Executive Orders: Mandating Inclusion in the Federal Workplace: Insights from Federal Executive Departments' Strategic Plans.

This article examines how executive orders (EOs) from the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have influenced strategic plans of Federal Executive Departments (FEDs) regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the workplace. It analyzes inclusion across seven core functional areas—leadership; policies, practices, and procedures; human resource management; culture, climate, and norms; emotion, engagement, and perceptions; training and professional development; and accountability and sustainability—highlighting that inclusion is a complex, subjective experience that cannot be mandated by policy alone. The study finds variation in how FEDs prioritize and articulate inclusion strategies, with some departments presenting substantive, actionable goals while others offer more generic commitments, reflecting broader political and institutional challenges. The research underscores that sustainable inclusion requires intentional, ongoing efforts embedded across organizational structures and cultures, beyond compliance with executive mandates.