Ensuring employment equity: are federal diversity programs making a difference?
By: Naff, Katherine.
Contributor(s): Kellough, J. Edward.
Material type:
ArticlePublisher: 2003Description: p.1307-336.Subject(s): Human resources development | Civil service
In:
International Journal of Public AdministrationSummary: In the last two decades, many public sector agencies have instituted a wide array of "managing diversity" programs designed to remove barriers to the full participation of women and people of color. Meanwhile, agencies are also increasingly responding to pressure to develop measures to monitor performance of all of their programs. Yet there have been few efforts in place to measure the effectiveness of diversity management programs. This article argues that such an evaluation is essential, and offers a preliminary government wide estimation of the success federal agencies have had in breaking down these barriers. We found, for the most part, that there is little evidence that broad-based diversity programs, nor any of their programatic components, have created a more equitable work environment for women or people of color. We then examine the programs at two federal agencies with significant diversity efforts, in depth, and find again that the results have been mixed. While not meant to be the final word, we suggest that these findings can serve as the basis for generating greater discussion and analysis of these important, but under-evaluated, programs. - Reproduced.
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Articles
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | Volume no: 26, Issue no: 12 | Available | AR58655 |
In the last two decades, many public sector agencies have instituted a wide array of "managing diversity" programs designed to remove barriers to the full participation of women and people of color. Meanwhile, agencies are also increasingly responding to pressure to develop measures to monitor performance of all of their programs. Yet there have been few efforts in place to measure the effectiveness of diversity management programs. This article argues that such an evaluation is essential, and offers a preliminary government wide estimation of the success federal agencies have had in breaking down these barriers. We found, for the most part, that there is little evidence that broad-based diversity programs, nor any of their programatic components, have created a more equitable work environment for women or people of color. We then examine the programs at two federal agencies with significant diversity efforts, in depth, and find again that the results have been mixed. While not meant to be the final word, we suggest that these findings can serve as the basis for generating greater discussion and analysis of these important, but under-evaluated, programs. - Reproduced.
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