Workplace Diversity:

Journal #2

Temming, M. (2021, April 14). STEM’s racial, ethnic and gender gaps are still strikingly
large. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/science-technology-
math-race-ethnicity-gender-diversity-gap

Part 1, Summary
In her article; “STEM’s Racial, Ethnic and Gender Gaps are still Strikingly Large,” Maria
Temming discusses the vast chasm in the fields of science, technology, engineering
and math as it applies to minorities and women. In recent years as a response to the
uneven representation of these classes, social justice organizations and online groups
are becoming vocal opponents of what are described as systemic discrimination against
Black students and professionals wishing to pursue career paths related to these
disciplines. One such group, Strike for Black Lives, has decried the research industry as
being blatantly racist in its hiring practices. The article cites the latest Pew Research
data that indicates Blacks make up 9% of U.S. STEM workers while Latinos comprised
only 8% which, in contrast to their population segment of 17% is obviously skewed. The
Black ratio is off by 2% as compared to the overall workforce with the Hispanic group
falling off by 9%, significant gaps. The dominant groups in the industry remain white and
Asian professionals with approximately 50% being women however, this statistic is not
representative of all fields as the healthcare sector is heavily weighted by female
employees (74%) in contrast to the meager 15% in engineering fields. One important
point made by the author is that while women are well represented, they suffer pay
gaps, earning only 74% of what the male in the same position earns; this is down by 6%
in comparison to overall labor statistics in the U.S. Ethnic and racial pay disparities are
prevalent as well with Black men earning 78% of whites and Hispanic men hovering at
83%. Oddly enough, these pay gaps have grown several points in the last 2 years while
Asian’s pay has increased to 127% of comparable white workers. The minority women
fare far worse in pay gap with Black and Hispanic women earning only 63% of their
white male contemporaries! Temming goes on to detail the underlying causations of the
employment gap among minority hires by citing education and advanced degree
numbers that mirror the STEM disparity. Minority groups are less likely to pursue
academics in STEM with a 3% roll off for Blacks and 9% for Hispanics. The author
points out that mitigating factors in these dismal numbers could be lack of role model
professors, lack of enthusiastic career counseling and overall impression that the STEM
career paths are designed for white and Asians. As a result, the outlook does not
appear to include any changes in the minority participation in STEM.
Part 2: Topic Analysis
This topic strikes at the heart of workplace divert and inclusivity. The numbers clearly
show that those pursuing the STEM curriculum mirror the ratio of participants in the
workplace therefore, static growth models will suppress any minority growth in the
sector. White women are heavily weighted throughout the sector and, with the tendency
to horizontally segregate, the white women are in their comfort zone albeit at a
substantial pay deficit than their male peers. The article does not discuss details of
women in leadership roles throughout the STEM sectors however, I would imagine that
the vertical integration and imbalanced male dominance that prevails in business
leadership positions would be mirrored here too. These issues and others covered in
Section 3: Understanding Primary Diversity are all encompassed in this article and its
issues. Pay gaps, ethnic and racial gaps in employment and the inequalities in the
educational system appear good fits but must be considered on an ethnicity/racial
model as opposed to the chapters gender disparity. The paradox of male privilege can
also be considered in this case as we see the significant pay gap between the genders
as this article reveals.
Part 3: Personal Reflection
Culture and society have changed drastically in the years since the 1967 Civil Rights
Act went into effect however, the dark underbelly of discrimination and bias still exists.
The case in point, diversity, inclusivity and the perceived equality that should exist in
first world nations is no guarantee that inequalities will not foment. In a perfect business
model, all that are qualified regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference,
sexual identity or religion should be viewed as anything less than capable and
employable. Human capital and the strategies that support the model offer an
organization a significant amount of opportunity as the diverse viewpoints, experiences
and opinions can lead to innovation, cost savings, higher margins, productivity and
greater profitability while looking towards long term growth. By recognizing the innate
value of a diverse workforce and the competitive advantages that it can manifest, offers
leaders another powerful tool at their disposal. The Pitney Bowes case study, “A legacy
on Diversity Management” strikes all of these cords and aligns perfectly with what an
organization, regardless of size, should seek to achieve. Not only has their workforce
enabled them strong sector growth and dominance for over a century, the simple math
behind employee retention and satisfaction will show the long-term savings as well as
higher productivity, both directly effecting the bottom line. Good, happy employees not
only save you money by reduced turnover but also work harder for you. CEO Walter
Wheeler and his formative years spent at the Worcester Academy under the watchful
eye of headmaster Abercrombie who, instilled the virtues of equality and diversity in
him, only to later live by these precepts. The company flourished as he implemented
realistic and balanced hiring practices founded on the demographics of the region. He
was a visionary, a man well ahead of his time when discrimination wasn’t only common,
it was legal. Color of a person’s skin dictated if they were qualified in many fields but
here you had a pioneer that wanted a homogenous blend of his city’s residents under
his factory’s roof. Fast forward to CEO Michael Critelli who, refers to the company’s
diversity as “a competitive imperative that helps drive innovation, deliver customer
value, reach new markets and serve businesses of all sizes…” The various STEM
opportunities and career paths would certainly benefit from this homogenous blend of
diverse professionals from all walks of life. Educational initiatives, better minority
support in advanced curriculum and strong diversity recruitment policies could balance
the discrepancies seen now in the industry.