Army Equal Opportunity Program: Challenges and Solutions

Introduction to the Equal Opportunity Program

In the spirit of, and in service to, the Army's mission and vision, the Equal Opportunity Program exists "to ensure fair treatment for military personnel, family members, and civilians without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, disability, or national origin" (United States Army, 2014, p. 1). Because of the destructive power of discrimination on organizational culture, the Equal Opportunity Program ensures the fulfillment of organizational objectives through the creation of a sustainable, effective environment in which personnel flourish and contribute to departmental missions and goals. The program includes several components, such as training, classes, educational materials, the establishment of a special harassment hotline, and procedures for reporting and prosecuting violations of ethical or behavioral codes related to equal opportunity conduct.

The reasons behind the Equal Opportunity Program are expressly stated on the Army's website and include an acknowledgment and embrace of the heterogeneity of its personnel pool, which amounts to one and a half million individuals (United States Army, 2014). Described as a "strategy for human capital," equal opportunity is employed as a rational means of remaining competitive both in terms of outputs and in terms of human resource strategies. Army senior leaders are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining equal opportunity rights within their divisions or departments.

An interview with an Army Colonel about the Equal Opportunity Program highlights the identifiable challenges, issues, and dynamics associated with the program. The interview also helps clarify the contextual variables shaping the environment. Applying organizational metaphors and exploring alternative theories further develops an informed action plan for resolving current challenges. The Colonel serves in a position of leadership and therefore has direct connection to the Equal Opportunity Program; at least every week, some issue related to diversity or ethics arises.

Identifiable Challenges, Issues, and Dynamics

The greatest challenge is the very nature of diversity: complexity. With so many people, it becomes impossible to devise a set of rules and regulations that can cover every single situation given all the constraints and variables involved. Discrimination does not always occur in overt ways, and neither does harassment. Dishonesty, deceit, and other disturbances to workgroup harmony most often occur in subtle and imperceptible ways, even to those who are most at risk for victimization.

What the Equal Opportunity Program provides is a set of overarching values and ethics that permeates all interactions and behaviors within every unit, team, or department. Yet constructing those shared values requires the participation of all personnel. Any time someone perceives an infraction or affront, however seemingly small, that issue or complaint needs to be brought to the surface and addressed immediately and in accordance with Army policy. By dealing with each issue as it arises in a systematic way, it is less likely that more serious affronts to equal opportunity will erupt. Major infractions, such as those involving hate speech or violent behavior, are not the primary problem. The problem is the many smaller "micro-aggressions" that occur day in and day out. What is more, some personnel do not even realize that they have internalized the negativity, having come to believe that they are inferior or that they somehow deserve the treatment they receive from others. One of the greatest challenges to the Equal Opportunity Program and the effective functioning of Army departments is therefore fought in the battleground of each individual mind.

Given this reality, the leader plays a crucial role. The leader needs to remain vigilant at all times, alert and sensitive to ethical infractions, however minor. The leader must cultivate deep empathy and express that empathy through overt acts that empower individuals to stand up for themselves and speak out against injustices. At the very least, the leader needs to initiate dialogue. Even when a dialogue seems disruptive or creates discomfort within a group, only by working through those difficulties can any progress be made. The leader also sets a personal standard by reaching out to mentors and superiors for guidance, feedback, and advice on how to proceed.

The Organizational Environment

Daft (2016) discusses the organizational design elements of an open system, first positing the division between internal and external environments and then examining the interorganizational relationships that exist. The Army "is a vast organization with a global presence" (United States Army, 2014, p. 1). To design an organization for the international environment — one that is effective on the global stage — Army leaders must consider both the internal and external environmental factors that impact human resource management. The external and internal environments offer rich potential, including opportunities to build structures, agencies, and policies that promote the organization's highest ideals. Those ideals parallel the Army's core values: "Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage" ("The Army Values," n.d., p. 1). Environmental threats must be addressed in accordance with those values.

Organizational Metaphors and Theories

Morgan (2006) offers helpful metaphors for framing the Equal Opportunity Program. While it might seem tempting to apply the political systems metaphor or the instruments of domination metaphor to the Army, the framework that best applies to the Equal Opportunity Program is the organization as culture metaphor. Morgan (2006) describes large organizations as distinct cultures, demonstrating how, within the larger culture, subcultural units exist. Recognizing these facts about the organization can help clarify some of the issues involved during ethical conflicts or dilemmas.

The cultural metaphor works well under certain conditions. First, it is effective when the values of each subculture can be aligned with those of the greater organizational culture. If a misalignment exists between a subculture's values and the organization's values as a whole, conflict ensues. That conflict could become insurmountable if the subculture is large or powerful. A clear example is the subculture of gender. The values associated with maintaining a masculine identity, for instance, need to become more closely aligned with the values of equal opportunity — which do in fact include several Army values such as loyalty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.

Second, the cultural metaphor works well when overarching narratives and stories can be used to solidify a shared cultural identity. The Army already has these metaphorical structures built into its very existence by virtue of its role in the story of America. While stories and the legendary leaders and events associated with them represent strengths of the cultural paradigm, the disadvantage of this approach is that whenever an individual or an entire subculture does not understand or align with that story, it becomes difficult — if not impossible — to find solutions to problems. When it comes to unresolved micro-aggressions, the leader of the organization must be able to frame each small situation using the cultural artifacts that are available and relevant.

References

"The Army Values." (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/values/

Daft, R. L. (2016). Organization Theory & Design (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization. Sage Publications, Inc.

Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

United States Army. (2014). Army equal opportunity program. Retrieved from