The influence of contextual variables

in training and professional life in a

sample of elite business managers

Margarida Martins, José F. Cruz, & Leandro S. Almeida

(Instituto de Educação e Escola de Psicologia,
Universidade do Minho)

International Congress of ANEIS 2016

1. Introduction

2. Aims
3. Methodology

4. Results
5. Conclusions
Professional Excellence

Some authors argue that excellence comes by genetic

inheritance (e.g., Plomin, Owen, & McGuffin, 1994), others
by learning and experience (e.g., Pinker, 2002), while others
claim human performances result from the interaction
between internal and external factors (e.g., Baker & Horton,
2004).
Professional Excellence

“Our review has also shown that the maximum level of

performance for individuals in a given domain is not
obtained automatically as function of extended experience,
but the level of performance can be increased even by
highly experienced individuals as a result of deliberate
efforts to improve”.
(Ericsson et al., 1993, p. 366)
Professional Excellence

“Gifted individuals, then, are those who develop

expertise at a more rapid rate, or to a higher
level, or to a qualitatively different kind of level
than do non-gifted individuals”.

(Sternberg, 2001, p. 161)

Aims
Study the variables, structures and processes that
explain the high performance in management and
understand the theoretical models that better
explain and predict excellence in business context.

There are several authors who have reported the

contextual factors as very important variables in
excellence (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000; Coughlan et
al., 2014; Ericsson & Lehmann, 1996; Ericsson et al.,
2007, Sternberg, 2001)
Methodology - participants

Manager (n=3)

Women (n=6)
Manager/
entrepreneur
(n=3)
Participants
(n=12)
Manager (n=3)

Men (n=6)
Manager/
entrepreneur
(n=3)
Methodology – Instruments

Retrospective Interview

Considered by different authors as a tool that has the

ability to exploit relatively underexplored topics, the
retrospective interview allows an understanding of the
world through the eyes of the interviewees and
accounts of their experiences (Creswell, 1998; Kvale,
1996).
Methodology - Retrospective Interview

Interview topics
1. Training route;
2. Actual performance;
3. Engagement in task;
4. Personal characteristics;
5. Reference figures along the route;
6. Interpersonal relations;
7. Relationship with the business community;
8. Projects and ambitions in the future.
Results - Content Analysis
Categories and Subcategories
Academic context
(e.g.: school environment,
meaningful choices, added value,
etc.)

(e.g.: business environment, team

Professional context
work, etc.)

Conditions and (e.g.: unrelated activities, luck,

Contextual developmental processes etc.)
factors

Micro context (e.g.: family, friends and

colleagues, teachers, etc.)

Macro context

Risk factors
Results
Analysis of categories and subcategories in relation
to current performance

High Moderate Minimum

intensity intensity intensity
Macro context Teachers
Family
Significant other people School setting
Co-workers and
friends Business environment Meaningful choices

Institutional aspects Added value

Team functioning
Consolidation factors Performance evaluation

Learning Unrelated activities Development of interests

environments
Previous knowledge Meaningful choices
Luck and
opportunities Risk factors Career expectations
Conclusions
1) Our study demonstrates the importance of contextual factors and their
influence on the careers of the professionals.
2) The school environment is a significant variable in the previous route
management function. Significant choices made along the academic
path and added value acquired as training complement play an
important role to the nominated position.
3) The macro context comes with a moderate relevance, independently of
market dynamics, social reasons or policies.
4) Aspects of the micro context, particularly the support received from
family, friends and co-workers, team work and luck and opportunities
are highlighted.