Career Patterns of Top Management Team Members in Listed Companies:Applying Optimal Matching Analysis

Abstract

Abstract:

This paper applies optimal matching analysis (OMA) to research the career patterns of top managers from a holistic perspective of the career. We analyze 355 top management team members' demographic information from 244 listed companies, and the samples come from RESSET Financial Database. Our research approach focuses on the analysis of complex career sequences. The career sequences in our research are composed of organizational tenure, functional background and industrial background. With the OMA method and subsequent cluster analysis, we develop six career patterns of TMT members, and then we elaborate their respective characteristics. In addition, this study also applies chi-square tests to examine career patterns of TMT members in different birth years and positions. The result shows the occurrence of major patterns differs significantly among different birth years and positions. Compared with the corresponding studies abroad, the present study finds out special career pattern which exists in China. The characteristics of external labor market strategy and career variety are discussed specifically. Finally, we provide suggestion for policy-making and personal career development.

Key words: top management team, career pattern, optimal matching analysis

Qiao Kun, Zhang Zhao. Career Patterns of Top Management Team Members in Listed Companies:Applying Optimal Matching Analysis[J]. , 2015, 27(12): 141-150.

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