Do Senior Managers Differ in the Public and Private Sector? : An Examination of Team Role Preferences

Deals with the question of whether senior managers in the public and private sector differ psychologically. There are many ways in which such a difference might be measured. Examines one aspect: the predisposition to adopt particular roles in teams. Compares the results found by Meredith Belbin from a sample of participants attending management courses at Henley Staff College with a sample of senior British local government officers using Belbin′s Team Role questionnaire. The differences are marked, posing interesting questions about the reasons for the differences and their consequences. There is clearly need for further research.