The Development of Managers

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter examines the development, education, and training of managers in Britain. It reviews national education and training institutions from basic education to universities and professional institutions, and from functional, and especially technical, skills to general management. It reflects a key theme: the slow transition to professionalism. Another main theme is that education reflects and reinforces some of the cultural factors underlying attitudes to management, since it is also an indicator of social status, a sifting mechanism into careers, and a selection process both for students and employers. The main providers of development are examined: in-house training, consultants, professional institutes, and business schools. In addition, there is an important demand dimension, namely, the lack of demand for professional managers, which was the single most important factor in the slow transition to professionalism.