The findings from a number of studies conducted at Cranfield School of Management exploring executive succession, are presented. Five critical considerations for executive succession are identified. These are, the need to respect context, effectively managing the dynamics of top teams, being...

There persists the belief that a firm’s only responsibility to society is to maximize profits without breaking the law, hence the role of corporate governance is to provide appropriate corporate control. Research suggests that there is a growing perception that corporations are social entities...

Analyses the special difficulties encountered by an undercover worker researching unconventional behaviour in the workplace. Posits that the problems of such behaviour cannot be solved without accepting that it is meaningful to the actors. Reports qualitative participant‐observer research in...

Given that the top management group sets the “agenda” for any business, their group and individual expectations, attributes and behaviour require consideration. Reports a study of 36 European top teams (443 senior managers), in a cross‐section of industries in both private and public...

Reports a review of the Irish economic and political scene as background to a survey of best practice in Irish top management. Addresses issues of the competences required to induce added value performance from total organization. Four long‐term consultancy assignments in different sectors led...

Outlines the results of research into the strategic concerns of top management in mid‐ to large‐size European corporate organizations. Four key levers for the successful management of international business have been identified. It is important to: create a high quality dialogue within the...

Bases its findings on the results of a survey of 168 top level managers in French organizations. Demographic variables, behavioural characteristics and measures of business impact have been linked in order to discover whether organizational infrastructure concerns, educational achievements of...

The paper presents the results of a study based on an extensive number of interviews and focus group discussions conducted with non‐executive directors (NEDs), executive and non‐executive chairmen, chief executive officers (CEOs) and other key line and functional directors within UK...

Based on research at Cranfield School of Management, involving 36 organizations in the UK, USA, Ireland, Greece and France and thousands of European executives, addresses such questions as: What does vision mean at the top? What is required for consistent success as a top manager? What does the...

Presents a study of correlates of divergent vision within, and sensitivity to internal issues by, top management teams across an eight‐country sample of 2,514 top managers. The outcome reveals their importance as well as remarkable similarities. Findings relate, among others, to organizational...