Organizational Logics of Managerial Careers

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Abstract
A theoretical model of managerial careers is presented which links two organizational characteristics (structure and growth) to the pattern of managerial careers within an organization. Different combinations of these characteristics give rise to different organizational career logics (OCLs), which are the rationalities an observer imputes to the pattern of work role transitions within a firm. Each OCL is associated with its own distinctive pattern of work role transition, and a framework for classifying these transitions is described which allows the differences to be made manifest. Three ideal-type OCLs are described, and the perspective is illustrated by reference to work role transition patterns in four large British manufacturing firms. Additional sources of variance are discussed: some are predicted by the OCL perspective and some arise as the result of choices made by individual managers within the overall framework of their firm's OCL. A simple two-dimensional model of individual choice is presented. Each OCL and its associated pattern of transitions is also likely to develop different skills and expertise in its managers; the paper concludes by discussing what these different forms of expertise might be.