Perceived development needs of managers compared to an integrated management competency model

Purpose – This research sets out to achieve three goals: first, to discover the most important management development areas specified by Finnish managers; second, to discover the intentions of Finnish managers in management development on a personal level and with the support of organizations; and third, to compare the above mentioned aspects and to compare those also with competency models presented in the literature. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were gathered through an internet survey. The sample consists of 2,500 middle and senior managers from different industries in the Finnish private sector. Altogether 794 responses were received, giving a response rate of 32. Findings – This study revealed that there are a lot of managers who do not have any specific development intentions for themselves. In organizations where management development was both well organized and connected to strategic management, managers were more consciously aware of the development needs at a personal as well as at a general level. Additionally the study revealed that the development intentions of the managers differed from the ideas presented by the scholars in literature on management competencies. Technical and business skills were emphasized, while social skills and intrapersonal skills were neglected. Research limitations/implications – More detailed qualitative study is needed in order to understand managers’ personal interpretations of their development needs. Practical implications – Managers in organizations should first be educated in management competencies, management development and learning issues, before they can become thoroughly conscious about their own competencies and development needs. Those who can provide help in these matters are human resource professionals, researchers and consultants. Originality/value – The paper provides useful information on the development needs of management.