Albert A. Vicere

Towards a Systems Approach to Executive Development

There is a growing awareness among major corporations that executive and organizational development activities have a very important role to play in the creation of learning‐based competitive capabilities. Presents a perspective on this emerging role based on the authors′ research and years of experience in the field of executive development. Outlines a new and critical role for executive development in the strategic management process, develops a first stage model for integrating executive development into an organization′s strategic planning system, and presents a case study example of a firm engaged in a systems approach to executive development.

Executive Education in Major Corporations: An International Survey

Executive education can be a powerful catalyst for both personal and organisational development. How corporations are utilising this potential was the subject of an international study of executive education trends among the Fortune 300, Fortune Service 100, and Fortune International 100 firms. The results of the study reflect expanding corporate support for executive education, both on an in‐company basis and through university‐based programmes. The results also suggest some interesting comparisons among the executive education practices of the three survey population subgroupings.

Crafting Competitiveness: Toward a New Paradigm for Executive Development

One traditional paradigm has tended to frame executive-development efforts in many organizations. This paradigm has as its focus the executive as individual. Organizations that subscribe to this paradigm tend to give little attention to the role executive development can play in organizational development and in strategy implementation.

Linking Executive Education to Strategic Imperatives

This article explores the purposes, benefits and limitations to both in-company and university-based executive education as a tool for management and executive development. It also points to mitigations in the field, offers explanations for these trends, and begins to structure a framework for integrating executive education into a strategy-driven executive development system. The article concludes by introducing an early stage framework for examining how executive development processes might be integrated more effectively for enhanced corporate competitiveness.

Universities as Providers of Executive Education

The nature of the relationship where university business schools have actively sought partnerships with companies by initiating “contract” programmes customised to meet the specific learning needs of the client company is discussed. Two case examples of actual programmes are described: an open but selective enrolment general management programme and the Consolidated Rail Corporation′s two‐week management programme for employees of that company, both offered at Pennsylvania State University. The unique benefits of each programme are noted and it is argued that these should help to foster greater collaboration between universities and corporations in the future.

Bringing Business Experience to the Nonprofit Sector: What Works and What Doesn’t

Five distinguishing characteristics of non profit organizations are identified and explored. They are: a different and more complex environment, more altruistic purposes with strong traditions, importance of motivating and rewarding volunteers, staff structures that exist in parallel with volunteer structures, and frequent short‐run/annual budget orientations as opposed to effective strategic planning. The authors reject the notion that non profit management should be different from that in the private, for‐profit sector, but emphasize that these five characteristics must be recognized and addressed before attempting to directly apply business experience to nonprofit environments.