Opinion ID: 501743
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: AIGs

Text: 70 To support the results of the regression analyses, the EEOC statistically analyzed responses to Sears' Applicant Interview Guides (AIGs) that had been used in certain stores in the Denver, Colorado, area in 1978-1980, and in Waco, Texas, in 1980. Siskin analyzed these applicants' ratings, found in the Guides, on a scale of one to five of their own interests and experience with regard to four of forty-five categories chosen by Siskin as closely approximating four product line groups at Sears: appliances, automotive, home building materials, and home improvements. This analysis did not incorporate any of the characteristics used in the other regression analyses, and was completely independent from those analyses. The district court noted that Siskin estimated that the expected proportion of female commission sales hires was higher based on this analysis than it was based on the multivariate regression analysis. 71 The EEOC's main argument is that its AIG analysis supports the regression analyses. It also implies, however, that even considered on its own, the AIG analysis proves Sears' intentional hiring discrimination. We reject both contentions. The district court explicitly stated that he ascribed little weight to the AIG analyses, whether analyzed by the EEOC or Sears, and we agree with this conclusion. The AIGs have a very limited scope, coming from only two stores in Sears' Southwest Territory. In addition, the Guides at one store were administered only in 1978, while in the other they were administered from 1978 to 1980. The Guides simply cannot serve as a basis for proving the EEOC's claim of nationwide discrimination for the years 1973 to 1980. 72 The EEOC nonetheless claims that the AIGs were corroborative of its multicell analyses because after the EEOC adjusted its sales pool using the interest and experience responses on the AIGs, there were statistically significant disparities. The court found that this analysis was tainted because of the flawed sales pool, which we discussed above, and because the adjustments were incomplete, not taking into account age and education or more than just a few product line groupings. While we may not agree that factors such as age were crucial to this analysis, we cannot find that the court's conclusion regarding the value of this evidence, especially considering its limited scope, was clearly erroneous. 73 Furthermore, it is apparent that the district court found Sears' analysis relatively more helpful regarding the separate issue of differences in male and female interest in commission sales. The court found that this evidence, which showed that men were more interested in jobs usually associated with commission sales positions at Sears while women were disproportionately interested in noncommission-type jobs, corroborated Sears' survey evidence regarding differences in male and female interests. Sears' expert Dr. Joan Haworth had analyzed the AIGs by normalizing the scores that applicants gave themselves in interest, skill and experience, considering that some applicants might inflate their scores to increase their chances of being hired. Haworth, like Siskin, chose categories roughly corresponding with Sears' product lines and adjusted the EEOC's expected percentage of women commission sales hires based on normalized responses in the Guides. She also adjusted the expected percentage based on figures indicating that one of every 250 job applicants is selected for commission sales. After these adjustments, disparities were greatly reduced for the period of 1976 to 1980. The EEOC criticizes the validity of Haworth's analysis on several grounds and argues that the district court gave the analysis too much weight, especially in light of the court's criticisms of the EEOC's AIG analysis. We disagree. The court noted various deficiencies in Haworth's analysis, explicitly stated it had not given it substantial weight, and it is clear that the weight the court did accord this evidence was not in the more specific sense of Haworth's product line comparisons, which was the counterpoint to the EEOC's analysis, but rather regarding women's relative lack of interest in commission selling at Sears. Sears II, 628 F.Supp. at 1323-24. We cannot say the district court clearly erred in attributing to this evidence the limited significance that it did.