Faculty of Education - Theses

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End date: 2006 × Start date: 2006 × Type: Masters Coursework thesis × Subject: Chief executive officers ×

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    Corporate curiosity: the learning trajectory of a global chief executive officer
    Cowen, Jasmine ( 2006)
    This research project explored an expansive but as yet unexplored topic-global managerial identity. It developed an understanding of this phenomenon in the context of Australia's tall poppy syndrome and the experience of global chief executive officers in the postmodern era. The rationale for conducting the research was: Australia's ability to create world-class managers will be improved through understanding the management learning trajectories of global managers. In the context of this research and from the perspective of management learning theory a dilemma presents itself. While management learning (phronesis or practical knowledge - practical wisdom) appears inevitably to accompany management education (techne or technical knowledge), the literature of management learning as learning `from', `at' and `through' work reveals that considerable learning occurs outside formal tertiary curricula. The literature on management education, on the other hand, identifies descriptive and prescriptive lists of management attributes, characteristics, profiles, generic skills and competency structures without explaining how these are linked to global managerial identities in the context of whole-of-life learning. This research was conducted as a qualitative investigation of the formation of a global manager's professional identity in the context of management learning; it gained rich descriptions of the learning trajectory of this individual. Data extracted and analyzed from an interview with the global manager in London and consequent follow-up questions focused upon a global manager's ideas, thoughts, experiences and values. Findings reveal that global CEO learning focuses on whole-person learning and whole-of- life learning; it is intense and multifaceted. Conclusions of the research assert that: (i) both informal and formal learning are important to the formation of global managerial identities; (ii) a three-dimensional model of 1eaming/education is conducive to global managerial identity: intensification (management learning), specialization (core competency skills) and generalization (the liberal arts); and (iii) Australian managers can learn from the' learning trajectory of a global chief executive officer who did not suffer from the tall poppy syndrome.