Management development programs: The effects of management level and corporate strategy

Abstract

AbstractIn this study of 155 organizations, the relationship between management development programs, managerial level, and organizational strategy was examined. Limited support was established for Katz's theory about skill requirements for managers (1974). Greater emphasis was placed on technical skills at lower management levels and on entrepreneurial skills at senior management levels. A relationship between corporate strategy and the focus of management development programs also was found. Although organizations with growth strategies focused on many management development areas to a greater extent than did organizations with stability or retrenchment strategies, there were no differences in the focus on ethical decision making or technical‐skills training between the three strategies. Implications for management and for future research are also discussed.