Ditching DEI initiatives will curry favour in the Oval Office. It will also alienate the workforces bosses rely onThe mask has slipped and the gloves are off. A company which in 2022 boasted that it had exceeded its target, “spending $1.26 billion with US certified diverse suppliers”, is now ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.That company is Meta (formerly known as Facebook), whose chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced DEI dismantling shortly before he had a prominent seat at Donald Trump’s recent inauguration. Perhaps from that privileged spot he was able to imbibe some of the “masculine energy” he says he wants to see at work.Stefan Stern is co-author of Myths of Management and the former director of the High Pay Centre. His latest book is Fair or Foul: the Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition Continue reading...
The article by Stefan Stern in The Guardian critiques CEOs who have abandoned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in support of Donald Trump's policies. Companies like Meta, Amazon, and Google are among those removing or downplaying DEI commitments, influenced partly by legal concerns, such as Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's stance against "illegal DEI." While some companies like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase maintain diversity commitments, the shift is seen as alienating employees and reflecting a broader societal disconnect between corporate elites and the public, contributing to populism. The author warns that prioritizing political alignment over workforce values risks long-term consequences.
