‘One MBA?’ How context impacts the development of post-MBA career outcomes

Using survey data from alumni of one of the UK's earliest and largest MBA programmes we explore how career capital, career outcomes and career satisfaction are impacted by learner context. We adopt comparative capitalisms theory to investigate whether graduates from a standardised programme marketed as ‘One MBA’ report broadly similar career outcomes irrespective of their work and study location. We find that despite the rhetoric around globalisation in management education there are differences that fit the theories of comparative capitalisms literature; thus supporting the view that, despite the global nature of MBA branding, context still plays a role in shaping learning and career outcomes as evidenced by differences reported here. Significant findings are reported in terms of the reported development of career capital ‘knowing how’; career satisfaction and perceived organisational support, however differences in terms of the achievement of objective career success (promotion and career mobility) were less pronounced.     

Corporate expatriate career development

Western business expatriates assigned to Hong Kong responded to a mail survey regarding availability and usage of corporate career development activities. Despite the strategic need for expatriation, it was found that corporate development activities had a low availability indicating little interest on the part of parent organizations to assist in the development of expatriate careers. Large-size parent organizations, with substantial interests in international business operations, generally provide more expatriate career development assistance as opposed to small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer resources and little experience to cater to such needs. Experienced expatriate managers generally use more career development activities than less experienced managers, which could pose a problem for the procurement and advancement of new generations of expatriate managers. Implications of these findings for managers and their employers are discussed in detail.     

Women and technology: A review of training initiatives

This paper considers the entry of women into technological areas of work, their subsequent career progression and return to work after a career break. It considers the development of those training programmes and related initiatives which have attempted to encourage girls and young women to enter non-traditional areas of work, and others which help women return to work after a career break. It emphasizes that such training needs to address the psychological and social issues which arise, as well as provide for new technical knowledge and skills. In doing so it reviews some of the courses which are currently available and comments on their apparent success. In its concluding problems it refers to the on-going problem of funding such training and of providing a supportive database.     

Women and technology: A review of training initiatives

Abstract

This paper considers the entry of women into technological areas of work, their subsequent career progression and return to work after a career break. It considers the development of those training programmes and related initiatives which have attempted to encourage girls and young women to enter non-traditional areas of work, and others which help women return to work after a career break. It emphasizes that such training needs to address the psychological and social issues which arise, as well as provide for new technical knowledge and skills. In doing so it reviews some of the courses which are currently available and comments on their apparent success. In its concluding problems it refers to the on-going problem of funding such training and of providing a supportive database.     

Alien tutelage: on generalizability and contextualization in leadership development

There has been sustained argument for contextualization of leadership development, none more so than when working with Indigenous and other marginalized peoples. Leadership development programmes are predominantly conducted by ‘outsider’ educationalists and consultants and the question of contextualization, of how much or how little, is a decision that is ultimately made in classrooms around the world under conditions of alien tutelage. Employing an autoethnographic approach, the article examines three examples of leadership development programmes in order to think about generalization and/or contextualization. Overall, this study finds that arguments for and against ‘generalizability’ and ‘contextualization’ might depend more on the skill and experience of the teacher rather than the corpus of knowledge over which so many battles are fought. It suggests that the potential embedded in generalizable programmes can be realized if there is sufficient pedagogic engagement and space created by culturally competent teachers and facilitators for local testing of generalized knowledge claims for their adaptation: personally, organizationally, nationally and globally. It also finds that the people and outcome focus aspects of leadership development seem to be more influenced by culture than other aspects such as personal leadership style preference that would appear to transcend ethic cultural background.     

The nature of faculty work: A Canadian and US comparison

Abstract

Results based on 187 responses to an electronic survey from Canadian and US faculty in human resource development and adult education identified career paths of faculty, the nature of the job (i.e. how faculty divide their time between teaching, research and service), the nature of their programmes, and the key changes, issues and trends in their respective fields. There were few differences between the two countries. Where possible, findings also are compared to two previous studies. Identifying what drew faculty to academia and how they spend their time may enhance understanding of how they derive meaning and satisfaction from work. This understanding could help identify ways to mitigate faculty turnover.     

Individual and organizational strategies for coping with organizational change

During times of significant change to organizations in strategies and structures, employees can experience high levels of stress as their jobs, areas of responsibility and roles also change. Yet research is curiously silent about how people react to organizational change, especially towards promoting healthy responses to change. As a first step to outlining areas for future research this paper considers a range of individual and organizational strategies that may be effective in reducing employee stress and related problems. Prior to the implementation of these strategies, however, organizations must empower employees to adopt the role of change agent and encourage them to take action to solve the problems that stress them. At the individual level, employees can respond to the stress created by organizational change by using problem- and emotion-focused strategies. Also important in coping with change are the personal resources of employees, including a sense of hardiness, beliefs about having control over their work environment, and the availability of social supports within and outside the organization. Although few organizations fully acknowledge their role in helping employees cope with change, there are a number of initiatives that organizations can pursue. Several strategies are discussed in relation to communication, leadership, job-related tasks and stress management programmes.     

An examination of factors in adapting a technical and vocational education and training programme within South Africa

Countries look to borrow those educational systems that have been successful at meeting particular needs in other parts of the world. However, whether looking to Europe, Asia or the United States, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes are not easily replicated in a new context. Even with well-intentioned government policy and support, they become more or less successful when aligned with the needs of industry, how TVET is viewed and utilized, and cultural and societal impacts of how youth transition to work and career. This paper presents an aspect that is often missing from the literature onthis subject: anexamination of the factors influencing how the TVET implementation plays outwithin a particular industry and country. This paper considers a case involving the process of borrowing a manufacturing skill development programme from theUnited States for implementation in South Africa.     

Creative entrepreneurs’ creativity,opportunity recognition,and career success: Is resource availability a double-edged sword?

At the heart of the entrepreneurial process in creative industries are entrepreneurial creativity and opportunity recognition, which influence entrepreneurs’ ability to create new ventures or significantly improve the position of an existing business. Recent entrepreneurship research has suggested that resource availability represents a double-edged sword, simultaneously facilitating and impeding new venture outcomes, while little research has explored how entrepreneurial creativity, opportunity recognition, and resource availability jointly affect entrepreneurial career success. To address the theoretical gap, this paper examines the moderating role of resource availability in the relationship between entrepreneurial creativity, opportunity recognition and career success of creative entrepreneurs.To reflect the career success perceived by business founders in creative industries, five indicators of entrepreneurial success are examined, including career achievement, social reputation, entrepreneurial happiness, capability enhancement, and financial satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analysis empirically examines a sample of 296 entrepreneurs in creative industries. Results suggest that entrepreneurial creativity and opportunity recognition are positively related to entrepreneurial career success. We also find that resource availability generally strengthens the effect of entrepreneurial creativity and opportunity recognition on entrepreneur-perceived career success. Nevertheless, the relationship between opportunity recognition and financial satisfaction is found to be weakened by entrepreneurs’ resource availability. Integrating the theory of entrepreneurial effectuation and resource dependence theory, our findings indicate that entrepreneurial bricolage is crucial for creative entrepreneurship.     

Individual and organizational strategies for coping with organizational change

Abstract

During times of significant change to organizations in strategies and structures, employees can experience high levels of stress as their jobs, areas of responsibility and roles also change. Yet research is curiously silent about how people react to organizational change, especially towards promoting healthy responses to change. As a first step to outlining areas for future research this paper considers a range of individual and organizational strategies that may be effective in reducing employee stress and related problems. Prior to the implementation of these strategies, however, organizations must empower employees to adopt the role of change agent and encourage them to take action to solve the problems that stress them. At the individual level, employees can respond to the stress created by organizational change by using problem- and emotion-focused strategies. Also important in coping with change are the personal resources of employees, including a sense of hardiness, beliefs about having control over their work environment, and the availability of social supports within and outside the organization. Although few organizations fully acknowledge their role in helping employees cope with change, there are a number of initiatives that organizations can pursue. Several strategies are discussed in relation to communication, leadership, job-related tasks and stress management programmes.     

职场晋升的“黄金法则”

曾经,一部热映的《杜拉拉升职记》被称为是“中国女白领的职场生存手册”。职场如战场,生存不易．毕竟不是每个人都适合做杜拉拉,也不是每个人都做得了杜拉拉;职场又如舞台,想要在舞台上独领风骚,展现出最美的自己,需要讲究方法和谋略。     

What it Means to Succeed: Personal Conceptions of Career Success Held by Male and Female Managers at Different Ages

This paper describes the findings of a qualitative study which analyses how managers define career success for themselves on their own terms. In exploring career success from the perspective of the individual, not the organization, the research attempts to fill an identifiable gap in the career literature. The paper examines the criteria which individuals use to describe what career success means to them, and expresses them by means of a series of orientational categories – Climbers, Experts, Influencers and Self-Realizers – which classify the different ways in which managers talk about career success. The variations in the way that the male and female, and older and younger, research participants describe what career success means to them are discussed and compared. The women managers and older managers who took part in the study appear less inclined to define career success in terms of hierarchical and financial progression: the paper considers the implications of this for individuals and for organizations.     

Cost-benefit analysis of training— An appraisal

With the phenomenal growth in investment in training, there has been an increasing concern with evaluating the training programmes in terms of their economic efficiency—sometimes adopting the cost-benefit approach. However, since behavioural and psychological factors are so central to training, all evaluative studies have come across the problems of quantifying the costs and benefits. These apart, there are problems in enumerating the spillover and long term effects of training programmes, in assuming a discount rate and in identifying the economic life of the training project.

Recent studies purporting to have used cost-benefit analysis have failed to grapple with a number of issues making them closer to conventional financial appraisals. In this paper the limitations of such evaluations, the difficulties in making a cost-benefit analysis of training investment and its feasibility with varying situations is discussed. The article will amply point out to the corporate decision-maker the problems in using cost-benefit analysis and the training contexts where it is feasible.     

The Importance of Role Models and Demographic Context for Senior Women's Work Identity Development

The lack of senior female role models continues to be cited as a key barrier to women's career success. Yet there is little academic research into the gendered aspects of role modelling in organizations, or the utility of role models at a senior level. The paper starts with a review of papers examining the construction of role models in organizational settings. This leads to the inclusion of two related areas – organizational demographics as the contextual factor affecting the availability of role models and how they are perceived, and work identity formation as a possible key explanatory factor behind the link between the lack of senior female role models and the lack of career progression to top organizational levels. The literature looking at social theories of identity formation is then considered from a gender perspective. The key gaps identified are that while the behavioural value of role models has been well documented, a better understanding is needed of how gender and organizational demography influence the role modelling process. Importantly, the symbolic value and possibly other values of female role models in the identity construction of senior women require further in‐depth investigation. Finally, this review calls for a more integrated approach to the study of role models and work identity formation, pulling together literatures on organizational demography, the cognitive construal of role models and their importance for successful work identity formation in senior women.     

Impact of networking on career development: Experience of high-flying women academics in Malaysia

The article reports a study the objective of which is to explore the experience in networking of a group of high-flying women academics (HFWAs) and its impact on career development. Data were gathered using in-depth interviews to 31 women professors who have been identified as high-flyers. Networking had brought them to fast upward career mobility. The themes that relate to the influence of networking to their career are: (i) graduate study paved the way for international networking; (ii) networking created win-win situation for both individuals and institutional partners; and (iii) personal factors contributing to networking. Findings are significant to other academics particularly women who are aspiring to be in the fast-track career.     

Organizational Behaviour and National Cultures

A survey is presented of the degree to which organizational behaviour is found to vary between national cultures. The conceptual framework provided by Hofstede (1980) is used to interpret many of the differences reported. Aspects of organizational behaviour which are examined include classifications of managerial values by national culture, organizational structure, leadership behaviour, negotiation processes and human resource management policies. Some of the implications of the differences found for multicultural management, for career development and for training programmes are then explored. It is concluded that there is an increasing need to prepare managers for multicultural experience and to ensure that evaluations of selection, training and career planning are more firmly grounded than is apparent from the present literature.     

Health Promotion and Flexibility: Extending and Obscuring Power in Organizations

This paper explores the intersection between pursuits of improving organizational flexibility and pursuits of improving employees' health. It is argued that health promotion programmes have the potential of operating as mechanisms of power, which assist organizations in making up self-governing employees who flexibly adapt their lifestyles to the criteria of health and professional success. The paper shows how the fact that health promotion programmes are handled by 'independent' and legitimate health experts, and are provided to employees in the name of their health and well-being, obscures the forces of power in them, making them seem merely as informed ways of helping employees help themselves towards healthier and more successful lives. The paper concludes that health promotion programmes help to establish a new work ethic that challenges the boundary between work and private life. Furthermore, they make a healthy lifestyle part of the competencies that employees are responsible for developing and nurturing.     

Preparing to tack: when physicians change careers

Because of the progressive health care revolution that gives all the power to the managed care insurance companies, the usurpation of physician autonomy, and the replacement of the physician-patient relationship with HMO policies, doctors are looking at other career choices. Many doctors have never considered life after medicine and have made no plans for that time in their future. Despite their ample education, some doctors say, "I don't know how to do anything else. I am trapped in this system, and I can't get out. If I knew what else I could do, I would definitely change careers." Many doctors feel that it is too late in their lives to make such a change. However, it is becoming more and more acceptable to switch or modify a medical career. A number of physicians have switched careers successfully without disgrace and have discovered that there is indeed a life after the first career choice. It isn't always easy, but it can be done.     

Engaging institutions in global careers: highly skilled self-initiated expatriates’ journeys through a Nordic welfare state

Recent years of research have highlighted the phenomenon of self-initiated expatriation and clarified the individual agency that underlies it, such as its motivational drivers, thereby depicting it as one form of boundaryless career. Yet as a consequence the role of wider institutional and structural contexts has been left under-theorized. This article provides a much needed examination of the interaction between institutional contexts and agency in self-initiated global careers. It advances the understanding of how self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) are influenced by and engage institutions in constructing their global mobility and careers. The research is a field-based study of SIEs’ encounters with the institutions of a Nordic welfare state and consists of interviews, observations, and document analyses. It makes a relevant addition to understanding how the self-directed expatriation of highly skilled professionals is institutionally moderated. It expands knowledge by showing how SIEs engage and potentially aim to influence public institutions and discourses to further their global mobility and work experiences and by providing a differentiated and distributed view of agency in self-initiated expatriation. While institutional environments condition global mobility and work experiences, they are potentially also influenced by the global talent that flows through them.     

Generation Y graduates and career transition: Perspectives by gender

The aim of this paper is to explore, by gender, UK Generation Y graduates’ views on their career transition after graduation from under-graduate business programmes. Following a literature review, the empirical work takes the form of an on-line questionnaire with business school graduates from a post-1992 Scottish University in five recent academic sessions. Gendered nuances are found in several aspects of the respondents’ views on their career transition, including statistically significant differences in: more women continuing their student job after graduation; women being more accepting of starting after graduation in a non-graduate level job; and more women than men encountering gender discrimination in the workplace. The identified nuances and differences appear to be setting the genders on diverging career tracks as early as the transition from university, in that they seem to signal more career progress, even advantage, among the men than the women.