This study examines whether the performance of a business unit affects the likelihood of employees’ promotion in an organization and explores potential moderators of the relationship. Using a sample of 4,657 executive-years in Samsung Group affiliates, it finds that promotions are more likely with good organizational performance, as measured in terms of employment growth and return on assets (ROA). The main finding is robust to alternatively specified ROA variables. The results reveal that the association (i) exists only for rank promotions with a substantial increase in compensation but not for function promotions involving substantial job changes, (ii) is significant only for executives at relatively lower ranks, and (iii) is stronger in business units that allow more frequent internal transfers. The findings from the conglomerate suggest practical enabling mechanisms by which large, decentralized, and growth-decelerating firms can overcome a tradeoff between the maximization of promotion-based incentives and the efficient operation of a hierarchy.

这项研究检查了业务部门的绩效是否影响员工在组织中晋升的可能性，并探讨了这种关系的潜在主持人。使用三星集团分支机构中4,657个执行年的样本，发现以员工人数增长和资产回报率（ROA）衡量，晋升更有可能具有良好的组织绩效。主要发现对替代指定的ROA变量具有鲁棒性。结果表明，该关联（i）仅适用于薪酬大幅增加的高级晋升，而不适用于涉及大量工作变动的职能晋升；（ii）仅适用于相对较低级别的高管，而（iii）较强。允许更频繁地进行内部转移的业务部门。