QUESTION $4(20$ Marks$)$

Study the information provided below and answer the questions that follow.

As organisations look for ways to cope with more dynamic competitive environments, there has been a growing interest in

isolating the managerial characteristics that significantly affect and predict firms$$ performance $($Aboramadan$,2020$ Cerqueti

et al$.,2020$ Homberg and Bui, $2013$ Pahos and Galanaki, $2019).$ Indeed, studies on top management team $($TMT$)$

dynamics and organisational outcomes are dramatically increasing $($Nielsen$,2010$ Zhou and Rosini, $2015).$ The

competitive advantage and success of organisations is thought to be increasingly dependent upon diversity and the

personal initiatives and proactive behaviours of organisational TMTs$.$

Mr Jacques Appadoo, an organisational researcher with a special interest in small and medium$-$sized enterprises $($SMEs$)$

has hypothesised that two TMT$-$related constructs, the proactive managerial behaviour of top management teams and the

task$-$ and relations$-$oriented diversity of top management teams are significant predictors of organisational performance

of SMEs $($see conceptual model below in Figure $4\mathrm{.}1).$

To establish the veracity of his suspicion, Mr Appadoo distributed questionnaires to the TMTs of $200$ randomly selected

small and medium$-$sized manufacturing enterprises operating across Mauritius, a Southern African country. Proactive

managerial behaviour of the TMTs was measured at the interval level using the DuBrin $9-$item framework of proactivity and

task$-$ and relations$-$oriented diversity of the TMTs was measured at the interval level. The balanced scorecard was used to

measure $$organisational performance$($measured on a continuous scale out of $10)$ of SMEs. Valid questionnaires were

returned back from the TMTs of $105$ SMEs. Table $4\mathrm{.}1$ represents the excerpt of the data collected.

Table $4\mathrm{.}1$: Excerpt of data collected from the top management teams of the $105$ manufacturing SMEs.

SME reference # Average Diversity Score

per TMT

Average Proactive Managerial

Behaviour Score per TMT

SME Performance

$($Scored out of $10)$

$0013,23,55,5$

$0024,54,36,2$

$0033,62,23,7$

$0045,54,15,9$

$0055,24,96,8$

$0065,95,87,9$

$0074,44,65,8$

$0084,73,25,4$

$0095,15,66,5$

$............$

$1053,94,95,4$

Mr Appadoo employed IBM SPSS Statistics version $27$ to analyse the data and reported the output depicted in Tables $4\mathrm{.}2$ to

$4\mathrm{.}4,$ below:

Table $4\mathrm{.}2$: Model Summary b

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std$.$ Error of the Estimate

$1\mathrm{.}695$a $\mathrm{.}494\mathrm{.}476\mathrm{.}51232$

a$.$ Predictors: $($Constant$),$ TMT$\_$Proactive$\_$Managerial$\_$Behaviour, TMT$\_$Diversity

b$.$ Dependent Variable: Organisational$\_$Performance

Table $4\mathrm{.}3$: ANOVAa

Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

$1$ Regression $71\mathrm{.}471235\mathrm{.}73699\mathrm{.}440\mathrm{.}000$

b

Residual $36\mathrm{.}6561020\mathrm{.}359$

Total $108\mathrm{.}127104$

a$.$ Dependent Variable: Organisational$\_$Performance

b$.$ Predictors: $($Constant$),$ TMT$\_$Proactive$\_$Managerial$\_$Behaviour, TMT$\_$Diversity

Table $4\mathrm{.}4$: Coefficientsa

Model

Unstandardized

Coefficients

Standardized

Coefficients

B Std$.$ Error Beta t Sig.

$1($Constant$)2\mathrm{.}1871\mathrm{.}0462\mathrm{.}003\mathrm{.}009$

TMT$\_$Diversity $1\mathrm{.}8921\mathrm{.}001\mathrm{.}2321\mathrm{.}995\mathrm{.}019$

TMT$\_$Proactive$\_$Managerial$\_$Behaviour $2\mathrm{.}4251\mathrm{.}134\mathrm{.}2972\mathrm{.}485\mathrm{.}000$

a$.$ Dependent Variable: Organisational$\_$Performance

REQUIRED:

$4\mathrm{.}1$ Suggest a suitable title for Mr Appadoo$$s study. $(3$ marks$)$

$4\mathrm{.}2$ Specify the aim and significance of Mr Appadoo$$s study $(4$ marks$)$

$4\mathrm{.}3$ Identify the constructs used as independent $($IV$)$ and dependent $($DV$)$ variables Mr Appadoo$$s study. $(3$ marks$)$

$4\mathrm{.}4$ Provide a detailed write$-$up of the outcome of the main data analysis conducted by Mr Appadoo $($inclusive

of the standard reporting format$).$

$(6$ marks$)$

$4\mathrm{.}5$ Inter$-$rater reliability is essential not only in data collection but also in assessing the process followed in

statistical analysis. In statistical analysis, different analysts or researchers may interpret data and perform

analyses differently. Inter$-$rater reliability ensures consistency in how data are analysed, interpreted, and

reported across different analysts or raters. This consistency is crucial for ensuring the reliability and validity

of statistical findings.

Critique the analytical framework employed by Mr Appadoo and highlight what you would have done

differently.