Building support for diversity programs among senior management in organizations

One of the key factors to the successful implementation of diversity programs is the support and commitment of the senior level management for the initiative. This exploratory study examines professional diversity practitioners' understanding of the effective strategies for building support for diversity programs among senior management in organizations.;The significance of senior management support to the success of diversity programs has been acknowledged in the literature of diversity management but little research has been done to identify, in a systematic manner, effective strategies used to build support for diversity programs among the senior level management in organizations.;Interviews with diversity practitioners from Diversity Inc. Magazine's 2005 Top 50 Companies for Diversity were used to examine perceptions regarding the effective strategies for building support among senior management for diversity programs. The data from the interviews was analyzed using a content analysis research technique known as thematic sorting.;The study identified 11 thematic strategies for building support among senior management for diversity programs and seven thematic strategies for addressing resistance among senior management to diversity programs. The study also recognized and supports the literature that the process for building support for diversity programs is similar to the process for building support for other organizational change initiatives. The study includes general recommendations for diversity practitioners regarding the effective implementation of diversity programs, and will increase their understanding of the effective strategies for building support among senior management of diversity programs.