A Descriptive Model of Managerial Effectiveness

Abstract

This study was designed to help understand what effective managers really do. Unlike previous research on managerial effectiveness, a diverse sample (N = 78) of managers was directly observed in natural settings. These data on managerial activities gathered by trained observers were related to a subordinate-report measure of unit effectiveness. Using canonical correlation analysis, a descriptive model of managerial effectiveness was derived. This one-dimensional model consists of a continuum ranging from a quantity-oriented human resource manager (who was observed to exhibit considerable staffing and motivating or reinforcing activities and was perceived to have quantity performance in the unit) to quality- oriented traditional manager (who was observed to exhibit a lot of interaction with outsiders, controlling and planning activities, and was perceived to have quality performance in the unit). This empirically derived descriptive model helps identify needed managerial activities and skills for quantity and quality performance in today's organizations.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alexander, L.D. (1979). The effect level in the hierarchy and functional area have on the extent Mintzberg's roles are required by managerial jobs . Proceedings of the Academy of Management

Campbell, J.P. (1974). The measurement of organizational effectiveness: A review of relevant research and opinion. Minneapolis : Personnel Decisions.

Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales . Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 37-46.

Cummings, L.L. (1980). Productivity challenge: A behavioral perspective . Proceedings of the Academy of Inter-disciplinary Sciences. Las Vegas.

Darlington, R.B. , Weinberg, S.L. , & Walberg, H.J. (1973). Canonical variate analysis and related techniques . Review of Educational Research, 43, 433-454.

Georgopoulos, B.S. , & Tannenbaum, A.S. (1957). The study of organizational effectiveness. American Sociological Review, 22, 534-540.

Goodman, P.S. , & Pennings, J.M. (1977). New perspectives on organizational effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass .

Hair, J.F. , Anderson, R.E. , Tatham, R.L. , & Grablowsky, B.J. (1979). Multivariate data analysis . Tulsa, OK: Petroleum Publishing .

Kirchoff, B. (1977). Organizational effectiveness measurement and policy research. Academy of Management Review, 1, 347-355.

10.

Kotter, J.P. (1982). The general managers. New York : Free Press.

11.

Kurke, L.B. , & Aldrich, H.E. (1983). Mintzberg was rightl A replication and extension of the nature of managerial work. Management Science, 29, 975-984.

12.

Lau, A.W. , Newman, A.R. , & Broedling, L.A. (1980). The nature of managerial work in the public sector. Public Management Forum, 19, 513-521.

13.

Levine, M.S. (1977). Canonical analysis and factor comparison. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

14.

Luthans, F. (in press). Successful versus effective real managers. Academy of Management Executive.

15.

Luthans, F. , Hodgetts, R.M. , & Rosenkrantz, S.A. (1988). Real managers. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.

16.

Luthans, F. , & Larsen, J.K. (1986). How managers really communicate. Human Relations, 39,161-178.

17.

Luthans, F. , & Lockwood, D.L. (1984). Toward an observation system for measuring leader behavior in natural settings. In J. G. Hunt , D. Hosking , C. Schriesheim , & R. Stewart (Eds.), Leaders and managers: International perspectives on managerial behavior and leadership (pp. 117-141). New York: Pergamon Press.

18.

Luthans, F. , Rosenkrantz, S.A. , & Hennessey, H. (1985). What do successful managers really do? Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 21, 255-270.

19.

McCall, M.W. , & Segrist, C.A. (1980). In pursuit of the manager's job: Building on Mintzberg . Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

20.

Mintzberg, H. (1975). The manager's job: Folklore and fact. Harvard Business Review, 53(4), 49-61.

21.

Mott, P.E. (1972). The characteristics of effective organizations . New York: Harper & Row.

22.

Rumelt, R.P. (1974). Strategy, structure and economic performance. Boston: Graduate School of Business, Harvard University.

23.

Schriesheim, C.A. , & Fulk, J.L. (1981). Subordinate self-perceptions of performance as a moderator of the effects of directive leadership: A path-goal theory extension . Proceedings of the Academy of Management

24.

Snyder, H.H. , & Wheelen, T.L. (1981). Managerial roles: Mintzberg and the management process theorists. Proceedings of the Academy of Management

25.

Steers, R.M. (1975). Problems in the measurement of organizational-effectiveness . Administrative Science Quarterly, 20, 546-558.

26.

Thorndike, R.L. (1949). Personnel selection: Test and measurement techniques . New York: John Wiley.

27.

Thorton, G.E. , III, & Zorich, S. (1980). Training to improve observer accuracy. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 351-354.

28.

Tucker, R.K. , & Chase, L.J. (1980). Canonical correlation. In P. R. Monge & J. N. Cappella (Eds.), Multivariate techniques in human communication research. New York: Academic Press.

29.

Van de Ven, A. , & Ferry, D.L. (1980). Measuring and assessing organizations. New York: John Wiley.