Eight parameters of managerial effectiveness : A study of senior managers in Ghana

Despite the considerable attention given to managers and their effectiveness in the last few decades, a great deal of confusion and concern still surrounds the subject. Recently, attention has been drawn to the importance of the role of the public sector to the realisation of the growth and development of the developing world. This paper is based on the findings of a research project which was funded by ESCOR, The Department of International Development, and was carried out in the Ministry of Environment and Science and Technology in Ghana. The study aimed to identify the causal and behavioural influences which determine the managerial effectiveness of senior managers in the public sector. The results point to the presence of factors which constitute “parameters” of effectiveness at work. It concludes that a better understanding of the subject requires attention to the senior managers’ “choice” and “meaningful actions”, within an open system context.