Interpretation of Survey outcome The tragic events concerning the death of George Floyd in the United States became the springboard for a flurry of research regarding issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) around the world. Much of this research focused on the Black experience and how it impacted communities and Black-owned businesses. The Amplifying Voices research team was conceived to look beyond this sole context to determine how, or if, Halifax and its wider regional business community (which is largely White-owned and operated) is responding to the need for a greater focus on DEIA. In this regard, the results of the project surveys clearly show efforts were successful in obtaining these views from businesses in the area. The predominantly White-owned and managed business community in the area interpreted diversity in the workplace differently to that of authorities in the field, such as David Livermore (2016), who is cited in the introduction to this final report. Livermore explains there are two kinds of differences most typically influencing workplace behaviour: (a) Visible diversity deriving from ethnicity, age, gender, or physical disability (b) Underrepresentation in the workforce of people from cultures different than most members of the group. The survey outcome highlighted that although visible differences deriving from ethnicity were noted, it was not seen as significantly as other elements of diversity, such as gender and observable physical disabilities. This finding may need special consideration going forward as the population of Nova Scotia reached one million people in 2021 largely due to increasing immigration and greater efforts to continue to increase the population are being made at the municipal, provincial, and federal government levels.
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The expanded commentary (see appendix D and E) to answers by survey respondents indicates there is in fact a need for further awareness of the current diversity in the region. Our team found a strong commitment on the side of business owners and employees who want to address issues related to DEIA in the workplace. What our research also found was a stronger call for how to address these issues and, more importantly, where to begin. Thus, it became our goal in this report to provide a stepping stone to how business owners and their employees can begin to understand and address these issues in their workplace.
The in-depth analysis of the surveys coupled with additional comments from survey respondents (summaries of which are contained in this report), provided a treasure trove of information. The research team was able to gather the views of the participants along with attitudes, recommendations, and judgements on current strategies and practices relating to DEIA within businesses operating in Halifax and surrounding regions. As can be seen from the analysis, the most salient (and statistically reliable) findings from the crosstabs can be broken down into two categories: 1. Participants from the employee survey that considered themselves part of an equity group (defined as a group of people who have traditionally been discriminated against due to barriers to equal access, opportunities, and resources in society generally and the workplace specifically) were consistently more critical of the DEIA policies and practices put in place by their employers.
