Broken Ladders: Managerial Careers in the New Economy

By: Paul Osterman

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Synopsis: Broken Ladders: Managerial Careers in the New Economy provides the first comprehensive view of how the careers of managers in organizations are changing. Broken Ladders reports on the employment security, advancement prospects, skills, and wages of managers in a wide range of firms and industries. These cases show that one myth--that the number of managers is declining--is wrong. But the job tenure of middle managers is more precarious. They can no longer expect steady promotions up the ladder, nor can they expect life-time employment with the same firm. New organizational designs demand new skills from managers and Broken Ladders describes what these are. On another front, managerial pay has not declined at the same rate as other workers. However, the pay gap between senior and middle managers has widened. Given job insecurity and growing pay inequality firms confront a difficult dilemma: how to maintain the commitment of their managers at the same time that the employers are reducing their commitment to their employees. Broken Ladders will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of human resources, labor economics, career development, and organizational behavior. It will also be important reading for managers and strategic planners who have to take account of the changing nature of employment.