Investigating selected self-management competencies of managers

Orientation: Self-management serves as an essential managerial competency and entails taking responsibility for one’s own actions and behaviour. The problem is that managers who do not have effective self-management competencies may affect business adversely. Research purpose: The study investigated selected self-management competencies of managers within the manufacturing industry of South Africa. Motivation for the study: The researchers wanted to focus on selected self-management competencies of managers rather than all the managerial competencies. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative research method was employed by following a descriptive design and data were obtained using a well-structured self-administered questionnaire. Main finding: The results revealed that a significant and positive relation exists between managers’ integrity and ethical conduct, and between personal drive and resilience, as well as a significant positive relationship between work–life balance on the one hand and self-awareness and self-development on the other – all of which are components of their self-management competency. Practical/managerial implications: For managers to contribute to the success of a business, it is essential that they succeed in applying self-management competencies to distinguish them from their competitors. Contribution/value-add: No previous studies could be found investigating the relationship between integrity and ethical conduct, and between personal drive and resilience, as well as between work–life balance on the one hand and self-awareness and self-development on the other