Does Tradition Affect Affirmative Action Results? How Pennsylvania Achieved Changes at the Middle Management Level

Since 1971, Pennsylvania's constitution has prohibited sex discrimination. Governor Milton Shapp authorized the secretary of administration to organize an affirmative action network that included recruitment and appointment safeguards, grievance handling, and mediation services. As part of its response to the governor's mandate, the commonwealth's Department of Public Welfare established a series of new middle management promotional positions in social welfare: mental retardation unit manager, public welfare administrator, and welfare program executive. In an examination of the affirmative action programs, it is concluded that Pennsylvania's government made small but definite gains for women. However, the task is incomplete and government must now change affirmative action directions to expand the number of women in management positions. Affirmative action programs, for example, should be redirected from broad recruitment efforts (which result primarily in large numbers of women at entry levels) to more focused goals and objectives for selected classifications.