Sailor Perspectives and Recommendations for Communication about Divisive Events and Inclusion within the Fleet
Abstract
Recent events, such as the death of George Floyd and the resulting Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, the post elections attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought to light the challenges leaders in both private and public/governmental organizations face when communicating with employees about sensitive events. At both the national and global levels, these issues are often tied to deep and long-held societal divisions. The U.S. Navy has frequently taken a progressive stance in supporting diversity and inclusion, and the Navy's recent steps to encourage inclusion and engage in necessary conversations are consistent with these actions. However, recent events and efforts to converse about these events have highlighted the challenges inherent in such communication. This study builds upon previous research focused on the tensions between participation and organizational control in online workplace communities (Aten and Salem, 2020). This research explored Sailors experiences of sensitive conversations on various topics and of necessary conversations directed by Navy leadership following the attacks on the U.S. Capitol.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1211115
Entities
People
- Anita Salem
- Annmarie L. Mcfadden
- Cesar Velenzuela
- David Machinporrata
- Kathryn Aten
- Melanie Martins
- Nicola Spickenreither
- Simona Tick
- Simonia Blassingame
- Valentina Palazetti
- Wesley A. Norton
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School