Skip to main content

Alignment of Strategy-Managerial Characteristics and Performance at the Functional Level in Dubai Local Government

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Business Performance Measurement and Management

Abstract

Demographic managerial characteristics are an important influence on strategy (Miller and Toulouse, 1986; Govindarajan, 1989). Building on previous research, this study is novel in that it investigates the models of executive influence at the level of functional managers. The Miles and Snow (1978) typology is applied to the functional strategy for a public sector organisation, to investigate whether functional units pursuing strategies are led by functional managers with dissimilar attributes, and whether the strategy-manager alignment is related to performance of the functional unit. Findings from 294 Dubai local Government employees showed that several demographic managerial characteristics are associated with strategy types and effect performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andrews KR (1971) The concept of corporate strategy, Homewood, in Bourgeois LJ, strategy and environment: a conceptual integration. Acad Manage Rev 5:25–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews R, Boyne GA, Meier KJ, O’Toole LJ, Walker RM (2007) Wake up call: strategic management, network alarms and performance. Working papers, Centre for Local & Regional Government Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff. http://www.cf.ac.uk/carbs/research/group/clrgr/research/puplic/wakeupcall.pdf

  • Andrews R, Boyne GA, O’Toole LJ, Walker RM (2008) Exploring strategy fit: an empirical test of Miles and Snow model. Conference paper, Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, August 2008

    Google Scholar 

  • Bantel KA, Susan EJ (1989) Top management and innovation in banking: does the composition of the top team make difference? Strateg Manage J 10:107–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyne GA (2002) Concepts and indicators of local authority performance: an evaluation of the statutory framework in England and Wales. Public Money Manage 22(2):17–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carl CP, Baik Y (2000) The impact of managerial characteristics on strategic assets management capabilities. Team Perform Manage 5(6):97

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter N, Klein R, Day P (1992) How organizations measure success: the use of performance indicators in government. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Conant JS, Mokwa MP, Varadarajan PR (1990) Strategic types, distinctive marketing competencies and organizational performance: a multiple measures-based study. Strateg Manage J 11:365–383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis T, Child J (1973) Placing stereotypes of the manager into perspective. J Manage Stud 10(3):233–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein S, Hambrick DC (1996) Strategic leadership: top executives and their effects on organisations. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith J (1973) Designing complex organizations. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith C, Schendel D (1983) An empirical analysis of strategy types. Strateg Manage J 4:153–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govindarajan V (1989) Implementing competitive strategies at the business unit level: implications of matching managers to strategies. Strateg Manage J 10(3):251–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hambrick DC (1983) Some tests of the effectiveness and functional attributes of Miles and Snow’s strategic types. Acad Manage J 26:5–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hambrick DC, Mason PA (1984) Upper echelons: the organisation as a reflection of its top managers. Acad Manage Rev 9(2):193–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofer CW, Schendel D (1978) Strategy formulation: analytical concepts. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossam MA (2008) Work locus of control and job performance in the UAE: the mediating role of individual and organizational factors. Bus Rev (Cambridge) 11:188–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Karen S, Kamalesh K, Ram S (2004) Examining the interrelationships among perceived environmental change, strategic response, managerial characteristics, and organizational performance. J Bus Res 57(1):58–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kickert W (2008) The study of public management in Europe and the US. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer AD (1982) Adapting to environmental jolts. Admin Sci Q 27:515–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles RE, Snow CC (1978) Organisational strategy, structure and process. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller D, Toulouse JM (1986) Chief executive personality and corporate strategy and structure in small firms. Manage Sci 32(11):1389–1409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patrick J, Eliason J, Thompson G (2006) Issues in career development: research in career development. Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollitt C, Bouckaert G (2004) Public management reform: a comparative analysis. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME (1980) Competitive strategy. Free Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Snow CC, Hambrick DC (1980) Measuring organizational strategies: some theoretical and methodological problems. Acad Manage Rev 5:527–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steven WF, Bill W (1992) Middle management involvement in strategy and its association with strategic type: a research note. Strateg Manage J 13:153–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens JM, McGowan RP (1983) Managerial strategies in municipal government organizations. Acad Manage J 26(3):527–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas AS, Litchert RJ, Ramaswamy K (1991) The performance impact of strategy-manager coalignment: an empirical examination. Strateg Manage J 12:509–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venkatraman N, Ramanujam V (1986) Measurement of business performance in strategy research: a comparison of approaches. Acad Manage Rev 11:801–814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker OC, Ruekert RW (1987a) Marketing’s role in the implementation of business strategies: a critical review and conceptual framework. J Mark 51(3):1–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker OC, Ruekert RW (1987b) Marketing’s role in the implementation of business strategies: a critical review and conceptual frame-work. J Mark 51:15–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiersema MF, Bantel KA (1992) Top management team demography and corporate strategic change. Acad Manage J 35(1):91–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Sebaa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sebaa, A., Wallace, J., Cornelius, N. (2010). Alignment of Strategy-Managerial Characteristics and Performance at the Functional Level in Dubai Local Government. In: Taticchi, P. (eds) Business Performance Measurement and Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04800-5_20

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics