In a 1960s era television program, Tommy Smothers continually stated to his brother that "Mom always liked you best." The implication of the accusation was that brother Dick fared better in life because of parental favoritism that is assumed to be accorded to an eldest child in any family with multiple children, or at times to the youngest child in a large family. Ornstein (1994, pp. 59-61) reported that birth order can affect personalities. Harrigan and Finch (1992, pp. 66-71) reported that while all seven Mercury astronaughts were first-born children, most comedians were the last-born children in their families. The extension of such findings leads to contentions by some people that birth order can affect achievement in later life (Kessler, 1991, pp. 413-426). The effects that birth order may have on achievement in later life, however, are a matter of both dispute and interpretation (Ghosh, 1989, pp. 90-92). This problem will be investigated in the proposed research study.
The purpose of the proposed research study will be to establish the relationship between birth order and success in organizational management. The findings and conclusions of the proposed research study will provide information that will help individuals to plan career strategies. Further, the findings and conclusions of this study will enhance the capability of organizations to deal with a diverse work force.
Three research hypotheses will be tested in the proposed study. These hypotheses are as follows:
1. Individuals who were first-born children will advance to higher organizational positions than will individuals who were later-born children.
2. Individuals who were first-born children will advance more rapidly within organizations than will individuals who were later-born children.
3. Birth-order will have a greater effect on the organizational advancemen
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