DEVELOPING A LAY MODEL OF MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS - A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST PERSPECTIVE

This study uses repertory grid interviews and a follow-up questionnaire study to develop a 'lay' theory of managerial effectiveness in a large New Zealand public sector organization. The lay theory is presented as a model with seventeen scales and two factors descriptive of effective and ineffective managers in the organization. The two factors indicate that effective and ineffective managers in the department are differentiated in terms of their conceptual, and interpersonal abilities. The effectiveness model shows strong similarity to models of effective management which have emerged in research outside New Zealand. This similarity is of particular interest given the context-specific nature of the study. The paper outlines the method used in the study, describes the key findings and discusses their implications for our understanding of managerial effectiveness.