The Importance of Top Management Visibility for Service-Based Professionals

Abstract

[Excerpt] How important is it for top managers to be visible in their companies? Hambrick and Mason (1984) argue that organizations are reflections of their top managers, and thus organizational outcomes are significantly influenced by the values, beliefs and actions of these top managers. They suggest that organizations do not operate on inertia or run themselves, but that top managers play a critical role - they matter. According to Schein (1985), top managers create organizations and strive to shape behavior by the development of a culture of shared beliefs.