This study examines the process of status acquisition by a new organizational unit in a General Motors (GM) sales and service division. Through qualitative data collection methods, we elicited employees' perspectives concerning the ranking of organizational units, identifying key organizational factors that influence status acquisition. As part of this effort, we discovered a relationship between the status of organizational units and career mobility. We also reconstruct the process by which organizational status was acquired, showing the role of American and GM culture in shaping status outcomes.
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