Good morning. If you search for "DEI"—diversity, equity, and inclusion—on social media sites like LinkedIn, you'll find no shortage of posts offering intense praise or criticism of the practice in the workplace. DEI has also permeated the political arena, leading some companies to abandon it and others to double down. While there is plenty of noisy debate, the business case for DEI has been the focus of studies for years—and the research continues to point to the business benefits.
Farm equipment maker John Deere is one of the latest companies to distance itself from DEI efforts. The company posted on X on July 16 that it would no longer “participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals or events,” and will “ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages” in compliance with federal and local laws. The company added that “the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy.” John Deere also ended an array of its corporate diversity and climate efforts.
