Successful and effective managers : a comparison between American organisations and a New Zealand organisation : a research report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies at Massey University

the permission of the Author.

14.498

SUCCESSFUL AND EFFECfiVE MANAGERS- A COMPARISON

BETWEEN AMERICAN ORGANISATIONS AND A NEW ZEALAND ORGANISATION

A research report presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies at Massey University.

Lesley Rachel Chalmers 1991

. -- . I

Acknowledgements List of Figures List of Tables

CHAPTER ONE- INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Managers and Managing

2.2 What do Managers Do?

2.3 Luthans Study

2.4 Successful and Effective Managers 2.4.1 Successful Managers 2.4.2 Effective Managers

CHAPTER THREE- METHODOLOGY 3.1

3.2 3.3

Background Questionnaires Interviews

CHAPTER FOUR- ANALYSIS 4.1 Questionnaires

Page

i ii iii

1

3 6 9

13 14 16

20 20 22

23 4.1.1 Manifest needs, Achievement, Autonomy, Dominance 23 4.1.2 Role Ambiguity, Role Overload, Non-Participation 26

4.1.3 Organisational Commitment 28

4.1.4 Interpersonal Trust 30

4.1.5 Effectiveness 32

4.1.6 Job Satisfaction 33

4.2 Interviews 39

CHAPTER FIVE - DISCUSSION

5.1

Questionnaires

5.2

lntervievvs

CHAPTER SIX - CONCLUSIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES

A B

c

D E F

2 Massey University Library

New Zealand & 2ac:fic Collect~⁰n

47 55

58 61

63

64

65

77

78

83

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Frank Sligo and Janet Sayers for their patience and support. I would also like to thank the District Managers of the two Commercial Affairs offices studied and their staff for allowing me to conduct this research. Finally I would like to thank my typist for working so hard and my husband for his constant encouragement.

ii

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

FIGURE 1: Steps In Decision Making 4

FIGURE 2: Distribution of Managers Activities 12

FIGURE 3: Comparison of the Contribution of Manager Activities to Effectiveness 17 FIGURE 4: Comparison of the Contribution of Manager Activities to Success 18

LIST OFT ABLES

Page TABLE 1: Observation Categories of Managerial Activities with Behavioral Descriptors 7 TABLE 2: Directly Observed Activities of Managers in the Natural Setting 8

TABLE 3: Real Managers Activities 11

,