tives of MTD, as described in the training policies and interviews. These are illustrated in Figure 3.There was widespread consensus about the 'integrative' role of culture, the link between culture, MTD and a successful career. As there were no significant differences in opinion based on geographical origin, the views are treated as those of a fairly homogenous cadre of high-flier managers. [3] For example, all the informants agreed that it was more 'prestigious' to visit IPI than the Centre. None of the 15 visiting managers expressed an interest in a permanent position at the Centre. Only the Pakistani marketing manager admitted that he would be interested in taking up a senior position at the Centre later in his career. One noteworthy difference based on IPI status was that 'analytical thinking' was rated the most important dimension of MTD by WI graduates (3 UK-based; 5 Other); for non-IPI graduates, the most significant dimension was 'broad vision' (4 UK-based; 7 Other).The functional and symbolic aspects were analyzed with reference to the conceptual model and illustrated with selected quotes from the interviews. Following Ragin (1994), we adopt an interpretive approach to facilitate theory building and the understanding of 'meaning'. This, according to Ragin (1994: 92), is the 'key to in-depth knowledge.' This paper thus achieves depth through an incisive and detailed analysis.A Functionalist Perspective'Functionalist' here refers both to the purposive use of policies/practices to achieve managerially sanctioned objectives aimed at enhancing organizational performance and effectiveness, and the quest for practically useful outcomes. In this regard, Burrell and Morgan (1988: 26) argue that the 'functionalist paradigm':'seeks to provide essentially rational explanations of social affairs. It is a perspective which is highly pragmatic in orientation, concerned to understand society in a way which generates knowledge which can be put...
