Experts weigh in on the impact of removing DEI in the workforce
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are a broad list of programs that are used in, corporate America as well is in, educational, nonprofit sectors. The idea behind a lot of the diversity, equity and inclusion programs are created to bring diversify to the workforce.
On January 22 nd, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end diversity, equity, and inclusion. According to Whitehouse website, "[the executive order] terminates “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) discrimination in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending. Federal hiring, promotions, and performance reviews will reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work and not, under any circumstances, DEI-related factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements."
Dr. Richard Pineda, Political expert and Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at UTEP, says there is no data to support that positions are awarded based on race or other factors.
"I don't think that that's true and I think where there, might be sort of one off outlier examples to say, somebody was put into this position based on just the idea of like what their identity is I think are probably very few and far between," Pineda said.
Zeke Rodriguez, Second Vice Chair of the Dona Ana Republican Party says he believes removing DEI will bring the country closer together.
"DEI focuses on what our differences are, skin color, sexual preference, income. Martin Luther King was always about, you know, judging us for the contents of our character. That's the opposite of that. It's more divisive the way I see it," Rodriguez said.
Retailers such as Target, Walmart and Amazon have all publicly announced their decision to roll back on DEI resulting in backlash from consumers.
Pineda says research shows, especially with millennials they themselves may not necessarily abide by certain kinds of practices, things that are related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or even things like Corporate Social Responsibility, but they like to see the companies that they support following those policies.
Pineda adds having, a multitude of perspectives in these leadership positions gives a company, a better chance to appeal to consumers.
"We're not a world that's getting less diverse. So, again, if you sort of put this together in a logical extension, if you are trying to avoid having diversity in, leadership or in, like the mission structure of a company, but the world around you is incredibly diverse.It doesn't make a lot of sense," Pineda said
