The early identification of managerial motivation: An empirical examination

This study examines the usefulness of Stahl's (1983) managerial motivation measure (MMOT) in providing early identification of managerial motivation in collegians. Surveys requesting employment histories were sent to accounting graduates who had completed an instrument that measures MMOT during the last semester of their junior year in college. Analysis supports a positive correlation between MMOT and an individual's classification as manager or nonmanager eight years following graduation. Logit analysis reveals MMOT contains explanatory power in classifying an individual as manager or nonmanager. Individuals with high MMOT reached management level faster than individuals with medium or low MMOT. The results support the use of MMOT to provide early identification of managerial initiative among collegians. A method that assists in identification of young professionals with managerial motivation is of value to both accounting organizations and employees. The results suggest that the MMOT measure holds promise in this regard.