Institutionalized Inclusivity, Equity, and Discriminatory Practices: A Case Study of Workforce Perceptions in Fort Myers, FL
Abstract
Southwest Florida (Cape Coral/Fort Myers) is among the fastest growing urban areas in the US due to rapid immigration to the region from other states, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. As the demographic makeup of US communities transforms, the need for public oversight of diversity, equity and inclusiveness in local government has emerged as a vital component of tangible and meaningful change. The Fort Myers Mayor’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (MDEIAC) was convened to improve inclusiveness in City governance through data-driven decision-making. The purpose of this study is to investigate how perceptions of city diversity are shaped by individual experiences with exclusionary workforce practices. Research was conducted with n=343 public and private workforce members in Fort Myers, FL using five structured instruments to measure perceptions of citywide diversity (diversity climate, inclusive practices, discriminatory practices) and personal experience with exclusionary forces (favoritism and discrimination). Results confirm the experience of discrimination is a moderate predictor of citywide measures, though experiences of privileged treatment/favoritism were not significant predictors, possibly indicating these complementary forces of exclusion are not viewed as such by all workforce members. Exploratory analysis further identified background, socioeconomic, racial and ethnic, and religious attributes that potentially shape citywide and personal outcomes. The findings of this study will be used to advance diversity in Southwest Florida by procuring hard data to assist MDEIAC in advising local Fort Myers governance about inclusive and exclusive workforce experiences.
Keywords: diversity, equity, workplace inclusion, cultural relativism, nativism
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