International generalizability of American hypotheses about Japanese management progress: A strong inference investigation

Abstract

Management progress was investigated over a 13-year period for a cohort of 71 males who joined one large Japanese corporation in 1972 immediately after graduating from college and progressed within this company into middle management. The international generalizability of four hypotheses of career progress developed from American research were evaluated within a single longitudinal design: Bray's Assessed Management Potential (AMP) hypothesis, Landy's Performance Appraisal (PA) hypothesis, Porter's Organizational Commitment (OC) hypothesis, and Graen's Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) hypothesis. Predictions from each of these four predictors and their pairwise combinations showed that all four predictors especially LMX and PA demonstrated utility as did two of the six pairwise combinations (LMX × AMP and LMX × CO). Two new models of management progress which synthesize the best predictors were developed and offered for further testing. Implications of these findings for the theory and practice of management development and career progress are discussed.