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Campbell Fraser: Campbell Fraser is a Lecturer at the School of Management, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Anna Zarkada-Fraser: Anna Zarkada-Fraser is a Lecturer at the School of Marketing and International Business, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Introduction
This paper describes a cross-cultural study of managerial performance measurement in retailing. It presents the development, validation and refinement of an index specifically designed to assess the performance of retail store managers in Singapore and Australia.
Retailing is the single most important mechanism for satisfying consumer needs (Wrice, 1995), and "one of the most dynamic sectors of trade worldwide" (Broadbridge et al., 1994). In recognition of this importance, Berman and Evans (1995) consider there to be four key areas in need of research and in-depth investigation. These are the impact of the retailing industry on the economy, its functions in distribution, its relationship with firms who sell to retailers and the individuals who seek careers in retailing. The focus of this study is on the fourth critical dimension, using performance elements to develop an overall performance measure for retail store managers. A performance element is defined as a measurable task-related activity or behaviour.
First the literature on managerial performance in retailing is reviewed and the impact of the construct of culture on management practice is examined. Empirical data were collected using a multi-phase research design that utilised multiple samples and both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The procedures of these independent but closely related studies are explained and their findings are presented. The paper concludes with an examination of the results of the comparison of the importance ratings assigned to specific elements by Australian and Singaporean organisations vis-a-vis the cultural characteristics of the two nations.
The measurement of managerial performance
The need for managerial performance measures in retailing
The task of staffing retail organisations has been described as "more burdensome than in other industries" (Davidson et al., 1988, pp. 548-9). Part of the difficulty is inherent in the nature of retail trade: the need for flexibility (Penn, 1995) and the need to balance the seasonality of demand with the availability of full and part-time employees who possess the appropriate skills and personality traits (Davidson et al., 1988, pp. 548-9; Sparks, 1992). Pay and working conditions also contribute...