Towards a new taxonomy of managerial competence an open systems perspective

Although scholars have generated a substantial body of evidence on what managers do, theoretical models and explanations of managerial work are scarce. And the ones that exist do not identify what managers should do. In an attempt to fill this lacuna, this thesis distills a managerial brief from the first principles of systems theory. It is reasoned that just as cells are lower-level open systems embedded in higher-level biological organisms, occupational roles are lower-level open systems embedded in higher-level social systems. Understanding how open systems create value for the suprasystem in which they are embedded can enable one to understand how those occupying managerial roles might create value for their organisations. As per the systems view, adopted in this thesis, managers should strive for organisational survival if they are to be deemed effective. It follows that if one can discern what managers need to do to contribute towards organisational survival then one can make assertions about what managers should be competent at. This argument eventually leads to a new taxonomy of managerial competence. The open systems view suggests that managers should be competent at managing interfaces, growth, and contingencies. Accordingly, the proposed taxonomy of managerial competence contains just three competency clusters. A clear line-of-sight is established between systemic properties and the managerial competencies contained in the three clusters. In the course of identifying what managers should do, the thesis amplifies why systems age and suggests a new way of describing the structure of systems. These contributions not only add conceptual clarity to management-related systems thinking, but also suggest a new definition of competency. In essence, this thesis presents a conceptual synthesis of managerial work that calls for reframing and re-categorising extant evidence. The theoretical reasoning, if embraced, has the potential to bring about a major change in how managers view their work and workforce.