Aiming for Diversity: The Positive Example Set by the Website of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
INTRODUCTION
Background
Veterans are held in high regard in America
The changing ideology towards multiculturalism, gender equality and disability rights creates the need for diverse institutions.
Thesis statement: The website of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs sets a positive example for other institutions in what the promotion of diversity is concerned, thus trying to erase the negative image of the military as a racist and sexist institution.
BODY
Accessibility of diversity-related material
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (DOI) page can be accessed from the careers page of the website, under the topic “diversity” http://www.diversity.va.gov/about/default.aspx
Equal Employment
The DOI Policy establishes the rights of the employees to be protected from discrimination, workplace harassment and bullying, according to legislation.
Affirmative action: no visible affirmative action policies were present.
Valuing Diversity: The “careers” page includes a diversity topic which states the organization’s commitment to diversity.
Primary dimensions:
The pages of the Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and the Center for Women Veterans (CWV) inform the veterans regarding their benefits and the programs dedicated to them.
The DOI policy statement includes the protection of employers with disabilities through reasonable accommodation.
Sexual minorities cannot find information regarding issues concerning them easily.
Secondary dimensions: The DOI policy statement includes protection for employers of different religious backgrounds and languages through reasonable accommodation.
Usefulness of the diversity information
Potential employees: This organization seems dedicated to ensuring diversity in the workplace, which is noticeable in the variety of information on the DOI page.
Potential customers: Minority veterans can find issues that might concern them. In particular, the information seems useful for disabled and minority veterans.
Relationship to values and mission:
Sexual minority veterans may find information less useful, as it is scarce.
The Veterans Affairs seems to have integrated the rights of sexual minorities less effectively in their diversity policy (Titus 2014).
Timeliness of information: The information seems fresh and recently updated
Appropriateness of the photographs and graphic material
Primary dimensions:
Potential employees: The DOI website includes a photo of racially different individuals of both sexes. They seem to be racially diverse employees.
Potential customers: The page of the Center for Minority Veterans and the Center for Female Veterans include slideshow of different pictures representative for each category.
Secondary dimensions: No picture or graphic which indicates these categories.
Relationship to text: There is no relationship of these pictures to the text
Reuse of graphics: Graphics are not reused on multiple pages
Perspectives
Potential employee: As in most workplaces today, the LGBT community continues to be discriminated (Hunt
Potential customer:
Very little information dedicated to LGBT veterans
This is consistent with Carbado’s (1999) opinion that discrimination in the military has stopped being directed towards racial minorities, but is now directed towards sexual minorities.
Internal management issues: The organization seems to have a defensive attitude towards diversity, not a developmental approach (Day 2007). This means that it tries to respect the legislation as much as possible without viewing those differences as beneficial for the development of the organization (Day 2007).
Conclusions
I was impressed by the diversity content and I would be encouraged to apply because the website is dedicated to promoting diversity, through pages dedicated to the issue, such as the page of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the page for the Center for Minority Veterans, and the page for the Center for Women Veterans.
The website almost ignores the sexual minority groups, which seems to be a serious problem of the institution, in general.
The website proves a defensive attitude towards diversity, which may be a result of its historical racist and sexist identity, but it must develop a developmental attitude.
As a potential employee, I would be encouraged by the diversity of information and I would apply.
There is room for improvement, but this is an website oriented towards diversity.
References
Day, R. (2007). Developing the multi-cultural organisation: managing diversity or understanding differences? Industrial and Commercial Training, 39(4): 214 - 217
Carbado, D. (1999). Black men on race, gender, and sexuality: a critical reader. New York: New York University Press.
Hunt, G. (2012).Are we equal yet? Making sense of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in the workplace. In Harvey, C. P. & Allard, M. J. (eds), Understanding and managing diversity (6th ed.) (152-162). Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson
Titus, D. (2014). Titus blasts VA for discrimination against LGBT veterans. Retrieved from: https://titus.house.gov/news/floor-statements/titus-blasts-va-for-discrimination-against-lgbt-veterans
