Managerial Effectiveness and Defense Mechanism Styles: a comparison of Different Level of Managers

Abstract

This questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted on 234 managers selected randomly on availability basis to find out the relationship between the managerial effectiveness and ego defense mechanisms adopted by the managers. Subjects chosen for study were working at different levels, i.e. junior, middle and senior level of management, in various public and private sector organizations in India. Ego defense mechanism styles among managers were assessed by using the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). For testing the managerial effectiveness, Index of Managerial Effectiveness devised by Walter W. Hudson (1993) was used. Finding reveals that there is a negative and significant correlation between the managerial effectiveness of junior level managers and the immature styles of defense mechanism adopted by them. The correlation between managerial effectiveness of junior level managers and the mature styles of defense mechanisms adopted by them is positive and significant. Correlation between managerial effectiveness of junior level managers and the neurotic styles of defense mechanisms adopted by them was not significant. There was no significant correlation between the managerial effectiveness and immature styles and neurotic style of defense mechanism adopted by the middle level managers. But the correlation between the managerial effectiveness of the middle level managers and their styles of mature defense mechanism was positively significant. The managerial effectiveness of the senior managers and their styles of mature defense mechanism were positively and significantly correlated, whereas the managerial effectiveness of the senior managers and their styles of immature defense mechanism were negatively correlated. The correlation between senior manager's managerial effectiveness and neurotic style of defense mechanism was not found significant. There was significant difference between the means of mature style of defense mechanisms used by the managerially effective and non-effective managers. The difference between the means of immature style of defense mechanism used by the managerially effective managers and non-effective managers was also significant. But the difference between the means of neurotic style of defense mechanism adopted by the managerially effective managers and the managerially non-effective managers was not significant.