Executive Development Programs in the U.S. Air Force

A given approach to diversity can be advanced or hindered by an organization's culture. When an approach is consistent with the organizational culture - its artifacts, values and beliefs, and underlying assumptions - it will be reinforced by that culture. This study considers the policies implemented by three major US firms that not only successfully increased the diversity of their general workforce, but also their executive officers. It will specifically examine how policies interacted with the corporate cultures to produce reinforcing mechanisms in these firms. Executive development is a particularly key means by which an organization can benefit from diversity. Advantages accrue for two reasons: because diverse executives can offer different paradigms (and, by their presence, perhaps encourage the organizational culture to be receptive of differing viewpoints) and because they represent an incentive for attaining future leadership positions to the organization's members who have diverse backgrounds (ethnic, religious or gender), engendering a stronger work effort.