Managers' cognitive maps and intra‐organisational performance differences

Purpose – To explore the relationship between managers' cognitive maps and their performance as managers at the same level in the same organisation. Design/methodology/approach – Field study involving 30 branch managers in a financial services organisation operating in New Zealand. A nomthetic approach was used to develop their cognitive maps. Features of these maps were then related to business‐unit performance. Findings – The managers who were higher performing have maps that were considerably simpler, using fewer concepts and fewer linkages. Research limitations/implications/future research – While limited to one organisation and to one level of management, there is evidence that cognition is related to managers' performance. Future research should explore how cognitive structures differ between managerial levels, and how these are related to appropriate measures of performance. Originality/value – One of few studies that have sought to map managers' cognition and organisation performance.