New US President Donald Trump has already dismissed 1000 staff from the White House. Photo: stock
US President Donald Trump’s decision to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices may be felt in Australia, some academics say.
Trump recently ordered the closure of all DEI government offices and staff be put on paid leave in what is seen as a precursor to their dismissal and he wants government agencies to help end private sector DEI programs.
Trump has already ordered the dismissal of 1000 employees from the White House.
Associate Professor Nathan Eva of Monash University’s business school worries about the global repercussions of his move.
More: Click here to read Trump’s executive order in full
“President Trump’s executive orders set a cultural precedent that I worry will filter through organisations worldwide,” he says.
“Rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, removing work-from-home flexibility, changing the names of landmarks to be (White)-America-centric, ending the push for clean energy, and removing any employees who do not agree with his agenda are just the start of a me-first agenda, that could see Australian leaders and Australian business follow suit.”
Trump signed an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in domestic government circles and he cleared the way for oil drilling in Alaska.
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“We have already seen how CEOs are pandering to President Trump, rather than standing up to him, and changing their policies to align with his outdated views,” Eva says.
US businesses have been quick to drop all DEI practices, starting even before Trump took office.
“I worry that the progress we have made to make Australia a fairer and equitable society will decline if a series of copy-cat-leaders emerge, putting their own needs above what is best for the community,” Eva says.
“This might mean that while a few leaders might benefit short-term from an authoritarian leadership style, there will be well-being impacts on employees, medium-term performance impacts on organisations, and long-term equity impacts on the community.”
Dr. Mariano Heyden also works at the Monash Business School.
“We are experiencing a radical polarisation in the political environment, which has already seeped its way into the Australian social narrative,” he says.
“Australian business leaders cannot stand by idly. There will be pressure for them to speak up to help their workforce make sense of a complex environment.
“Polarising political environments will reveal the true core values of our (business) leaders.”
