They do not promote from within. The question is do they feel other companies are doing a better job at training their future managers than they are able to do? Lower level managers are left operating stores and regions with little or no support and then they most often promote from outside the company into the available upper level management positions. Based on my personal experience, conversations and observations, by undervalueing their current employees this has led to a mass exodus at the store, regional and coorporate level of long-term employees. They lack in communication...they tend to operated like the "wizard behind the curtain in OZ", leaving employees lacking the information they need to meet the current expectations and directives. They lack an internally organized structure. There are little or no resources for training, branding expetations, planning, resourcing, etc. While they are doing well financially at the company-wide level, there are areas where "company waste at its finest" are displayed where lower level employees witness what they percieve to be their salary increases, benefits and bonus' going out the window.