J. Benjamin Forbes

Early Intraorganizational Mobility: Patterns and Influences

This study examined patterns of early upward mobility for a cohort of 180 employees of an oil company over an 11-year period. The results were not consistent with a strict tournament model of mobil...

CREATING A COMPETENCY-BASED LEADERSHIP AND MANAGERIAL SKILLS PROGRAM: A MODEL FOR SMALLER SCHOOLS

A model for creating competency-based learning at small and medium-size schools of business is described. Within an MBA curriculum, a leadership and managerial skills program was developed. Students participate in an assessment center evaluation and take a series of personality and self-assessment measures. This is followed by a course that focuses on leadership and managerial skills, an experiential learning day, and developing a career plan. Students plan their MBA coursework to enhance professional skills, meet with a career coach, and select elective courses that enhance particular skills while focusing on career and life goals. An extensive list of leadership and managerial skills is included.

Women executives: Breaking down barriers?

Abstract Women are entering high-level management positions in greater numbers, and at a younger age, than ever before. But when will they break down the wall blocking the top executive suite?

Evaluation of a Multimethod Undergraduate Management Skills Development Program

Abstract A Solomon four-group experimental design was used to measure the impact of a multimethod development program on the managerial skills of undergraduate business majors. Skill levels were measured through use of an assessment center. Participation in assessment center exercises had a significant impact on more skills than did participation in the skills development program. The study has implications for management development program design and evaluation.

Ability-Satisfaction Relationships: Field and Laboratory Studies

The article discusses the relationship between employee abilities and job satisfaction. The author notes a number of objectives to the study in question. The first is to investigate the relationshi...

Ethics in the Organizational Behavior Course

news magazines explore the topic (Time, June 1987; Fortune, July 6, 1987); large donations to business schools are earmarked for its study; business publications editorialize on its demise. A number of reasons exist for this intense interest in the moral standards of business conduct. Currently, scandals involving Wall Street and insider trading arouse interest. On a deeper level, several factors involving the structure of business and its place in society exist. Powers and Vogel (1980) define these factors as: (1) growth in the size of institutions; (2) growth in the scope of legal constraints and government involvement in corporate life; (3) public concern about the externalities of corporate activities that are not amenable to direct market control and (4) &dquo;human dignity&dquo; and the &dquo;value of human life&dquo; as new priorities in the agenda of social values. Such new concerns have resulted in the AACSB requiring that ethics be incorporated in the curriculum of its accredited schools, prompting more faculty to explore the issues. Where does the study of ethics belong in the business curriculum? Three approaches have been advocated. A separate course which concentrates on ethics is supported by some. This course may be either a business ethics

The Potential of Erin Brockovich to Introduce Organizational Behavior Topics

Real organizational behavior is rich, and messy, and emotional, and at times painful, but at other times immensely rewarding. The movie, Erin Brockovich, captures this richness and provides an exciting means to introduce a variety of individual or micro- organizational behavior concepts (such as perception, personality, and motivation) typically covered at the beginning of the Organizational Behavior course. In this paper, we describe the use of the film, including a takehome viewing assignment, an in-class assignment, a description of clips and comments for in-class use, and suggestions for the types of issues to discuss in relation to the major topics and in relation to other potentially relevant areas. The richness of this film and the issues raised also provide the potential for more critical analyses of management and organizational practices.