This article tests affirmative action effectiveness with organizational compliance to affirmative action regulations. Effectiveness is tested with data from a case study that in many ways represents a “best case” scenario. Goals are compared with outcomes using affirmative action progress reports and the employee database that was used to compile the reports. Although few of the goals were met by the end of the set timetable, exaggeration of progress was found and was found to occur most when actual progress was weakest. The implications of “status inflation” are then discussed in light of research linking mobility to organizational manipulation of work arrangements.
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