Developing an Industry Specific Managerial Competency Model for Private Club Managers in the United States Based on Important and Frequently Used Management Competencies

Abstract

This study investigated managerial competencies for private club managers in order to: a) measure important and frequently used management competencies according to Sandwith’s (1993) competency domain model which includes competencies in the conceptual-creative, interpersonal, leadership, administrative and technical domains; b) identify and classify important and frequently utilized managerial competencies for private club managers in the United States; c) develop a valid and reliable management competency model which the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) can use to evaluate and design professional development programs that are based on important and frequently used managerial competencies; d) measure club managers perceptions of important managerial competencies based on certification status, club type and number of years of managerial experience in the private club industry; and e) compare how club managers in this study rated managerial competencies versus how they rated them in previous studies conducted by Perdue, Ninemeier and Woods (2000, 2001, 2002). Twenty-eight competencies; identified in this study were classified as essential competencies, 120 were classified as considerably important competencies and three were classified as moderately important competencies. One hundred and sixty-three managerial competencies that were identified through a literature review of management, business and hospitality journals were factor analyzed into nine different dimensions. A model was developed in order to further understand important managerial competencies needed for managing a private club operation in the United States. This model can be used to update certification requirements and professional development programs for club managers as well as update university curricular offerings. Another contribution made by this research is the identification of important and frequently used managerial competencies in the leadership, interpersonal and conceptual-creative domains that have not been addressed in previous studies on club manager competencies.