The specifics of the top managers competencies in Russia: Case of the contest “Leaders of Russia”

Abstract

Goal: to identify differences in the level of competency development among senior management personnel in Russia compared to other job groups. Methodology: the empirical research was based on competency assessments from the Leaders of Russia competition and consisted in identifying factors determining the level of competency development (including the role of the position held) using regression analysis. Findings: we show that when controlling for other factors senior management cadres (“top executives”) have higher values of intellectual abilities and managerial potential than other job groups, higher scores on social and communication competencies, leadership motivation and perseverance, but lower scores on decision-making speed. The size of an organization is one of the key factors related to the level of competence development in different job groups: on average, managers of large organizations have a higher level of competence development than managers of small organizations. Originality and contribution of the authors: such an assessment of the level of competence development of senior management staff in Russia on a sample of more than several thousand people has been carried out for the first time. The results obtained contribute to the literature on leadership theory and the upper echelons theory and can be used to improve training and professional development programs for top management personnel.