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Moving Towards Fairness and Diversity? An Analysis of Perceptions from Employees Working in the United States Department of the Interior

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Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
This dissertation examines how different United States Department of the Interior (USDOI) employees’ perceive fairness and support for diversity. The USDOI is an agency with numerous STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) employees who have the opportunity to influence future generations through their STEM internship. Specifically, this dissertation examines the relationship between: (1) the perceived fairness of performance appraisals and the empowerment index, demographic characteristics, satisfaction, accountability and recognition; and (2) the perceived support (or lack thereof) of departmental programs and supervisors to foster diversity in the workforce and the empowerment index and demographic characteristics. This dissertation accomplishes several things. First, it provides a review of literature relating to gender diversity. Second, it provides a brief history of organizations that were created and acts/executive orders that were passed in order to support women in their fight against gender discrimination. Fourth, it provides a review of the USDOI’s recruitment, promotion, and employment policies. Finally, it presents an analysis of how USDOI employees’ perceptions of diversity differ by gender. This inquiry utilizes a theoretical framework based on Thomas and Ely’s (1996) and Selden and Selden’s (2001) four diversity paradigms; “discrimination and fairness,” “access and legitimacy,” “learning and effectiveness,” and “valuing and integrating.” These paradigms suggest that the true benefits of diversity can only be realized in the valuing and integrating paradigm where employees’ individual differences are used for the betterment of the organization. It is found that women tend not to perceive that their organization supports diversity. It is also found that the empowerment index, federal tenure, pay category, satisfaction, accountability and recognition are important in explaining employees’ perceptions of fairness and that the empowerment index, federal tenure, supervisory status, gender, and minority status are important in explaining employees’ perceptions of support for diversity.
Title: Moving Towards Fairness and Diversity? An Analysis of Perceptions from Employees Working in the United States Department of the Interior.
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Name(s): Beals, Stacey Lisbeth, author
Sapat, Alka K., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
College for Design and Social Inquiry
School of Public Administration
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 155 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This dissertation examines how different United States Department of the Interior (USDOI) employees’ perceive fairness and support for diversity. The USDOI is an agency with numerous STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) employees who have the opportunity to influence future generations through their STEM internship. Specifically, this dissertation examines the relationship between: (1) the perceived fairness of performance appraisals and the empowerment index, demographic characteristics, satisfaction, accountability and recognition; and (2) the perceived support (or lack thereof) of departmental programs and supervisors to foster diversity in the workforce and the empowerment index and demographic characteristics. This dissertation accomplishes several things. First, it provides a review of literature relating to gender diversity. Second, it provides a brief history of organizations that were created and acts/executive orders that were passed in order to support women in their fight against gender discrimination. Fourth, it provides a review of the USDOI’s recruitment, promotion, and employment policies. Finally, it presents an analysis of how USDOI employees’ perceptions of diversity differ by gender. This inquiry utilizes a theoretical framework based on Thomas and Ely’s (1996) and Selden and Selden’s (2001) four diversity paradigms; “discrimination and fairness,” “access and legitimacy,” “learning and effectiveness,” and “valuing and integrating.” These paradigms suggest that the true benefits of diversity can only be realized in the valuing and integrating paradigm where employees’ individual differences are used for the betterment of the organization. It is found that women tend not to perceive that their organization supports diversity. It is also found that the empowerment index, federal tenure, pay category, satisfaction, accountability and recognition are important in explaining employees’ perceptions of fairness and that the empowerment index, federal tenure, supervisory status, gender, and minority status are important in explaining employees’ perceptions of support for diversity.
Identifier: FA00004754 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Employee motivation.
Personnel management.
Diversity in the workplace.
Organizational justice.
Organizational behavior--Social aspects.
Corporate culture.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004754
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004754
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.