Description

The German Managerial Practice Survey (GMPS) is a contemporary assessment instrument designed to evaluate managerial practices and organizational effectiveness. It was developed to examine how organizations implement management strategies, manage human resources, and make decisions that influence organizational performance, productivity, and long-term sustainability.

The survey is widely used in both academic research and professional settings, enabling the systematic evaluation of management quality across private enterprises, public institutions, and non-profit organizations. In addition, it helps identify organizational strengths and weaknesses, providing valuable evidence for designing targeted improvement initiatives and supporting evidence-based management practices.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the German Managerial Practice Survey (GMPS) is to assess the extent to which effective management practices are implemented within organizations and to understand how these practices influence organizational performance. By analyzing participants’ responses, researchers, consultants, and organizational leaders can identify areas requiring restructuring, leadership development, managerial training, or process optimization.

Furthermore, the GMPS facilitates benchmarking across organizations of different sizes, sectors, and industries, supporting the adoption of best management practices and continuous organizational improvement.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

The GMPS evaluates multiple dimensions of organizational management, including:

  • Strategic planning
  • Organizational leadership
  • Decision-making processes
  • Internal communication and collaboration
  • Human resource management
  • Performance evaluation
  • Organizational culture
  • Adaptability and change management

Survey results may be analyzed at both the overall score and subscale levels, allowing researchers to investigate relationships between management practices and variables such as organizational performance, employee satisfaction, organizational commitment, innovation, operational efficiency, and financial outcomes.

The GMPS is frequently employed in research on organizational behavior, business administration, public administration, human resource management, leadership, and strategic management.

Scoring

The survey is typically scored using a five-point Likert scale, where respondents indicate their level of agreement with each statement (e.g., 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).

Individual item scores are summed to produce overall and subscale scores. Higher scores indicate a greater implementation of modern, effective, and evidence-based managerial practices, whereas lower scores may suggest deficiencies in organizational management and highlight areas requiring strategic improvement or organizational development.

References

Mintzberg, H. (1975). The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact. Harvard Business Review, 53(4), 49–61.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.

Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2012). Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources. Pearson.

Bloom, N., & Van Reenen, J. (2007). Measuring and Explaining Management Practices Across Firms and Countries. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(4), 1351–1408.

Bloom, N., Sadun, R., & Van Reenen, J. (2016). Management as a Technology? National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER Working Paper).