Toward a Taxonomy of Managerial Performance Profiles

In this study, we applied a typological approach to the performance domain by investigating the profile similarity of managers across a number of managerial performance dimensions. Inverse principal components analysis identified three types of managers, which were defined by examining correlations between person-component loadings and scores on performance, ability, and personality variables. Task-Oriented Technicians were technically skilled but interpersonally ineffective; Amiable Underachievers were interpersonally sensitive, but were lacking in motiva- tion and many managerial skills; and People-Oriented Leaders excelled in leadership and supervision aspects of the job, but had relatively poor financial and quantitative skills. Despite the differences in their profiles, mean scores for Task-Oriented Technicians and People-Oriented Leaders did not differ on a measure of overall performance.

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