Behavioral competencies and organizational performance in Italian performing arts: An exploratory study

This paper investigates the behavioural competencies of directors and managers working for cultural organizations and their relationship with organizational performance. The study adopts an ESC competency modelling process and the technique of the Behavioural Event Interview as the primary source of data collection. In particular, we interviewed 14 directors and managers of six performing arts organizations operating in Emilia-Romagna, a region located in northern Italy. Findings show that directors and managers of cultural organizations are characterized by possessing a specific set of social competencies such as persuasion, empathy, and emotional competency, whereas cognitive competencies, such as quantitative analysis, are less common. Our findings also highlight that a balanced portfolio of behavioural competencies emerges as importantly correlated with high organizational performance. Findings offer relevant managerial implications for the design and implementation of a coherent set of human resource management practices, which allows cultural organizations to reach above-average performance. This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between managerial competencies and the performance of cultural organizations, taking into account specific kinds of competencies—namely, behavioural competencies—which have been neglected by previous literature.