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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2009

By
Peter Cappelli
Edited by
Peter Cappelli
Peter Cappelli
Affiliation:
George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Peter Cappelli
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
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Summary

The context of new models of white-collar work

The Organization Man, the famous book by Fortune editor William H. Whyte written in 1955 about corporate careers, defined for a generation the career experience of managers entering the business world, as well as the effects of that experience on society. It provided the details for practical issues such as how corporations made hiring decisions (even detailing how to “cheat” on personality tests), how executives thought and acted, and how they got ahead in their careers. In those days, virtually all the good jobs in business were in large corporations.

When The Organization Man was published, and for the generation that followed, business careers began with college recruiting, when employers looked for candidates who could be molded into executives with the values and characteristics appropriate for their company. They looked for potential, and the key component of potential was their personality. Once hired, the company set about training and developing the skills of the young manager – not just their business skills but their social and interpersonal skills. Pressures to conform were considerable, and those pressures extended to their family and to their life outside work. Managers were groomed to see their interests and identity as defined by their organization, hence “the Organization Man.” The defining attribute of careers was that they were governed by the company's rules and interests.

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Chapter
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Employment Relationships
New Models of White-Collar Work
 , pp. 1 - 30
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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  • Introduction
    • By Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Edited by Peter Cappelli, University of Pennsylvania
  • Book: Employment Relationships
  • Online publication: 02 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511611544.002
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  • Introduction
    • By Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Edited by Peter Cappelli, University of Pennsylvania
  • Book: Employment Relationships
  • Online publication: 02 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511611544.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
    • By Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Edited by Peter Cappelli, University of Pennsylvania
  • Book: Employment Relationships
  • Online publication: 02 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511611544.002
Available formats
×