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The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's

The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's The British Manager The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's support for the control of secondary picketing and the modification of the law on closed shops. When asked more Roger Mansfield, Michael Poole, Paul Blyton and Paul broadly about the role of the state, the managers in the sample expressed generally anti-corporatist views except in Frost the area of industrial relations where they were in favour of further legislation on strikes, tribunals to investigate strikes Managers today are a very large and growing occupational and compulsory arbitration. This apparently widespread group. Indeed in the most recent census for which results are available (1971) there were nearly 1.7 million managers desire for state intervention to control unions is compar­ able with widely held beliefs that 'trade unions today have constituting nearly 7 per cent of the economically active too much power' - a sentiment endorsed by over eighty per British population. At the same time there can be no doubting the strategic position of managers with regard to cent of the managers in the sample, and a number of other broadly anti-union attitudes (e.g. over 85% of the sample the success of individual enterprises and for the resuscita­ felt that unions were not acting in the country's economic tion of the British economy. Considering all this, it is surprising how little systematic research has been devoted interests). Despite these attitudes about a quarter of the managers in the sample stated they were union members. to the study of managers. However, it must be noted that there are very large differ­ The research described here was designed to fill the gap ences in this between managers in the public and private in knowledge mentioned above and substantially augment sectors with sixty per cent of those in the public sector being knowledge on the social and educational background of union members as compared to slightly less than ten per managers, their working careers and present jobs, their cent in the private sector. attitudes to their work and their views on professionalism, unions, participation, industrial relations and the role of The vast majority (nearly ninety per cent) of managers the state. The sample studied were all members or fellows regarded themselves as professionals and generally were in of the British Institute of Management. Questionnaires favour of the British Institute of Management taking a very were sent out in July 1980 and replies received from 1,058 active role to enforce professional standards in manage­ managers (52% response rate). Although limited to BIM ment, promote training standards and to establish a code of members, the survey was exceedingly broad in its compass ethics for managers, all factors geared to the enhancement in terms of the geographic spread of respondents, types of of the professional status of managers as a group. employer, and hierarchical level although on this latter variable the sample tended to over-represent senior When attention is focussed on attitudes which were managers. closely related to the job itself, it is probably fair to say that In mid-1980, at the time of the survey, the 'typical' the managers as a whole were fairly well satisfied with their British manager was male, married, aged 43 and earning lot, their main areas of dissatisfaction relating to lack of between £10,000 and £15,000 a year. It was clear from the promotion opportunities, lack of opportunities for per­ data that today's managers are not recruited exclusively sonal growth and pay. It was notable, however, that there from any particular social strata, although they are more were considerable differences between public and private likely than average to come from a middle class back­ sector managers on the extent of their satisfaction with ground. In terms of education it is notable that nearly sixty particular job characteristics. Those working in the private per cent of the sample had received most of their secondary sector would appear to be more satisfied with the oppor­ education at grammar and technical schools and only three tunities for personal growth and development, indepen­ per cent at comprehensive schools. This finding would be dent thought and action, self esteem and promotion. Public expected to change in the future as recent changes in the sector managers on the other hand seemed to be more education system work their way through. Although virtu­ satisfied with pay and, in particular, security. ally all the managers had received some form of higher or further education, only a third had obtained degrees of Obviously managerial attitudes are highly complex whom a little over half had studied science or technology at phenomena, not capable of easy explanation. However, it university. did seem that many of the views expressed could be seen to stem from the managers' desire for control of their jobs and There was some evidence that managers are becoming work situations and as a response to the threats they see to more mobile with nearly half having worked for four or this. Thus, managers could be seen to espouse views which more employers. However, it is clear that they did not were consistent with a rejection of both the challenge from spend all their time rushing from job to job as over forty per above stemming from state intervention and the challenge cent had spent over ten years with their current employers. from below stemming from greater union power and in­ It was clear that managers in the private sector are gener­ volvement in decision-making. ally more mobile than their public sector counterparts. Statistical analysis of the routes to senior management The authors are all members of the Department of Busi­ demonstrated the complexity of the processes involved in ness Administration and Accountancy at the University of managerial careers and the difficulty of predicting career Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Friary Build­ success. Perhaps the main importance of these analyses was ing, 22 The Friary, Cardiff CF1 4JB where Roger Mans­ to discredit certain popularly held beliefs. Thus it is worth field is Professor of Business Administration and Michael recording that claims that social class origins determine Poole, Paul Blyton and Paul Frost are respectively senior success in managerial careers, that 'the old school tie' is the lecturer, lecturer and tutorial assistant in industrial rela­ key to the highest ranks in an administrative career, that a tions. A descriptive account of all the research findings has degree is vital for achievement in the modern era and that been published by the British Institute of Management the rapid changing of jobs is the route to the board-room under the title of The British Manager in Profile. A more had little or no empirical support. analytical account of the research and its implications en­ titled Managers in Focus will be published shortly by Generally (in July 1980) the managers supported the Gower. Both are jointly written by the authors of the Conservative Government's declared policies on a wide present article. range of economic and social issues with overwhelming http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Management Research News Emerald Publishing

The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0140-9174
DOI
10.1108/eb027788
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Abstract

The British Manager The British Manager at the Beginning of the 80's support for the control of secondary picketing and the modification of the law on closed shops. When asked more Roger Mansfield, Michael Poole, Paul Blyton and Paul broadly about the role of the state, the managers in the sample expressed generally anti-corporatist views except in Frost the area of industrial relations where they were in favour of further legislation on strikes, tribunals to investigate strikes Managers today are a very large and growing occupational and compulsory arbitration. This apparently widespread group. Indeed in the most recent census for which results are available (1971) there were nearly 1.7 million managers desire for state intervention to control unions is compar­ able with widely held beliefs that 'trade unions today have constituting nearly 7 per cent of the economically active too much power' - a sentiment endorsed by over eighty per British population. At the same time there can be no doubting the strategic position of managers with regard to cent of the managers in the sample, and a number of other broadly anti-union attitudes (e.g. over 85% of the sample the success of individual enterprises and for the resuscita­ felt that unions were not acting in the country's economic tion of the British economy. Considering all this, it is surprising how little systematic research has been devoted interests). Despite these attitudes about a quarter of the managers in the sample stated they were union members. to the study of managers. However, it must be noted that there are very large differ­ The research described here was designed to fill the gap ences in this between managers in the public and private in knowledge mentioned above and substantially augment sectors with sixty per cent of those in the public sector being knowledge on the social and educational background of union members as compared to slightly less than ten per managers, their working careers and present jobs, their cent in the private sector. attitudes to their work and their views on professionalism, unions, participation, industrial relations and the role of The vast majority (nearly ninety per cent) of managers the state. The sample studied were all members or fellows regarded themselves as professionals and generally were in of the British Institute of Management. Questionnaires favour of the British Institute of Management taking a very were sent out in July 1980 and replies received from 1,058 active role to enforce professional standards in manage­ managers (52% response rate). Although limited to BIM ment, promote training standards and to establish a code of members, the survey was exceedingly broad in its compass ethics for managers, all factors geared to the enhancement in terms of the geographic spread of respondents, types of of the professional status of managers as a group. employer, and hierarchical level although on this latter variable the sample tended to over-represent senior When attention is focussed on attitudes which were managers. closely related to the job itself, it is probably fair to say that In mid-1980, at the time of the survey, the 'typical' the managers as a whole were fairly well satisfied with their British manager was male, married, aged 43 and earning lot, their main areas of dissatisfaction relating to lack of between £10,000 and £15,000 a year. It was clear from the promotion opportunities, lack of opportunities for per­ data that today's managers are not recruited exclusively sonal growth and pay. It was notable, however, that there from any particular social strata, although they are more were considerable differences between public and private likely than average to come from a middle class back­ sector managers on the extent of their satisfaction with ground. In terms of education it is notable that nearly sixty particular job characteristics. Those working in the private per cent of the sample had received most of their secondary sector would appear to be more satisfied with the oppor­ education at grammar and technical schools and only three tunities for personal growth and development, indepen­ per cent at comprehensive schools. This finding would be dent thought and action, self esteem and promotion. Public expected to change in the future as recent changes in the sector managers on the other hand seemed to be more education system work their way through. Although virtu­ satisfied with pay and, in particular, security. ally all the managers had received some form of higher or further education, only a third had obtained degrees of Obviously managerial attitudes are highly complex whom a little over half had studied science or technology at phenomena, not capable of easy explanation. However, it university. did seem that many of the views expressed could be seen to stem from the managers' desire for control of their jobs and There was some evidence that managers are becoming work situations and as a response to the threats they see to more mobile with nearly half having worked for four or this. Thus, managers could be seen to espouse views which more employers. However, it is clear that they did not were consistent with a rejection of both the challenge from spend all their time rushing from job to job as over forty per above stemming from state intervention and the challenge cent had spent over ten years with their current employers. from below stemming from greater union power and in­ It was clear that managers in the private sector are gener­ volvement in decision-making. ally more mobile than their public sector counterparts. Statistical analysis of the routes to senior management The authors are all members of the Department of Busi­ demonstrated the complexity of the processes involved in ness Administration and Accountancy at the University of managerial careers and the difficulty of predicting career Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Friary Build­ success. Perhaps the main importance of these analyses was ing, 22 The Friary, Cardiff CF1 4JB where Roger Mans­ to discredit certain popularly held beliefs. Thus it is worth field is Professor of Business Administration and Michael recording that claims that social class origins determine Poole, Paul Blyton and Paul Frost are respectively senior success in managerial careers, that 'the old school tie' is the lecturer, lecturer and tutorial assistant in industrial rela­ key to the highest ranks in an administrative career, that a tions. A descriptive account of all the research findings has degree is vital for achievement in the modern era and that been published by the British Institute of Management the rapid changing of jobs is the route to the board-room under the title of The British Manager in Profile. A more had little or no empirical support. analytical account of the research and its implications en­ titled Managers in Focus will be published shortly by Generally (in July 1980) the managers supported the Gower. Both are jointly written by the authors of the Conservative Government's declared policies on a wide present article. range of economic and social issues with overwhelming

Journal

Management Research News – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 1, 1982

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