n managers. A profile of the informants is summarized in Figure 2. It is not claimed that the respondents form a representative sample. Rather than seeking generalizability at the level of populations, it was intended that the data would facilitate the explanation of social phenomena at the level of subjective experience using qualitative analysis. In this regard, Van Maanen (1983: 10) reminds us that such data 'are symbolic, contextually embedded, cryptic, and reflexive, standing for nothing so much as their readiness or stubbornness to yield a meaningful interpretation and response'. Similarly, Gummesson (1988: 7 9, emphasis in original) argues that generalizability in a single case should be seen in terms of achieving 'a fundamental understanding of the structure, process and driving forces, rather than a superficial establishment of correlation or cause-effect relationships'. Formal interviews were followed up with subsequent visits and telephone conversations for further information, clarification and corroboration. The interview checklist included questions such as: what do you consider as the distinctive features of the way managers behave here? What distinguishes IP from rival companies? What do managers need to do to succeed? What kinds of people are most likely to have an exemplary career? How important is an international assignment for career advancement? What are managers hoping to achieve from MTD? What does the firm expect from managers undergoing MTD? What is it like to take an assignment here? What is it like to take a course at IPI? What does a visit to IP and IPI do for one's career? The key questions were explored with appropriate probing. This approach has been successfully used in other inductive and qualitative research on culture (e.g. Hofstede et al. 1990; Sackman 1992). Through a qualitative analysis, I was able to piece together the commonly held values of IP culture and how these are linked to the major objec...
