Executive Selection

📖 The Scoop

This book presents a study that examined the apparent failures of many top-level executive selections. For the study, information was gathered from 494 top executives. The research's purpose was to determine how executives are defined as successful or unsuccessful, how executive selection takes place in modern organizations, and what determines whether companies look inside or outside for a successor. These questions were addressed through an organizing framework that outlined the domains related to executive selections. These domains were developed by combining what is known about selection at lower levels in the organization with the differences and special needs of selection within the top ranks of the organization. The results indicate that performance measures--how one does the job--do not differentiate between successful and unsuccessful executives. In addition, selection processes are related to the eventual success or failure of executives according to the explicitness of organizational needs, position requirements, and who is selected to be in the candidate pool. The study also found that internal selection processes differ from external selection processes in terms of organizational needs, position requirement, and other factors. Selection processes vary in length of process and number of candidates considered. Two appendices present the study protocols and limitations. (Contains 40 figures and 40 references.) (RJM)

Genre: Business & Economics / Human Resources & Personnel Management (fancy, right?)