Management Research News

Purpose – Exploratory research which provides insight into the global leadership potential that is being developed in Mexican companies through their management practices.

Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 500 executives of firms that were members of the American chamber of commerce of Mexico. The response rate, with follow up mailings, was 69.4 per cent (347 questionnaires). The questionnaires gathered information about the criteria used in making executive management promotion decisions and for performance evaluation.

Findings – Significant differences between management practices in Mexico and the US were identified. These differences may influence the ability of Mexican companies to compete in the global market place.

Research limitations/implications – Further research should be conducted to measure the effects of different management styles and cultural differences on the ability of firms to compete in the global market place. The findings in this paper may not be generalizable to companies in cultures that are significantly different from Mexico.

Practical implications – Mexican companies, when compared to US firms, appear to place more emphasis on administrative management skills than on leadership skills. In addition, they place less emphasis on developing international expertise. To increase their level of global competitiveness and orientation the paper recommends that the companies modify their training programs and management practices.

Originality/value – This paper provides a new view of the reward and promotion practices within Mexican companies and relates that view to the development of global managers. This paper should be of interest to executives in Mexico and companies with operations in Mexico, and to researchers interested in global management.