. Bendick, Jr., "Use of Testing in Civil Rights Enforcement," in M. Fix and R. Struyk (eds), Clear and Convincing Evidence: Measurement of Discrimination in America (Urban Institute Press, 1993.
  26. Online search using Westlaw (ThomsonReuters.com), February 2023.
  27. M. L. Egan & M. Bendick, Jr. "Increasing Minority Employment: Are You Ready to Recruit?" Employee Relations Today (2018), pp. 1-5; M. Bendick, Jr., & R. Hayes-Thomas, "Professionalizing Diversity & Inclusion Practices: Should Voluntary Standards be the Chicken or the Egg?" Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice (2013); M. Bendick, Jr., M. L. Egan, & L. Lanier, "The Business Case for Diversity and the Perverse Practice of Matching Employees to Customers," Personnel Review 39 (4, 2010), pp. 468-486; M. Bendick, Jr., et al., "Enhancing Women’s Inclusion in Firefighting in the USA," International Journal of Diversity in Communities, Organisations, and Nations 8 (2008), pp. 189-208; Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession, Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms (Chicago: American Bar Association, 2006); M.L. Egan & M. Bendick, Jr., "Combining Multicultural Management and Diversity into One Course on Cultural Competence," Academy of Management Learning and Education (September 2008). M. Bendick, Jr., & M.L. Egan, Research Perspectives on Race and Employment in Advertising (Madison Avenue Project and NAACP, 2009)

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