American companies are cutting or eliminating diversity programs one after another. One of the last was the retail chain Walmart. Previously, Harley Davidson, Ford, John Deere and others made a similar decision. However, some only change the name of the programs to reduce reputational risks.
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One of the world’s largest retailers, Walmart, has decided to make a series of changes to its corporate diversity program. Among other things, the company will not prioritize supplier companies that are owned by women, veterans or minorities, will eliminate racial equality training programs and will stop selling some LGBT*-related products.
In the United States, DEI (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion) initiatives began to be implemented back in the 1960s. This approach implies that the organization provides equal conditions to employees who differ from each other in gender, age, ethnicity, legal status. health and other characteristics.
The anti-DEI movement has been gaining popularity in recent years. This, in particular, was facilitated by last year’s decision by the Supreme Court, which prohibited affirmative action in universities, and the result of the presidential elections, in which Donald Trump won.
To date, reductions or abandonments of diving initiatives have already been reported:
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Toyota Motor Corp. (automobile manufacturer),
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Molson Coors (brewing company)
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Ford Motor Co. (automobile manufacturer),
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John Deere (agricultural equipment manufacturer),
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Lowe’s (owner of the American repair supply chain),
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Harley-Davidson (manufacturer of motorcycles and military products),
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Brown-Forman (maker of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and other beverages),
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Tractor Supply Co (home improvement retail chain).
A December 2023 survey of nearly 200 human resources managers by the nonprofit research organization Conference Board found “unanimous support for the decision to continue, if not strengthen, DEI efforts.” Additionally, “63% are actively seeking to increase workforce diversity.”
However, some companies have decided to change the name of diversity programs to move away from the controversial term and reduce reputational risks, but their essence remains the same, according to the Repositioning DEI Conference Board report.
*The LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia
Author:
Elena Likhanova
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
