Marketing Men Choose their Ideal Boss and Subordinate

Abstract

Looks at 103 marketing managers' survey responses regarding self‐perception of their characteristics and what they would like to see in the people they work for and in their subordinates. Presents the findings, discussing them under banner headlines. Shows that, overall, marketing men had a high regard for their own supervisory ability, by comparison they preferred subordinates with much less ability – even preferring superiors with lower supervisory ability than themselves. Posits that marketers had high estimations of their own powers of initiative and wanted both subordinates and superiors to have more initiative than them. Shows there is a need for power‐seeking but that marketers also had a much higher need for self‐actualisation than higher or lower placed individuals. Suggests the need for reward and for security are of a high requirement for such a risk‐taking profession. Closes by stating marketers are people who wish to develop relationships through independence with a number of issues relating to personal interests and ideas.

Citation

Margerison, C.J. and Elliott, C.K. (1977), "Marketing Men Choose their Ideal Boss and Subordinate", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 248-258. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005010