The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership

Case in Point: Lockheed Martin MS2

In 2007, Lockheed Martin was facing a mammoth demographic problem: many of the company's 70,000 engineers were expected to retire within the next fifteen years. To keep its edge, the company needed to replenish a workforce that was traditionally heavily recruited from the military with young engineers, scientists, and managers drawn from all backgrounds who were able to think across traditional borders. At that time, Lockheed Martin president and chief executive officer (CEO) Bob Stevens emphasized that the solution to this workforce transition would require breaking away from the traditional engineering workforce—one that is heavily Caucasian and mostly male. Instead, he emphasized that Lockheed Martin must ...