摘要：This paper seeks to add to the debate on the characteristics required of effective South African managers in the 21st century. It combines the findings of South African and international authorities with research conducted among general managers in the Greater Durban area. The research for this paper addresses three areas, namely: � The distribution of general management time in terms of Mintzberg's (1973) managerial roles model � The relative importance of functional, general management and interpersonal skills, as perceived by the respondents � The three most pressing problems facing managers in the immediate future. The paper attempts to place the findings of the research in the overall context of the training and development of South African managers for the 21st century, bearing in mind the particular requirements of South Africa as reflected in the Green Paper on Employment and Occupational Equity (South Africa. Department of Labour 1996) and implicit in the establishment of the National Qualifications Framework. The findings of the research indicate that the roles played and competencies required by South African managers are essentially the same as those of managers worldwide. However, the emphasis is on behavioural and cognitive skills, which raises certain questions in regard to the establishment of criteria against which individuals can be measured when making appointment or promotional decisions. It also raises certain questions in regard to the definition of learning outcomes as required by the National Qualifications Framework and the South African Qualifications Authority.
关键词：South African managers ; General management ; International literature ; Training and development
