High-performance Managers Research Articles

Subjective Well-Being and Its Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Correlates in High Performance Executives: A Study in Chilean Managers Empirically Revisiting the Bifactor Model.

This study analyzes the relationship between work satisfaction, family satisfaction, and general well-being in high performance managers in Santiago, Chile. The importance of the satisfaction of intrinsic and extrinsic needs and motivations was examined to advance in the development of a positive organizational psychology, which investigates the factors that reinforce well-being. Seventy-five executives from large and medium-sized companies were surveyed and 8 in-depth interviews were carried out. The main predictors of well-being are, from family satisfaction, the family’s ability to cope with stress and, from work satisfaction, extrinsic aspects such as material conditions of the job and stability, and intrinsic aspects such as recognition and the ability to organize one’s own work. The more general regression model shows that extrinsic job and family satisfaction predict general well-being, not intrinsic satisfaction. The results are discussed in the framework of classical models of motivation, such as Herzberg’s, their relationship to Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, and the current study of well-being in organizations.

"Looking for a Golden Needle in the Haystack": Perspectives on Talent Identification and Development in Paralympic Sport.

Despite rapid increases in research on talent identification and development in able-bodied sports, there remains limited knowledge regarding how talent is identified and developed in Paralympic contexts. The purpose of this study was to capture the perspectives of experts (coaches, high-performance managers, and pathway specialists) working in elite Paralympic sport to better understand how they conceptualize, measure, and develop talent. Eight coaches and three performance directors from six Paralympic sports, along with two pathway specialists from Paralympics Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. The results suggest impairment type and, therefore, classification are key indicators of identification and anticipated success, highlighting the importance of educating talent selectors in these areas. In addition, familial (e.g., overprotectiveness, sporting background) and biopsychosocial factors (e.g., resilience, work-ethic, sport-specific skills, other life commitments) were noted as being influential when selecting athletes. There were concerns regarding the disproportionately low number of female athletes in the system, suggesting a need for new initiatives to support early-entry points for female athletes (e.g., education on the benefits of sport participation, supportive environments). High-performance staff also lacked resources to better understand the nuances associated with different impairments and their implications (physiological response to training, associated psychological stresses from injury, identity change). Recruitment strategies included “talent search” days, collaborations with school programs and rehabilitation centers, and helping local clubs support “drop-in” athletes. However, limited funding impacted the sustainability of programs, resulting in a regular turnover of staff, loss of intellectual property, and a weakened pathway system. Results from this study generated several practical implications and future directions for research.

Sprinting and hamstring strain injury: Beliefs and practices of professional physical performance coaches in Australian football

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to establish beliefs and practices of physical performance coaches regarding sprinting and Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI) in Australian Rules football. DesignsDelphi-validated questionnaire. SettingOnline. ParticipantsEighteen high-performance managers of the Australian Football League. Main outcome measuresDescriptive statistics were collected to establish experience; central themes were established for the analyses of the beliefs and practices. ResultsNine (50%) physical performance coaches responded to an invitation to complete the questionnaire. Participants held an undergraduate degree and had 9.2 ± 4.3 years of experience. Accelerations (n = 9), maximum speed sprints (n = 9) and running with hip flexion (n = 7) were the most common activities associated with HSI. Coaches believed sprinting, eccentric strength training and proper periodisation were effective strategies to reduce HSI risk. There’s a disparity between beliefs and practices when using GPS to monitor sprinting, however, all coaches reported regular exposure to sprint training across both pre and in-season. Overstriding (n = 9) and pelvic instability (n = 6) were identified as key flaws in running mechanics. ConclusionsThis information can be used to improve training strategies, whilst these findings indicate further investigations into sprint training and running mechanics for HSI risk reduction.

Subordinate evaluations of high-performance managers

PurposeThe study investigated the factors considered by subordinates when evaluating the productivity of their managers, in addition to how those factors influenced such feedback.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted among participants. The results were processed using a cluster analysis (K-means method), the Mann–Whitney U test and the χ2-Pearson test.FindingsThe survey results were used to categorize managers as highly productive, moderately productive, or lowly productive. Recommendations for how to increase productivity were then determined.Research limitations/implicationsThe implication of our study in perspective research lies in particular in showing the mediating character of constructive feedback in subordinates' viewing manager efficient. As for practice, knowing subordinates' feedback makes it possible for an organization to influence the quality of supervisor-subordinate dyad. DTEK company has already put into practice the results of our study into corporate education and learning. In particular, recommendations for how to increase productivity (through giving constructive feedback, time to talk in private to an employee and expressing gratitude for good work) are discussed.Practical implicationsThe results indicated that highly productive managers tended to professionally develop both themselves and their subordinates. They provided subordinates with constructive feedback as well as the opportunity to talk in-person. These managers were also experts in the activities performed by their subordinates and showed gratitude for their accomplishments.Originality/valueThis study examined managerial efficacy as reviewed by subordinates. A theoretical analysis was conducted to outline the factors typically associated with managerial productivity (e.g. interpersonal skills, synchronizing projects, technical knowledge and handling work-related frustration).

The Role of the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pre-elite Athlete Development

Through the lens of the theory of reasoned action and the framework of attraction, retention, transition, and nurturing of athletes, this study examined how athletes’ experiences at the Commonwealth Youth Games contributed to satisfaction with the event, while encouraging transition into higher levels of competition. A total of 244 athletes from 23 different countries who completed a survey helped identify the environment-related aspects that created positive and negative experiences. The participants noted that learning from various social and cultural experiences influenced their event satisfaction and their future intention to remain in high-performance sport. Aspects of the event service environment, including poor accommodation and nutrition, were found to negatively impact performance. This paper contributes to the role of pre-elite events as athletic development agents that aid in talent transition. The results have implications for event organizers and high-performance managers regarding the influence of athletes’ experiences on performances and intention to transition.

Is prioritisation of funding in elite sport effective? An analysis of the investment strategies in 16 countries

ABSTRACTResearch question: This paper explores the extent to which nations prioritise elite sport funding; whether such nations are more successful than those whose funding is more diversified; and, if the sports that receive the most funding are also the most successful.Research methods: Data on public expenditure for elite sport programmes (2011/2012) were collected on a sport-specific basis in 16 nations (n = 445 funded sports). The Herfindahl index and concentration ratios of the four/eight most funded sports (CR4/CR8) are used as proxies for prioritisation. Success was measured using top three and top eight places during the Olympic Games and World Championships. Descriptive analysis and linear regression are applied to identify the relationship between the distribution of funding and success.Results and findings: Generally, all sample nations are prioritisers. Nations with smaller total elite sport budgets tended to prioritise more. There is a slight negative association between the distribution of funding within a country and subsequent success, indicating that the sample countries that prioritise more tended to be less successful. Sample nations that diversify their funding more, are found to be successful in a wider range of sports. In addition, the data illustrated only low allocative efficiency for some nations.Implications: The study produced ambiguous conclusions that prioritisation as a deliberate strategic choice is an efficient way to invest funding. The findings have important implications for high-performance managers and suggest that a more diverse resource allocation policy may help to avoid unintended negative consequences.

The Australian high performance and sport science workforce: A national profile

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to provide a profile of the demographics and employment characteristics of the Australian high performance and sport science workforce. DesignThis study used a cross-sectional, quantitative survey methodology to collect data about the Australian high performance and sport science workforce. Method175 Australian high performance and sport science employees completed an online survey which captured demographic information and work-related characteristics such as role, industry sector, income, permanence of employment and hours worked. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise information and some comparisons were made between position titles, industry sectors and sexes. ResultsThe Australian high performance and sport science workforce is predominantly male (76.0%), ≤35 years of age (50.3%), located on the eastern seaboard of Australia (69%) and have been in their current position for 2–5 years (37.4%). They are mostly employed on a fixed term contract of 2.4 years, by an institute of sport. Income varied, with those working in professional sporting clubs and/or employed as high performance managers earning the highest wage. On average, participants worked well over their contracted hours, with a considerable proportion of these hours outside the standard 9–5 working week. ConclusionsEmployees in the high performance and sport science workforce in Australia face significant professional issues that relate to long and unusual work hours, job insecurity and income disparity. Policy makers and the managers of this workforce should consider the impact of these issues on work-life balance, staff retention rates and the risk of burnout.

An Analysis of Countries’ Organizational Resources, Capacities, and Resource Configurations in Athletics

Research on elite sport policy tends to focus on the policy factors that can influence success. Even though policies drive the management of organizational resources, the organizational capacity of countries in specific sports to allocate resources remains unclear. This paper identifies and evaluates the organizational capacity of five sport systems in athletics (Belgium [separated into Flanders and Wallonia], Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands). Organizational capacity was evaluated using the organizational resources and first-order capabilities framework (Truyens, De Bosscher, Heyndels, & Westerbeek, 2014). Composite indicators and a configuration analysis were used to collect and analyze data from a questionnaire and documents. The participating sport systems demonstrate diverse resource configurations, especially in relation to program centralization, athlete development, and funding prioritization. The findings have implications for high performance managers’ and policy makers’ approach to strategic management and planning for organizational resources in elite sport.

Using data mining in the selection process of high performance managers

The selection of high performance managers involves a significant level of subjectivity. Aiming at reducing this subjectivity and mitigating possible losses, many approaches have been proposed to select the candidates that best fit into a given position. However, defining what are the most important features for a good personnel performance is still a problem. This paper details the ideas and results presented in two previous works that describe an approach, based on data mining techniques, to help managers in this process. A classifier, built over the combinatorial neural model (CNM), is described that takes as dependent variable the performance of managers as observed along their careers. As independent variables, we considered the results of well-known psychological tests (MBTI and DISC). The rules generated correlate psychological profiles of novice managers and the quality of their work after some years. These results enable a better management of people selection and allocation.

Elite sport culture and policy interrelationships: the case of Sprint Canoe in Australia

In recent years, elite sport policy has received considerable research attention. However, to date the emphasis of such studies has been the examination of policies as stand-alone entities and the ways each policy may impact athlete performance rather than how policies influence each other. This study explores the elite sport policy interrelationships of Sprint Canoe in order to explain the dynamic links between policies and how they may affect performance. To explore these links in depth, interviews with coaches, high performance managers and athletes from Sprint Canoe in Australia were conducted. The findings of this study offer a contribution to the existing literature on elite sport policy and go beyond the mere exploration of sport and country-specific policy contexts. They showcase the role of a sport’s culture on shaping policy linkages and interrelationships. The practical implications of recognising where sport policies require attention and how to achieve improvements are discussed.

An examination of the importance of performances in youth and junior competition as an indicator of later success in tennis

Talent identification at a young age is deemed essential for many national sporting organisations to increase the chances of success for their players on the international stage. Talent identification methods can be imprecise and national tennis associations and coaches often identify talent based on performances at youth tournaments and junior rankings. However, not much is known about the relationship between the international competition performances of young tennis players and later success. This relationship is explored in this study using comparisons based on: (a) the results of 3521 players at U14 youth tournaments; (b) the rankings of 377 junior players (U18) by the International Tennis Federation; (c) the rankings of 727 professional male players by the Association of Tennis Professionals; and (d) the rankings of 779 professional players by the Women's Tennis Association. Junior performances (U18) and performances at youth tournaments (U14) appear to have a low success rate in predicting later success. No distinct age was found at which players should start to perform in order to be successful at the professional level. It is concluded that even though good performances at young ages increase athletes’ chances to become elite players, they are not a precondition for achieving later success. Therefore, this study informs talent scouts, sport development officers, coaches and high performance managers of the role that performances at international youth competitions may play in talent identification in tennis.

Characteristics of high performing managers in The Netherlands

PurposeDespite the abundance of literature on management it seems that the quality of management has not improved enough to prevent scandals which have occurred in recent years. It could be that either the results of these studies have not been put to use in practice or that the results were biased because of the rather one‐sided focus on US managers in much of the leadership literature. As national cultures signal different determinants of high performance, there is a need for leadership research into the effectiveness characteristics of managers in non‐US countries. This article aims to develop an empirically validated profile of high performing managers in The Netherlands using a leadership framework developed in Asia.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 808 Dutch managers and using the cross‐cultural framework of Excellent Leadership by Selvarajah et al., the profile of an excellent Dutch manager was derived.FindingsThe paper reveals that this profile can be described by a four‐dimensional factor structure consisting of managerial behaviours, environmental influences, personal qualities and organisational demands.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the research is that the findings are based on reports from a single source; namely managers' perceptions. Hence, common‐method effects may have inflated the correlations.Practical implicationsThe results of the research can serve as guidelines for developing an empirically validated profile of high performance managers (HPMs) in other Western countries. They also have practical implications in that organizations can use the HPM profile to tailor their management development programs, evaluation and coaching programs, and recruiting processes in order to improve the quality of their managers.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time a leadership framework developed in the Eastern world has been applied on Western managers, making this research one of the first of its kind. This is important because, as stated before, there is a strong need for research which extends the theoretical and practical basis of leadership theories from a solely Western focus to a more balanced Western‐Eastern focus. The results from this type of research can provide guidance for improving quality of management worldwide.

Big hat, no cattle? The relationship between use of high-performance work systems and managerial perceptions of HR departments

This study examines the relationship between the use of high-performance work systems (HPWS) and managers' perceptions of the strategic value of their HR departments. On the basis of survey responses from 132 firms, we match HR managers' descriptions of human resource practices with the evaluations of HR departments provided by firms' general managers. Results indicate that managers' assessments of the strategic value of their firms' HR departments are significantly influenced by relative HPWS use. When HR managers report higher utilization of high-performance HR practices, managers perceive their HR departments as having more strategic value. We also find that this relationship is mediated by workforce human capital and social capital.

The training practices of results‐oriented leaders

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that in many organizations training professionals and human resource leaders are under increasing pressure to use training to improve organizational performance, and yet, front‐line managers are often passive or even indifferent on the issue of properly training their workers. This paper will also discuss the key practices of high performance business leaders and how they use effective training practices to achieve superior results.Design/methodology/approachOver 2,000 managers, identified by their organizations as being “high performers”, were surveyed and the findings of this paper are based on a content analysis of both questionnaire and interview data.FindingsThe paper finds that results‐oriented leaders realized that training is critical to their success and must be handled with great care employing a systematic and disciplined process. This study revealed that results‐oriented leaders realized that properly training and educating their workers increased the likelihood of achieving high performance and that poorly trained workers can create a myriad of performance problems. The study showed that high performance leaders were doing the things necessary to develop their workers and to educate them about the bigger picture of their organization to enable them to make better decisions and be more engaged. The over‐arching finding concludes that high performance business leaders are actively engaged in the training and development process and that they do not abdicate that responsibility to others.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper make it clear that training and developing workers is a top priority for high performance managers who are serious about improving operational and organizational performance.

A Laboratory Management Primer

A well-prepared manager is an agent of change. By using an engaged and thoughtful approach, a manager is very often the key catalyst in moving a medical laboratory from mediocrity to excellence. Laboratory managers are highly specialized employees. They serve numerous roles within the health care system. Their primary role is to provide highly technical expertise within the laboratory. They are “extenders” of the physician directors. In that role, they must remain abreast of wide-ranging federal regulations, credentialing and compliance issues, new technologies, and standards of care in laboratory testing. In addition to important technical duties, laboratory managers must also make decisions on the business side. The best managers know how to balance their varied responsibilities. They are always looking to the future. They see changes in the operational environment as opportunities to make needed improvements in staffing, technology, and processes. This progressive approach requires insight, commitment, and the ability to work with the staff to identify and solve problems. All high-performance managers share certain traits. A good manager is a strategist, one who looks to the future, makes educated guesses about the major forces and trends that can be seen, and interprets them in terms of opportunities for growth and progress. A good manager is a problem solver, one who clearly perceives the differences between the anticipated future and the unfolding present, and who decides what must be done with those factors under his or her control to influence the environment or to adapt to it most effectively. A good manager is a teacher, one who guides others and helps them to identify and solve problems, so that they can perform their tasks effectively and can develop themselves as individuals as well as workers. 1 Management is commonly broken into 4 primary areas: planning, organizing, directing, and controlling. This article provides an overview of those management functions.