Managerial competencies in the restaurant business : managers and employees perspectives.

Abstract

A lack of managerial skills has been cited by many as the cause of small business failure in South Africa. Internal factors are said to be responsible for many of these small business failures. With human capital being undeniably a valuable resource, it has the potential to provide one of the most sustainable competitive advantages in the market place. It is therefore crucial that managers, who are responsible for directing and shaping the organisation possess and constantly improve their competencies because these are crucial factors for success of managers and the business. This study explores multi-rater feedback to gain insight into managerial competencies for the purpose of contributing to managerial development. Comparison of employee and manager self-evaluations can identify gaps or areas requiring improvement as they provide different perspectives on the same phenomena. The degree of consensus/agreement amongst the ratings provides valuable information and assists in identifying possible areas for development. Feedback is critical for self-perception accuracy and self-other agreement and impacts on training and development. This study comprised of 25 managers and 75 employees from the restaurant business and compared their views on managerial competencies. Results showed positive agreement between manager and employee ratings and showed no gender differences in the ratings regarding managerial competencies. Both managers and employees, through the process of upward appraisals, indicated positive feedback towards managerial development in the future. This is encouraging and creates an opportunity for further research and exploration of how this can best be achieved using unconventional approaches.