Managers in UK Steel, 1870-1960:A Sociological Study of their Early Backgrounds and Careers

Abstract

A sample of eighty seven industrial steel managers in UK firms is taken from biographical sources that include trade journals like "Production Engineer", and "The Institute Of Mechanical Engineers". Data upon managers' social, educational and occupational characteristics in industrial to later industrial society, 1870-1960, are collected as a means to discuss issues arising from a contention that the British social system has probably been elitist in being more readily prepared to accept individuals from advantaged social and educational backgrounds into higher status management careers whilst denying access to those less than favourably advantaged, of management potential through later experience, that may have contributed to the UK's competitive decline in steel. The research divides into three thirty year cohorts. This helps the researcher to discern generational differences in occupational status that point to elitist management recruitment practice: whether preferences have been to select managers from middle class backgrounds with a broad education or if they have been more prepared to recruit managers of less favourable backgrounds into lower grade occupations and promote on the basis of experience. In each cohort, a general expected tendency is for managers of favourable backgrounds to occupy a higher career entry grade that furthers their chances of attaining a top management position in fewer moves in less time than managers less favourably inclined. Chapter 1 explores the research problem. Chapter 2identifies previous research literature in the field of management careers and chapter 3 describes the theory of elitism in relation to managerial socialisation. Chapter 4 consolidates this theme with specific reference to instances in the research literature that suggest elitist tendencies within family, education and occupation experiences. Chapter 5 describes the methodology applied and chapters six and seven describe, analyse and evaluate the managerial characteristics, concluding as to improvements of the situation and suggesting the direction and focus of future empirical research.