Employment equity in Canada: making sense of employee discourses of misunderstanding, resistance, and support

McGowan, Rosemary A.;Ng, Eddy S.

Abstract

Employment equity initiatives - redressing past inequities or discrimination by promoting the hiring of members of underrepresented groups are controversial and divisive. Although a national Gallup poll (1993) indicated 74 % of Canadians felt a person's qualifications should solely determine hiring decisions, many have little knowledge and understanding of the issue. Adopting a discourse analytic framework, this research explores employees' understandings and perceptions of an employment equity initiative in a mid-sized Canadian organization. Employment equity was seen as problematic and not well understood, and individuals eligible for employment equity initiatives were marginalized. This study contributes to identifying the misunderstandings and underlying sources of tensions with employment equity principles, legislation and administrative regimes.

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Canadian Public Administration

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1754-7121

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Wiley-Blackwell

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DOI

10.1111/capa.12171