Quotas: Path To Mediocrity?

I hate the word 'quota' being used anywhere outside the business realm.

As in a quota to produce widgets.

Using it to achieve 'balance' in the work place is misguided.

It screams giving jobs to people who are in reality unqualified thus potentially creating a mediocre work environment.

How? Let's say a government mandated law exerts companies to hire, say, 10 women. What happens if the talent pool is simply not there? The company is faced with a dilemma. Either they face a fine (let's assume) or they 'fill in the gaps' by sticking a 'body' in there.

Now. Let's further assume they go with the latter. Will this not lead to a poisoned work atmosphere? I've seen too many times fools get promoted and lemme tell ya, it's deflating to people. Sorta like when a goalie let's a soft goal in hockey.

For the idealists, it's mission accomplished. No kidding. They don't have to face the results. They don't stick around to actually see this put in practice. They light the fire and move on.

Then when it's tried to be pointed out the faulty logic, the usual cries of 'extremism' could possibly follow.

The idea of quota is only functional and practical if there's in fact biases built-in preventing, for example a woman, from getting a deserved job. I don't know to what extent this happens but if you want to change a corporate culture do it the old-fashioned way: Become a stock holder and start from within. Asking the government to intervene begs for all sorts of unintended consequences to happen.

That's one side of it and just my impression. I reckon there's a counter-point.