Mentoring Women and Minority Officers in the US Military

Abstract

Mentoring is a popular subject in discussions concerning leadership and professional development. However, like the rest of society, minorities and women in the military are disadvantaged in the socialization process. It appears they are not provided the proper guidance and hands-on experience, which is necessary to practice leadership and improve their skills in the workplace. The US military has followed the business sector and has begun to address these problems by instituting formal mentoring programs. These programs are based on the premise that a successful mentorship benefits not only the individual, but the organization as well. While this research found a number of barriers associated with mentoring, conversely it recognized that through proper implementation, mentoring can have a positive effect on individuals and organizations. This paper relied heavily on past studies within the private sector and the Department of Defense (DOD). It supports current DOD initiatives and offers additional alternatives which could be used to increase mentor and protege' relationships among women and minorities in the military.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA397892

Entities

People

  • Darrell E. Adams

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Applied Psychology
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Instructors
  • Management Personnel
  • Marine Corps
  • Minority Groups
  • Native Americans
  • Personnel Management
  • Professional Development
  • Psychology
  • Reserve Officer Training Corps
  • Students
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).
  • Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) EDI Research and Innovation.