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Shocking Evidence
By Catherine Lombardozzi

The BIG Number

Knowing-Doing Gap
when it is needed."

of Managers'

A new study shows that managers demonstrate a dishearteningly low ability to apply what they have
cerned about whether learners are able to

learned when presented with situations that call for it.

Workplace learning and performance professionals always have been con

The average score that managers earn in a test of their ability to apply management knowledge.
scores improved as experience increased, the gains were not as dramatic as might be expected. Conceptual knowledge, aptitude, and personality traits also had

momentknowing to do something
The study examined results from

it comes to management skill, there is indeed cause for concern. According to a long-term study of 21,000 managers and 2,600 undergraduate management stu dents, the average score on a timed test assessing their ability to apply manage ment knowledge was 32 percent. High
scorers earn up to 65 percent.

apply their learning when it counts. When the Managerial Skills Assessment Test

(MSAT)a timed evaluative in-basket exercise that evaluates managers' ability to respond effectively in eight common management scenarios. Surveyed were more than 21,000 managers in 75 diverse private sector companies in the United
States and Canada during a 25-year
#

called for is a distinct skill.

results of the MSAT. It appears that the ability to apply one's knowledge about effective management practice when it is
So what will make a difference in man

only moderate correlations with the

26 I T+D I JULY 2012

more than 2,600 undergraduate manage ment students who were given additional and not enough on teaching them to rec assessments to the hypoth ognize the cues for when to actually apply eses. The MSATtest some of management evaluates the knowledge and skill. ability in collaborative decision making, "The real issue in managerial per managing new ideas, managing poorformance is to get beyond just knowing performing employees, delegating, principles (know that) or the ability to managing meetings, coaching, managing perform a certain management skill stakeholders, and managing conflict. (knowhow)" note Baldwrin and col The study also examined the impact leagues. "The best managers reach a of such variables as length of experience, level where they know when and where how well managers knew the principles to take certain actionswhat might be and procedures involved (conceptual called knowing to. Knowing to means and person having access to one's knowledge in the knowledge), overall aptimde, showed that ality traits. While the results

related to how we teach managers is focusing too much on content and skill

conclude that one of the limitations

Richard Joines, and Shameem Farouk

The study was led by Timothy Baldwin from the Kelley School of Business at It appears that the Indiana University, Bloomington, and ability to apply one's published in the December 2011 issue oi Academy of Management Learning & knowledge about Education. In "The Elusiveness of Applied effective management Management Knowledge: A Critical practice when it is called Challenge for Management Educators," Baldviln and his colleagues Jason Pierce, for is a distinct skill.
Results also were compiled from

period (up to 2008).

agers' abilities to apply the knowledge we seek to impart in management develop ment programs? The study authors make
several recommendations.

management skills in real life.

never the way we encounter the need for

teaching one skill at a timewhich is

to apply principles in common manage ment situations, it might be beneficial to engage in scenarios, such as the in-basket exercise, during management train ing and development efforts. Managers may need more practice in discerning when to apply what they know amid all of the demands of everyday management practice. Along those same lines, it might help to design ways to teach management skills in a more holistic way rather than

Because managers were missing cues

instructional design; clombardozzi@L4LP.com.

Catherine Lombardozzi is the founder of Learning 4 Learning Professionals, a consulting practice dedicated to supporting the profes sional development of designers, facilitators, learning leaders, and consultants. She also teaches graduate courses in adult learning and