Asians in Australian public jobs aren’t being promoted due to ‘Asian penalty’: study
By Ryan General
October 27, 2023
An academic study has uncovered a “promotion penalty” applied against individuals from Asian backgrounds, including those who speak English fluently, in Australia’s federal civil service.
About the study: The groundbreaking study, conducted by the Crawford School of Public Policy, exposed the trend within the Australian Public Service (APS), an institution comprising various government departments and agencies.
Because the APS plays a pivotal role in shaping Australia’s policies and delivering essential services, it is expected to represent the diversity of the Australian population.
Methodology: To understand the determinants of career progression within the APS, the researchers assessed the influence of an individual’s skills and characteristics on career outcomes, while also controlling for various external factors. During the evaluation, the researchers took into consideration three primary career outcomes: promotion, separation and remaining at the same level.
The findings: Over the past two decades, approximately 96% of executive-level promotions have been awarded to staff from English-speaking backgrounds. Staff from English-speaking backgrounds are shown to be 70% more likely than those from non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) to reach executive roles, with a 30% increased likelihood for promotions to senior analysts and a 40% increased likelihood for management roles.
The results show the APS has disproportionately favored individuals with Anglo, Celtic or European names in promotions. Individuals of Asian heritage, even if they speak English fluently and have lived in the country since early childhood, are much less likely to be promoted than those of European heritage.
The study also emphasizes that Asian-born individuals from NESB who arrive in Australia after the age of 5 face more challenging promotion prospects as compared to their non-Asian NESB counterparts arriving at a similar age. Asian-born NESBs who arrive before the age of 6 were found to have promotion prospects similar to those of individuals from Asian backgrounds with English-speaking origins.
“These two results suggest that there is some ‘Asian penalty’ that is not related to language or cultural assimilation,” says the study.
Progress for women: The report concludes that the APS is failing to reflect the rich diversity of Australia, and its poor promotion prospects could lead to reduced work effort, ultimately affecting the Australian community’s access to government services. Meanwhile, the study notes the remarkable progress made for women in the APS, suggesting that concerted efforts and dedicated affirmative action policies have raised promotion prospects for gender equality.
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