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Despite their fairly widespread use among large companies, little information is available to those interested in designing, managing, or evaluating high‐potential (fast‐track) management development programmes. In an attempt to fill this void, three sources of programme ineffectiveness are examined: participants′ dissatisfaction, the negative attitudes of non‐participants, and cultural misfit. Also examines ten ineffectiveness‐avoiding lessons for programme design and implementation learned during an in‐depth assessment of one company′s formalized, entry‐level high‐potential management development programme

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implicit beliefs both high potentials and HR directors hold about the terms of the exchange relationship between high potential employees and their organizations. The paper positions the study within the framework of the psychological contract, exploring specifically whether strategic ambiguity and information asymmetries in high potential programs create a heightened risk of psychological contract breach.

A total of 20 high potentials and 11 HR directors from nine different organizations were interviewed. Open and axial coding of the qualitative data was performed by three raters.

Information asymmetry in high potential programs, indeed, poses a potential risk for psychological contract breach. Although strategic ambiguity can be an effective communication strategy in that it creates a power imbalance in favor of the organization, at all times a delicate balance must be maintained between leaving room for flexibility and intuitive decision making, and creating perceived promises in high potential employees that are subsequently broken. In fact, through information asymmetry organizations run the risk of achieving the exact opposite of the goals they had for their high potential programs in the first place.

Hardly any research has been done on the psychological effects of identifying a very small proportion of an organization's workforce as high potentials. In addition, research contrasting employee and employer beliefs about psychological contract terms is scarce.

The purpose of this paper is to provide practical how-to information for those looking to develop high-potential employees within their organizations or for their clients.

The paper is based on a combination of recent surveys and studies of what is happening with the development (or lack thereof) of high-potential employees as well as recommendations of key components for high-potential programs based on the author’s direct experience.

Though not a research paper, this work finds that while some organizations have programs in place to develop high potentials, many still do not, despite it being viewed as helpful in recruiting and retaining top talent.

The information provided can be used by both internal practitioners and external consultants to implement high-potential employee development programs for any size of organization.

High-potential employees represent future leaders. Without developing them, organizations run the risk of high attrition costs along with a lack of qualified talent to fill leadership pipelines.

The value of this paper is twofold: it offers detailed information to set the tone with stakeholders when it comes to talking about and developing high-potential talent, and it provides a starting point with first steps for successful program implementation.

The purpose of the present study was to describe the high potential identification practices of Canadian organizations and to assess elements of these practices as they relate to managers' perceptions of organizational justice.

The study reviewed the literature on high potential identification practices and organizational justice to develop a survey for managers attending a leadership conference. Distributive and procedural justice was regressed against the elements of these programs (e.g. the extent of manager input into the program, the openness of communications) to determine the impact of program elements on justice outcomes.

The paper reveals that approximately one‐third (38 percent) of companies reported having a high potential identification program. High potential was most often defined in specific organizational terms based on competencies. Typically, information used to identify these individuals was based on: personal experience with the person, performance appraisals and past performance or results. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses (n=123) indicated that high potential identification programs containing manager input, open communication and formal program evaluation significantly predicted procedural justice. None of the predictions for distributive justice were significant.

This study is the first to empirically investigate the impact of high potential identification practices on managers' perceptions of organizational justice in North America. Manager's justice perceptions reflect an important criterion to evaluate high potential identification programs. The current study found that manager's perceptions of procedural justice were higher when they had more input into the development of the program, when the communication strategy was more open, and the program was evaluated. Despite these important elements, many organizations do not incorporate them into their programs, which have implications for their success.

The purpose of this paper is to determine key competencies used by organizations in identifying high potential employees. It also seeks to examine practices and programs to manage such employees and finally to identify problems encountered in the development programs.

The respondents of the study were HR practitioners. Convenient sampling was used and the respondents answered survey forms that were sent out using regular mails and e-mails. As a result, 237 forms were generated and used for analyses. In order to test construct validity, factor analyses were performed and mean values of each variable were also used for interpretations.

Employers put highest emphasis on employees who were customer service oriented. Three major competences were identified – results-oriented character, interpersonal competence and technical competence/flexibility. The most common method to identify potential was performance appraisal by immediate superiors. The most common method to develop high potential employees was job enlargement and the most common problem in the development programs was in dealing with those who had personal and work-life balance.

Performance appraisal done by immediate supervisor may not be the best method to gauge future performance and should be coupled with performance review or discussion with the superiors. Job experience is still effective in developing potential. Specific policies that help employees to balance personal and work life are important in development programs.

The responses from the HR practitioners shed some lights on what major competences are important in identifying potential that can be used in talent management.

Organization development is focused on implementing a planned process of positive humanistic change in organizations through the use of social science theory, action research, and data-based feedback methods. The role of personality in that change process, however, has historically been ignored or relegated to a limited set of interventions. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a conceptual overview of the linkages between personality and OD, discuss the current state of personality in the field including key trends in talent management, and offer a new multi-level framework for conceptualizing applications of personality for different types of OD efforts. The chapter concludes with implications for research and practice.

Driven by a shortage of leadership capacity, companies are seeking to identify leadership talent earlier. Some companies are introducing programs to identify leadership potential among university students and then hire “high potentials” directly into management designate roles. The purpose of this paper is to explore one such early-stage leadership development program. Currently, little information is available about these initiatives.

Case study based on interviews with 18 managers and director of HR and archival employee records.

This case study provides a detailed description of an early-stage leadership identification and development program. This program has been developed to identify leadership talent among senior university students prior to hiring and onboarding, provide support, training and development and fast-track them into leadership positions. The study provides insight into the challenges and effectiveness of an early-stage leadership program and offers some practical implications.

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to document a leadership development program that identifies “high potentials” among university students for the purpose of developing them into company leaders.

In the current stressful recessionary period, the need for highly effective managers who can skillfully direct bet‐the‐company strategic initiatives such as disruptive innovation, restructuring, strategic renewal and mergers greatly increases. It more important than ever to study the succession planning and leadership training of best‐practice firms to learn better ways to develop high potential leaders. This paper aims to investigate this issue.

The paper offers a summary of some of these best practices and provides case examples of successful applications.

The paper finds that employees with high leadership potential need to be systematically identified and tracked by line managers as part of an overall strategic succession planning process. Success in developing the next generation of leaders requires creating a talent management system in which selection, development, performance management, succession and career management are aligned, reviewed and supported by senior management.

Some of the more cost‐ and resource‐efficient practices for implementing a successful early‐stage high‐potential program include: a special learning and development track for the high potentials; rotation of managers across disciplines‐divisions‐geographies; technology‐based learning; action learning; and coaching/mentoring (internal and external) programs.

To ensure that the talent pool supports the company's overall strategy, the abilities of the high potential individuals should be shaped to correspond with the emerging leadership needs of the next decade. The “best firms for leaders” are typically twice as likely to use a variety of developmental techniques for their “best and brightest.”

The author's interest in learning organisation development leads him to examine large French companies' practices regarding “high potential” executives policies and to question their selection and development processes and their capabilities to develop learning oriented organisations.The author also tries to explain why most large French companies are not yet familiar with this concept.

An analysis of the managerial and leadership characteristics of the French élite, as well as of the way they are trained in French grandes écoles and universities, can help to understand the kind of dominant style of leadership that features in the so called “high potential” executives in most large French companies.

The criteria against which these French “high potential” executives are discriminated explains largely their still very traditional hierarchical and centralised leadership styles, that are not favourable to build the more learning oriented organisations of the future. In addition most of the management development programmes for these executives stem from the traditional hierarchical leadership models that do not foster the necessary changes.

This article is based on the results of several studies performed in France by organisational sociologists about the corporate élite and the “high potential” executives of large companies and their development policies. The author relies on his participation in field researches but also draws from his extensive professional experience and in‐depth knowledge of these large organisations as consultant, trainer and speaker.

This article provides a critical approach of the mainstream “high potential” model based on the learning organisation philosophy. It proposes another vision of the “high potential” executive concept that the author believes to be more adequate in facing up to the challenge of the HR management and leadership changes that most large French organisations will likely have to face in the future. It also raises the issue of the adequacy of the present leadership development offer of the higher management education system. Although slightly political it aims at generating a debate about the very concept of the “high potential” executive, which is a major key to the necessary changes in the people management and leadership practices for the organisations of the future.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions that impact Canadian organizations’ satisfaction with their high-potential (HIPO) identifying practices. More specifically, the paper investigated the perceptual lenses used by HR professionals to view their HIPO identification programs and the elements of such programs that impact satisfaction.

A structural equations modeling technique was used to analyze responses to a national survey (n=219) conducted through a leading Canadian publication for human resource practitioners.

The results reveal that HR professionals form their perceptions of HIPO identification programs on the basis of perceived effectiveness to accurately identify HIPO employees, fairness and motivation. The results further indicate that the degree of formalization of an organization's approach toward identifying HIPOs is the most impactful element for determining satisfaction.

First, the study relied on a relatively small sample. Second, the criterion measures used in the study were not continuous. Third, data were collected using self-report questionnaires.

The results suggest that organizations should be primarily concerned with adopting a formal, systematic approach when implementing a HIPO identification process. The paper identifies several other elements that organizations should consider in order to maximize their satisfaction with HIPO programs, as well corresponding mediating perceptual lenses.

While many organizations regard HIPO programs as essential for their future success, most are not satisfied with their initiatives. This study makes an important contribution to the understanding of the sources of satisfaction with such programs. To the knowledge, this study is the first attempt to understand the factors that determine organizations’ satisfaction with their HIPO identification programs and, therefore, it makes a significant contribution to the literature on developing leadership capability through design and implementation of HIPO programs.