THE BUSINESS ELITE: THEN AND NOW

In: Commentary, Band 22, Heft 4, S. 367-374

Abstract

An analysis of the changes in the soc origins, educ, experience, & qualifications of America's top executives as reported in recent studies by Newcomer, Warner & Abegglen, & Maurer. Occup'al mobility throughout our society & especially from the bottom to the very top of the business world, has been rather limited. Educ is now the prime approach to the highest positions, but educ is still available mainly to the Mc's & Uc's. No women & no Negroes are among the top executives; there are, however, some foreign born, mainly from English speaking countries. Episcopalians, Presbyterians & Congregationalists are over-represented among them; Cath's are considerably underrepresented. Jews constitute 5% or close to their numerical strength in the entire pop. There is a lesser tendency for top executives to be church-goers than in the general pop. Whereas it used to be the operations & production men or the general management men who most often reached the top now the sales, advertising & finance department men most frequently forge ahead into the top positions. The % of entrepreneurs & capitalists among them has sharply dropped & the % of salaried admin'rs has risen. As traditional entrepreneurial audacity wanes in the US it is advanced as the greatest asset the West has to offer the underdeveloped countries eager to taste national power & material comfort. J. A. Fishman.