{"title":"Managerial Performance and Economic Performance in the Technology Sector","authors":"R. David Ratigan, Peter A. Zaleski","doi":"10.1007/s11293-024-09803-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The technology (tech) sector outperformed all other sector stock price averages in 2023. This paper addresses two issues regarding the tech sector. First, relative to other firms, are there any managerial areas in which the tech sector outperforms to explain their superior performance relative to all other firms? Second, within the tech sector, what managerial practices lead to higher profits? Four areas of managerial performance are considered: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, and social responsibility. This paper utilizes Bloomberg data and takes the novel approach of utilizing the Drucker Institute Indexes to assess performance in the tech sector. The Drucker Institute has computed a Corporate Effectiveness Index since 2017. The overall effectiveness index is based on performance regarding five dimensions: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. The firms they track are United States companies whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market and meet certain size requirements. Among the four dimensions tested, customer satisfaction is the one dimension that is positive and significant when comparing across tech firms. Second, employee engagement is more important for tech firms than for other firms. The major contribution of this paper’s findings is that while innovation may be the hallmark feature of tech firms, innovation for its own sake does not drive firm performance. A focus on people (customers and employees) is the key to earning higher profits in the tech sector.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":46061,"journal":{"name":"ATLANTIC ECONOMIC JOURNAL","volume":"52 2-3","pages":"117 - 130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11293-024-09803-1.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ATLANTIC ECONOMIC JOURNAL","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11293-024-09803-1","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The technology (tech) sector outperformed all other sector stock price averages in 2023. This paper addresses two issues regarding the tech sector. First, relative to other firms, are there any managerial areas in which the tech sector outperforms to explain their superior performance relative to all other firms? Second, within the tech sector, what managerial practices lead to higher profits? Four areas of managerial performance are considered: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, and social responsibility. This paper utilizes Bloomberg data and takes the novel approach of utilizing the Drucker Institute Indexes to assess performance in the tech sector. The Drucker Institute has computed a Corporate Effectiveness Index since 2017. The overall effectiveness index is based on performance regarding five dimensions: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. The firms they track are United States companies whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market and meet certain size requirements. Among the four dimensions tested, customer satisfaction is the one dimension that is positive and significant when comparing across tech firms. Second, employee engagement is more important for tech firms than for other firms. The major contribution of this paper’s findings is that while innovation may be the hallmark feature of tech firms, innovation for its own sake does not drive firm performance. A focus on people (customers and employees) is the key to earning higher profits in the tech sector.
期刊介绍:
The Atlantic Economic Journal (AEJ) has an international reputation for excellent articles in all interest areas, without regard to fields or methodological preferences. Founded in 1973 by the International Atlantic Economic Society, a need was identified for increased communication among scholars from different countries. For over 30 years, the AEJ has continuously sought articles that traced some of the most critical economic changes and developments to occur on the global level. The journal''s goal is to facilitate and synthesize economic research across nations to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and scholarly research. Contributors include some of the world''s most respected economists and financial specialists, including Nobel laureates and leading government officials. AEJ welcomes both theoretical and empirical articles, as well as public policy papers. All manuscripts are submitted to a double-blind peer review process. In addition to formal publication of full-length articles, the AEJ provides an opportunity for less formal communication through its Anthology section. A small point may not be worthy of a full-length, formal paper but is important enough to warrant dissemination to other researchers. Research in progress may be of interest to other scholars in the field. A research approach ending in negative results needs to be shared to save others similar pitfalls. The Anthology section has been established to facilitate these forms of communication. Anthologies provide a means by which short manuscripts of less than 500 words can quickly appear in the AEJ. All submissions are formally reviewed by the Board of Editors. Officially cited as: Atl Econ J