Managerial characteristics, strategy and performance in local government

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate strategy at the functional level, in Dubai local government. Using Miles and Snow's strategy typology, it seeks to concentrate on the relationship between the alignment of managerial characteristics with strategy type and performance. Design/methodology/approach – Senior executive managers were interviewed and a questionnaire developed, based on the extant literature and issues arising from the interviews. This was distributed to functional managers within Dubai local government, and sought information regarding their personal characteristics, perceptions of requirements for implementing strategic initiatives and actual implementation approaches used. All alignments with the strategy adopted, the strategy required, and managerial characteristics and independent assessments of performance were then analysed statistically to assess the extent of alignment and congruency with performance. Findings – Prospector managers have, on average, higher educational status than that of defender managers, with alignment of several demographic characteristics with strategic orientation leading to enhanced performance. Whilst alignments of educational attainment and organisation and job tenure with strategy are desirable, age has no effect. Practical implications – By understanding the alignment relationships, more appropriate allocation of personnel will lead to increased strategic performance. Originality/value – Previous studies have looked at the alignment of managerial characteristics with strategic type and aspects of performance. In all cases, the focus has been on corporate strategy, and predominantly in private‐sector organisations. The study combines these objectives and investigates the alignment between characteristics, strategy and perceived performance. It focuses on management at the functional level in a local government setting and demonstrates that classical upper‐echelon theory is also relevant at the functional level of management.