The Influence Of Position Tenure On CEO Work Roles

Abstract

Mintzberg proposed a contingency theory in which he posits that environmental, job, person, and situational variables affect the work of a manager. This study examined an untested proposition of the theory that position tenure, a situational variable, affects the relative importance of CEO work roles. Results suggest there are clear differences in the relative importance of three work roles that can be attributed to position tenure. An evolutionary pattern of work role importance based on CEO tenure also surfaced. Moreover, two recommendations for executive development programs are proffered based on these findings.