C. Gordon
Research Paper/Proposal
Florida Institute of Technology
Objective The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between a person’s direction of their locus of control and their managerial style. More specifically, their managerial style as it pertains to the Managerial Grid® created by Blake and Mouton, and the Six Styles of Management developed by the HayGroup. The objective is to ascertain how influential the personality and self-esteem implications of a person’s locus of control is on their effectiveness in a managerial role.
Research Question Does locus of control imply managerial style? And/or have any correlation to Managerial style?
Theory Framework & Literature Review The term locus of control refers to a person’s view on the level of control and influence they have on the rewards and promotions they receive/achieve (Ivancevich, Konopaske, and Matteson, 2011). Their locus of control depends greatly on whether or not they perceive the reward as being a result of their own behavior or as a result of luck or circumstance. Those that view their rewards as a matter of luck and not themselves are labeled as “externals.” Those that view their rewards as a direct result of their own efforts and behavior are labeled “internals” (Selart, 2005). Studies have been conducted to determine the success of employees and managers based on their locus of control, and an overall consensus has shown that having an internal locus of control is a beneficial attribute of a successful leader. This is theory is explained by the findings that internals feel sole responsibility for on the job tasks, and often take mistakes or disappointments as an indication of failure on their part alone (Klein and Wasserstein-Warnet, 2000). This is not say that persons with external loci of control are poor leaders, but findings have
References: Bull, S. (2000). Managerial styles of library directors in institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. (D.A. dissertation), Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (UMI No.3023328). Klein, J. & Wasserstein-Warnet, M. (2000). Predictive validity of the locus of control test in selection of school administrators. Journal of Educational Administration, 38 (1), 7-24. Litton, D. (2008). Managerial styles of superintendents from Texas high performing school districts in the prediction of success as determined by the Academic Excellence Indicator System. (Ed.D. dissertation), Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (UMI No.3304621). Poon, P., Evangelista, F., & Albaum, G. (2005). A comparative study of the management styles of marketing managers in Australia and the People’s Republic of China. International Marketing Review, 22 (1), 34-47. Selart, M. (2005). Understanding the role of locus of control in consultative decision-making: a case study. Management Decision, 43 (3), 397-412. Spector, P.E. (1988). Development of the work locus of control scale. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 61 (5), 335-340. van Eersel, F.M.. 12 Manage; The Executive Fast Track. (2010) Managerial Grid (Blake and Mouton). Retrieved September 20, 2010, from http://www.12manage.com/methods_blake_mouton_managerial_grid.html Wang, J. (2001). A comparison of managerial style and work motivation between the People 's Republic of China and Taiwan. (D.B.A. dissertation), Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.(UMI No.3035498).