由 jpichiban Fri, 07 Feb 2025 13:00:01 GMT
美国企业界正上演着一场微妙的平衡。随着特朗普政府将矛头指向多样性、公平性和包容性（DEI）倡议，许多知名企业已公开缩减或取消了在员工及领导层代表性等指标上的项目和目标。另一些企业则坚称将继续支持DEI，这既可能招致政治压力，也可能带来财务机遇。
DEI专业人士向CNBC表示，无论采取哪种策略，都伴随着复杂的利弊权衡：被视为倡导DEI的品牌可能面临法律挑战，但也能从DEI的优势和与其价值观一致的客户忠诚度中获益。公开退缩的品牌或许能避开特朗普总统及其盟友的审查，但在日益两极分化的环境中，却可能激起争议。
专家指出，一些公司因害怕在任一方向上动作过大，可能会在内部继续支持DEI，同时对外保持沉默，以避免成为激进运动的目标。“我要明确一点：DEI并未消亡，而是在演变，”职场咨询公司Auger-Domínguez Ventures的创始人兼首席执行官Daisy Auger-Domínguez表示。
特朗普上任首日便签署行政命令，终止联邦政府所有DEI项目。次日，他又发布另一命令，要求司法部识别并可能起诉“最恶劣和歧视性的DEI实践者”。专家认为，白宫对DEI的敌意加剧了企业面临的挑战，这些企业本就在日益激烈的文化战争中努力驾驭多样性、公平性和包容性的原则。
在特朗普11月胜选前，Lowe’s和福特等公司已开始缩减DEI项目。福特在给CNBC的声明中表示，致力于为所有员工创造一个“尊重和包容的工作环境”。11月25日，沃尔玛宣布逐步停止部分与DEI相关的努力，尽管本周给CNBC的声明中，该零售商强调其专注于“尊重、诚信、服务和卓越”的价值观。
1月底，塔吉特发布内部备忘录，终止了多项DEI相关目标和合作伙伴关系，转而强调以“归属感”为核心的项目。周三，谷歌表示鉴于行政命令和近期法院裁决，将取消其雄心勃勃的招聘目标。谷歌发言人本周在给CNBC的声明中称，“致力于创造一个所有员工都能成功并享有平等机会的工作场所”。
其他公司，如卡特彼勒和3M，告诉CNBC他们正在审查行政命令以评估其影响。知情人士向CNBC透露，花旗集团也在分析这些命令的影响，该人士要求匿名以讨论内部事务。
“你现在看到的是人们试图在内部保护必要的工作，因为他们理解这项工作不仅关乎商业，也关乎人的价值，”Auger-Domínguez告诉CNBC。“现在不是试验的时候，而是加倍重视对组织重要事项的时候，”她补充道。
**捍卫DEI**
自行政命令发布以来，一些公司坚定支持DEI。Costco可能是最突出的例子：其董事会一致反对保守派智库国家公共政策研究中心提出的要求该批发商发布其DEI政策风险报告的提案。1月23日，公司在年度股东大会上宣布，投资者以约98%的反对票否决了该提案。
“一个欢迎所有员工的工作环境是我们文化的核心，”Costco在给CNBC的声明中说。“我们相信，多样性、公平性和包容性不仅是我们价值观的体现，也是我们业务成功的关键。” rce has been integral to the company’s culture and values since its founding,” Costco Chairman Hamilton James said at the meeting.Apple is similarly resisting the think tank’s proposal for the tech giant to consider abolishing its diversity and inclusion initiatives. The measure will receive a vote at Apple’s annual shareholder meeting Feb. 25.”We strive to create a culture of belonging where everyone can do their best work,” Apple’s board said in a statement.Several high-profile CEOs including Bill Ready of Pinterest, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs have recently indicated that their businesses will stick with their current approaches to DEI. Both JPMorgan and Goldman are also targets of anti-DEI proposals by the National Center for Public Policy Research.JPMorgan directed a CNBC request for comment to Dimon’s 2024 shareholder letter, where he wrote that the company’s DEI initiatives “lead to more innovation, smarter decisions and better financial results for us and for the economy overall.” Goldman Sachs declined to comment to CNBC.Tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in a store freezer.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIce cream company Ben & Jerry’s, which has long been vocal about social activism, said in a statement to CNBC that it remains committed to supporting equity and justice throughout the company, while also calling out companies that have rolled back DEI commitments made in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police in 2020.”We believe that companies that timidly bow to the current political climate by attempting to turn back the clock will become increasingly uncompetitive in the marketplace and will ultimately be judged as having been on the wrong side of history,” the company said.The notion of inclusivity, respect and belonging … has been awesome for the culture, but also for the turnaround of our business from a financial perspective.Andrew ClarkeCEO of Francesca’sOutdoor apparel company Patagonia, which likewise has a history of activism for climate action, also said in a statement to CNBC that it wouldn’t be rolling back its DEI policies.”We stand firm in support of our justice, equity and antiracism policies and practices,” Patagonia said.Although cosmetics brand E.l.f. Beauty does not have formal DEI programs, it promotes inclusivity in its company culture and has not changed its stance on DEI, CEO Tarang Amin said in written comments to CNBC.”This isn’t about risks or rewards, it’s about having a diverse set of views to best serve our community with exceptional products they want, at prices they can afford,” Amin wrote.Andrew Clarke, CEO of clothing retailer Francesca’s, posted a LinkedIn video last week affirming the company’s commitment to respect and inclusion. He told CNBC that he sees DEI as having been key to Francesca’s rebound after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020.”D&I is not an abbreviation or a mandated deliberate strategy in this organization, it’s a human strategy,” Clarke said. “The notion of inclusivity, respect and belonging and treating our fellow associates as we would like to be treated ourselves — that has been awesome for the culture, but also for the turnaround of our business from a financial perspective.”Clarke cited a senior leadership team composed of 69% women and employee policies such as a flexible dress code as examples of how Francesca’s centers inclusivity. Although he said he is mindful of potential legal limitations from recent White House policy, he said the company will continue the strategies that have made it successful.watch nowVIDEO7:5407:54How corporate America may be ‘quiet quitting’ DEICNBC Digital Original VideoLooking inwardEven if brands are staying silent or rolling back their external goals or messaging, DEI experts told CNBC, they may still be working to promote diversity and inclusion within their companies.Amira Barger, executive vice president and head of DEI advisory at Edelman, said businesses’ ap proaches to DEI might look more like they did before 2020, when many companies were quick to issue public statements and launch programs in support of DEI and social justice in the wake of Floyd’s murder and the national demonstrations it sparked.DEI programs boost talent retention and consumer loyalty, Barger said, adding she doesn’t expect corporations to end them entirely. Researchers have identified relationships between corporate DEI and benefits such as adaptability and financial outperformance.”I do think we will continue to see companies be less vocal, but I think people should take a pause and really ask more questions, because I do think many of these companies are still quietly doing the work behind the scenes,” Barger said.Some companies have been rebranding and renaming their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Eloiza Domingo, CEO and founder of consulting firm FourTen and former chief DEI officer and vice president for human resources at Allstate, said she’s seen an increase in the use of terms such as “belonging,” “cultural competency” and “employee engagement” in place of the typical acronym DEI.watch nowVIDEO4:5504:55DEI is dead, but diversity is the future of America, says Operation Hope’s John Hope BryantPower LunchAs someone who’s worked with companies on DEI, Domingo said, she’s empathetic toward those companies that are reconsidering their external DEI strategy. She said she’s grappling with that issue for her own business, as she works on attracting more clients.”I’m known as a diversity keynote. I’m known as a changemaker. Now, that is under not only scrutiny but under attack,” Domingo said. “And so what do I do as an entrepreneur to keep my business going, but also to feed the kids? That’s really, really scary.”Navigating backlashIn a Jan. 6 statement titled “Our Commitment to Inclusion,” McDonald’s announced it was retiring “aspirational representation goals,” participation in external DEI surveys, and its supply chain DEI pledge. It also changed its diversity team’s name to “Global Inclusion Team.”The fast food giant faced immediate backlash, leading to McDonald’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Desiree Ralls-Morrison defending the company in a LinkedIn post. Ralls-Morrison asserted that many critics hadn’t fully read the statement, which also said that McDonald’s had met its targets in areas such as gender pay equity and supplier diversity and that the company was “proud of our incredible accomplishments in this space and excited to continue our inclusion journey.””McDonald’s was suggested in the headlines as having killed DEI,” Barger said. “It is much more nuanced. I think they strategically rebranded their approach.”Ralls-Morrison and McDonald’s didn’t respond to requests for comment.People take pictures of a setup representing a McDonald’s restaurant with a picture of President Donald Trump at the window ahead of the Liberty Ball on Inauguration Day of Trump’s second presidential term in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.Elizabeth Frantz | ReutersSina Port, a brand strategist and diversity consultant, said businesses that aren’t publicizing their DEI policies can still communicate their support for inclusion to consumers — without being overly performative or making empty commitments.She cited actions such as promoting the personal brands of diverse employees and creating products that are actually useful to communities, such as sports equipment for people with disabilities.”In general, I’m not a huge fan of just making announcements to customers. I look more at the action that you’re taking,” Port told CNBC.Potential benefitIt’s too soon to determine whether companies currently taking stances on DEI will see an impact on their stock or revenue, Barger said, but she expects some consumers will make buying decisions based on the company’s values.”In these moments we’re going to be tested in terms of consumer loyalty, every brand,” Barger said.Activist campaigns targeting specifi c corporations have had a demonstrable impact in recent years.Backlash against Bud Light’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023 contributed to a sales slump for the brand that resulted in Bud Light losing its long-held status as the top-selling U.S. beer. Target said a boycott of the retailer over its Pride merchandise that same year hurt its sales. The company had offered Pride merchandise for years prior to the boycott.DEI supporters are hoping to leverage the same influence for their cause.Civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, has organized two “buy-cotts” at Costco, in which the organization mobilized people to shop at the wholesaler to support its pro-DEI stance. The two events collectively brought in more than 400 shoppers, he told CNBC. Sharpton said NAN is planning more shows of support at Costco and other businesses. The organization is also actively researching companies to boycott for their DEI policy rollbacks, Sharpton said, adding that NAN is specifically looking at corporations that have small profit margins and a significant Black consumer base. The group also plans to buy stock in these companies and submit shareholder proposals.”We’ll support those that support us. We believe that corporations have the right to decide their policy, but we have the right to decide who we’re going to patronize,” Sharpton said.— CNBC’s Melissa Repko and Jennifer Elias contributed to this report.
原文链接：https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/07/dei-companies-holding-the-line.html