Overqualified for management: Is having a PhD a hindrance to a successful business career in Britain?

Abstract

Purpose

This article reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Is having a post‐graduate qualification, particularly a PhD, a hindrance to effective management? Are British prejudices towards “overqualified” staff with higher academic qualifications harming the effectiveness of British industry, or is Germany's preference for management with doctorates resulting in too narrow an approach to entrepreneurship? These are questions that are raised and addressed by Edwin J. Merrette's article, “Company ‘doctors’: do higher academic qualifications make for ‘better’ managers?”

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2006), "Overqualified for management: Is having a PhD a hindrance to a successful business career in Britain?", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 21-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280610645903