Correlates of personal productivity of supervisors: Perceptions of American and Japanese Managers

Abstract

Groups of American and Japanese managers completed a research questionnaire which was developed to collect judgments on the behaviors, skills, and other attributes of supervisors whose personal productivity is very high. Analysis of respondent data indicates that American and Japanese perceptions of personal productivity characteristics are positively correlated and overlap particularly in such skill/behavior areas as planning, motivation, communicating, leadership, efficient use of resources, and decision making. Differences between the two groups with respect to certain style dimensions were also found. Japanese managers endorsed behaviors that were other-oriented and principle-oriented. Examples of the latter deal with strategic and innovative viewpoints, employee selection, and performance monitoring. Typical American responses tended to focus on more instrumental notions of individual supervisory skills: communication; working with people; knowledge of product; belief in his/her own ability to succeed; and, decision-making technique.