The Dynamics of MBA Success

A longitudinal study was undertaken to discover the relationships between the job success of MBA’s and their scores on psychological tests, peer evaluations, and questionnaires administered five and ten years after graduation. Of 45 respondents to the first ten-year follow up, those who reported the greatest job satisfaction also achieved the greatest success. The high satisfaction group tended to: (a) have high energy and activity; b) be oriented towards personal relations rather than technology; (c) have a large gap between ideal success and their perception of current success five years earlier; (d) have gone into small business; and (e) be owners or partners in their firm. Observed changes in job satisfaction and success between 1966 and 1971 are interpreted as resulting from interactions among level of aspiration, initial job success, and personality factors.