To gather information for use in developing the curriculum of a new Corporate College executive training program, Hagerstown Junior College (HJC) conducted a study of management and leadership practices at five organizations in the western Maryland region. The study used focus group interviews with hourly employees to gather information from participants on recent experiences that they felt had influenced their motivation, trust, and involvement levels within their organizations. Each interview lasted approximately 2 hours, and the 5 sessions involved 22 employees. In all, 162 separate comments were recorded in 6 categories, namely: establishing credibility; fostering participation; distributing authority; providing support; recognizing contributions; and creating a mission. Of the 162 comments, 70% related to systems design or work flow issues, while 30% were directed toward individual behavior. Findings of the study included the following: (1) employees were intense observers of management actions and were adept at noticing discrepancies between words and deeds; (2) employees recognized the importance of cooperation in the work setting, and wanted input into decisions that affected their work; (3) employees felt positive when given opportunities to plan and implement their own work and felt equally unmotivated when playing passive roles or when management intervened inappropriately; (4) employees expected managers to make their jobs easier; (5) employees wanted monetary and social/personal recognition for their work; and (6) employees favored a strong sense of organizational direction. As a result of the study, HJC determined that Corporate College programming must include a course/seminar which directly addresses the design of work and that programming efforts should target existing or emerging leaders, rather than mid- or lower-level management. (JMC)