The Elusiveness of Applied Management Knowledge: A Critical Challenge for Management Educators

A wealth of anecdotal data suggest that, despite sufficient conceptual knowledge of what constitutes effective management practice, managers may often lack the ability to apply that knowledge in context. We measured the applied managerial knowledge of 21,319 managers and 2,644 students and found a disturbingly low level of such capability in both groups. Moreover, our findings indicated little difference in demonstrated applied managerial knowledge across a wide range of management experience. In our student sample, we found only modest to small relationships between applied managerial knowledge and measures of cognitive aptitude, select personality characteristics, and academic performance. Despite an immense amount of educational resources devoted to its development, applied managerial knowledge is clearly elusive. We discuss implications for future research and more effective management education.