CNA Research on Diversity and Demographic Representation in the Armed Services

1
CNA Research on Diversity and Demographic
Representation in the Armed Services
Presentation for the 2008 Navy Workforce Research
and Analysis Conference

• Amanda Kraus
• Ann Parcell
• May 2008

2
Outline

• Representation vs. Diversity
• Applying the diversity approach to the USAF
• Applying the demographic representation approach
  for the USN

2
3
Demographic Representation
Representation vs. Diversity

• Representation captures the extent to which an
  organizations gender and racial/ethnic profiles
  match those of the U.S. population or some other
  relevant benchmark.
• Its importance to the military is derived from
  the philosophical foundations of a democratic
  society.
• A broadly representative military force is more
  likely to uphold national values and to be loyal
  to the government and country that raised it.
• Representation among military members equalizes
  the risk of injury and death in wartime.
• Representation among military members equalizes
  opportunities for education, training, and
  leadership.
• Focus The individual and society

3
4
Diversity
Representation vs. Diversity

• Diversity captures the range of personal
  characteristics that define social identity in
  the work place.
• Its importance is based on understandings of
  group dynamics and their importance for group
  performance
• Diversity affects performance indirectly
• Diversity affects human interaction ? human
  interaction affects process ? process affects
  performance
• Theories predict and empirical work finds
  positive and negative effects associated with
  work-group diversity
• Improved problem solving capability and increased
  creativity
• Increased conflict
• Less and lower-quality communication
• Focus The work group or organization

4
5
Why the representation-diversity distinction
matters
Representation vs. Diversity

• Successful policy implementation requires clear
  identification of
• Desired outcomes
• Behavioral changes required for achieving desired
  outcomes
• Appropriate metrics and accountability measures
  to determine whether behavior change occurs and
  outcomes are achieved.
• Using demographic representation and workforce
  diversity interchangeably confuses the message
• Representation efforts may be diluted if theyre
  erroneously tied to performance.
• Demographic issues in the workforce are
  accompanied by substantial emotional baggage.

5
6
Outline

• Representation vs. Diversity
• Applying the diversity approach to the USAF
• Applying the demographic representation approach
  for the USN

6
7
USAF Tasking Develop the mission case for force
diversity
Diversity in the USAF

• Research Phase 1 What is diversity and what
  amount of it optimizes capability?
• Reviewed empirical research on the impact of
  diversity on group and organizational performance
• Supported development of a USAF-specific model of
  the diversity capability relationship
• Research Phase 2 What is the relationship
  between diversity and capability in the USAF?
• Conducted qualitative research to study the
  impact of workgroup diversity on USAF mission
  capability in various settings
• Research Phase 3 How can USAF leaders use
  diversity to optimize capability?
• Conducting qualitative research to identify
  effective ways to manage workgroup diversity in
  the USAF

7
8
Outline

• Representation vs. Diversity
• Applying the diversity approach to the USAF
• Applying the demographic representation approach
  for the USN

8
9
CNA support to the Navy Diversity Directorate
(N134)
Representation in the USN

• CNO fall 2006 memo to N1
• Increase racial/ethnic representation in officer
  accessions to ensure increased representation of
  future Navy leadership (URL officers)
• 1st SITREP (Nov 2006)
• Compare/contrast USNA and NROTC scholarship
  selection processes with regard to race/ethnicity
• 2nd SITREP (Feb 2007)
• Set 2037 race/ethnicity URL flag pool goals
  describe accession plan to achieve it
• 3rd SITREP (June 2007)
• Compare the pools of applicants for USNA and the
  NROTC scholarship program

9
10
2nd SITREP 2012 accessions needed for desired
2037 flag pool
Representation in the USN

• The 2012 accession goal roughly doubles the
  racial/ethnic minority presence among URL officer
  accessions
• It requires the Navy to achieve the goal in about
  a year (i.e., many 2012 accessions will start
  undergraduate studies in 2008)
• From 2005 to 2012, the Navy will have to decrease
  the share of URL accessions who are white by
  nearly 20 percentage points, from slightly more
  than 80 percent to about 63 percent
• In the past, it took the Navy 20 years to achieve
  this percentage-point decrease
• NROTC scholarship program will have much more
  difficulty than USNA reaching the accession goals
• NROTC has much lower numbers of minority
  applications and minority candidate program
  completion rates than USNA

10
11
3rd SITREP Demographic diversity of applicants
to both USNA and NROTC
Representation in the USN

• Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, African
  Americans are less likely to apply
  contemporaneously to USNA and the NROTC
  scholarship program
• Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, African
  American applicants to USNA are less likely to
  become Navy officers
• Little gender difference in application rates to
  both programs or in becoming Navy officers

11
12
Community-specific application Diversity factors
in Navy Medicine
Representation in the USN

• Provide detailed, community-specific demographic
  assessments of officers in Navy Medicine
• Create basic demographic profiles
• Create civilian benchmarks
• Analyze demographic differences in retention
• Analyze demographic differences in promotion
• Analyze demographic differences in career paths
  and assignments
• Conduct qualitative research to understand the
  BUMED diversity climate

12
13
Back-up slides
14
2nd SITREP 2012 accessions needed for desired
2037 flag pool
Representation in the USN

• A 2037 flag pool minority presence goal for the
  URL implies a 2012 URL officer accession goal
• Past retention rates for racial/ethnic minority
  URL officers similar to those for majority
  officers
• How does the racial/ethnic plan for the 2012 URL
  accessions differ from the racial/ethnic mix of
  recent accession cohorts?
• Will the NROTC scholarship program and USNA be
  able to achieve the 2012 accession plan?

14
15
Accessions needed for the 2037 flag pool
representation goal
Representation in the USN
Excludes enlisted-to-officer
programs. Assumes no change in the total number
of accessions.
15
16
It took the Navy 20 years to achieve the current
racial/ethnic mix
Representation in the USN
17
2012 NROTC applications needed for 2037 goal
Representation in the USN
Assuming offer, acceptance, and completion
rates remain the same.
18
2012 USNA applications needed for 2037 goal
Representation in the USN
Excludes candidates who withdrew from the
admissions process or were not evaluated by USNA.
Assuming offer, acceptance, and completion
rates remain the same.
19
3rd SITREP Demographic diversity of applicants
to both USNA and NROTC
Representation in the USN

• Do many college-bound seniors apply to both USNA
  and the NROTC scholarship program?
• Are there racial/ethnic differences?
• Are there gender differences?
• What percentage of USNA applicants become Navy
  officers, either through USNA or another source?
• Are there racial/ethnic differences?
• Are there gender differences?

19
20
USNA applicants who also applied for NROTC by
race/ethnicity
Representation in the USN
20
21
USNA applicants who also applied for NROTC by
gender
Representation in the USN
21
22
Percentage of USNA applicants who become officers
through USNA
Representation in the USN
23
Percentage of USNA applicants who become officers
via non-USNA sources
Representation in the USN
24
Percentage of USNA applicants who become officers
through USNA Gender
Representation in the USN
25
Percentage of USNA applicants who become officers
via non-USNA sources Gender
Representation in the USN