Managerial Performance: A New Look at Underlying Dimensionality.

This paper reports an investigation of the underlying dimensionality of managerial performance utilizing a multidimensional scaling approach. Using similarities and preference data supplied by practicing managers, four dimensions were identified: Perceived Managerial Competence, Activity Level, Role Centrality, and Purposefulness. Dimensions were replicated in three independent analyses. These dimensions are descriptive and represent the relevant and discriminable criteria used by managers to evaluate managers. It is suggested that performance and evaluator "profiles" may provide a rich source of data for the analysis of managerial performance. The authors propose that a better understanding of the dimensionality of performance is a necessary precondition for the development of meaningful normative models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]