1)Read the hypothetical below and prepare a memorandum (memo) in response
To addressing the issues presented.
2)The memo must not exceed four (4) pages, single-spaced.
3)reflect on, and incorporate relevant topics like: a. Dimensions of Diversity: Social Identity & Intersectionality; b. Unearned Privilege; c. Psychological Processes: Unconscious Bias, Stereotypes, Prejudices; d. Workplace Discrimination; e. Inclusion & Belonging; f. Organizational Culture and Managing Diversity; and g. Race, Gender/Gender Identity, LGBTQ+, Ability, Age, Religion, Culture.
PROMPT: You were recently hired as the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at a publicly traded social media company, Spectrum, a popular professional networking platform aimed mainly at the Millennial and Generation X generations, respectively. Spectrum is headquartered in Washington, D.C., has 10,000 employees all located in the United States, and earns approximately $50M in total annual revenue. Spectrum is also considered a federal contractor (Affirmative Action), and thus is required take affirmative steps to develop programs, policies, and procedures for proactively recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans to ensure that all individuals have equal opportunities in employment. Within your first month on the job, you launch a Diversity & Inclusion Organizational Assessment (the “Assessment”). The Assessment is aimed at collecting and reviewing data across Spectrum, such as workplace policies/procedures and trainings, and evaluating employees’ [anonymous] experiences and perception on a variety of diversity & inclusion-related topics. The outcome of the Assessment is a critical component to help build out a long-term strategy (which you were hired to do). The employee-input portion of the Assessment allows for employees to share information in open-ended survey fields (“Information Collected from Open-Ended Survey Questions”). Upon reviewing this data, along with other data already collected before your 2 arrival (“Information Already Collected”), you are faced with the reality that there are many gaps and opportunities that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
After reviewing all the data below available to you, draft a memo to Spectrum’s CEO, Nancy Zuckerberg, 1) defining the issues presented and 2) providing observations and recommendations to address the issues moving forward.
Information Already Collected
- A. Of Spectrum’s 10,000 employees:
70% identify as White…. 4,500 Male, 2,500 Female
15% identify as Asian… 900 Male, 600 Female
7% identify as Black/African American … 200 Male, 500 Female
5% identify asHispanic/Latino(a) …400 Male, 100 Female
2% identify as “More than one Race”…. 70 Male, 130 Female
1% identify as “Other” … 25 Male, 75 Female
- B. Only information for the race and gender categories described above are
collected by Spectrum (i.e., Spectrum does not broaden its terms for these
categories, and data on other categories, such as disability, sexual orientation,
etc. are not collected).
- C. There are no formal diversity & inclusion-related trainings that employees must
take upon joining Spectrum, or at any other point of their employment.
- D. While Spectrum’s target market is “young professionals” in the Millennial and
Generation X generations, the company has employees spanning across several
generations. However, very few leaders have experience managing across
different generations in the workplace.
- E. The Law Department made you aware of:
- Three (3) pending Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Charges of Discrimination by current/former employees over the age of
40;
- Two (2) EEOC Charges of Discrimination by current/former employees
alleging they were terminated due to their respective disabilities.
iii. Two (2) EEOC Charges of Discrimination by current/former employees
alleging race discrimination (1 Hispanic and 1 Black).
- F. While there are a decent number of women in mid-management levels at
Spectrum, the numbers drop sharply as the roles become more senior level.
