In the high technology environment of “Silicon Valley”, California, the companies have a high percentage of foreign‐born employees, often with a strong sense of ethnic identity. An OD project in one such company with production problems revealed that organisational complexities needed...

The development of the AMA competency model is described. It is the first to be both generic and empirically grounded. It is applied in a graduate level programme leading to a master's degree, the Competency Development Laboratory, and specific skill courses. After an initial audit with...

Research on leadership is reviewed, beginning from the now abandoned idea of the “born” leader. The present view of the three elements important for the understanding and practice of leadership are personality, leaders' behaviours and situational factors. Beyond that, attempts are now being...

The traditional approach to management development — based on identification of talent and a planned career structure — will have to adjust to shrinking job and promotion opportunities. But organisations still need to plan for management succession. Four approaches are suggested, including...

“Landamatics” is a label given by American scholars to designate this algorithmic‐heuristic theory and method of performance, learning and instruction. Landamatics analyses and explains the mental processes which underlie expert performance, learning and decision making. It also defines...

Managerial decision making should result from the rational and “feeling” sides of the human mind operating in harmony. An experiment in management development with two groups of mature students is undertaken. A short description of both the limitations and potential of the method is then...

The development of a measure of corporate culture is reviewed. A three factor model focused on how managers motivate performance emerged from repeated factorings. Scores are reported for seven organisations. Both frontal assaults and flanking manoeuvres for shaping effective work cultures are...

A recent survey of major American firms confirms that the trend to increased management training is gaining momentum. Courses relating to strategic planning and implementation, particularly with regard to productivity and competitiveness, are increasing, and more courses are customised to...

A life insurance firm undertakes a major programme to integrate management development with organisational development as a change strategy to impact on all levels of employees. The underlying objectives — improved planning, team effectiveness, resource utilisation, open communication — lead...

The characteristics of organisational growth and decline are described, ending in demise or renewal. A “case study” then illustrates these stages — entrepreneurial, maturation, aging and demise — as they are demonstrated in a management development institute. Guidance on how to keep such...