Analysis of the need-semantic features of managers of different levels
- Authors: Lebedeva E.A.1
-
Affiliations:
- Ural State University of Economics
- Issue: Vol 16, No 4 (2025)
- Pages: 651-674
- Section: Psychological Studies
- Published: 30.09.2025
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2658-4034/article/view/349058
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.12731/2658-4034-2025-16-4-782
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WUJMWX
- ID: 349058
Cite item
Full Text
Abstract
Background. The article examines the results of studying the need-semantic sphere of managers at three levels of management in organizations and enterprises: the first managers (directors), their deputies and middle managers. The personality of a manager, leader, or leader has been studied quite deeply by psychological science, but from the standpoint of a need-based semantic approach, this issue has not been sufficiently studied. Earlier, we proved that the need-semantic sphere of managers, in comparison with ordinary employees, has statistically significant differences in a number of psychological parameters: an active orientation towards dominance as a form of social leadership, a high level of development of cognitive and achievement meanings, which are associated with a pragmatic approach to business and an understanding of time prospects.
Purpose. To study the features of the need-semantic sphere in three categories of managers: directors, deputies, and middle managers.
Materials and methods. The main research methods include the analysis of scientific literature related to the issue under consideration, a set of diagnostic techniques: motivational-semantic formations, life-meaning orientations, semantic differential, and methods of statistical processing.
Results. The study revealed significant links between achievement needs and affiliation with the hierarchical level of a leader: the higher the position, the lower these needs. An analysis of the data showed that middle–level managers demonstrate the highest indicators of the overall meaningfulness of life and the locus of control from the entire sample, while deputies have the lowest. In the group of first managers and managers, these parameters are almost identical and significantly differ from those of the deputies – they demonstrate a more external position. The assessment of subjective representations of concepts about oneself (in time) and the world in the surveyed groups revealed significant differences in the semantic factors "strength" and "activity", while all groups have identical indicators in the semantic factor "assessment". When assessing time coordinates, the world, and themselves, middle-level managers demonstrate significantly lower performance compared to other groups, while in the group of deputies, the highest results were obtained in time coordinates, and directors demonstrate a high self-assessment of activity.
About the authors
Elena A. Lebedeva
Ural State University of Economics
Author for correspondence.
Email: 838557@list.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-6011-6463
SPIN-code: 1929-2190
PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Theory and Applied Sociology
Russian Federation, 62/45, 8 Marta Str./Narodnaya Volya, Yekaterinburg, 620144 Russian Federation
References
- Avdeeva, T. G. (2008). Features of valuemeaning orientation of educational institution leaders. Proceedings of the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University, 54, 278–285. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/KOHWFB
- Aseev, V. G. (2008). Structural features of the valuemotivational system of personality. Bulletin of Kostroma State University named after N. A. Nekrasov. Series: Pedagogy. Psychology. Social Work. Juvenology. Sociokinetics, 14(4), 53–58. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/MUQJJN
- Bratus, B. S. (1988). Anomalies of personality (891 pp.). Moscow: Mysl.
- Bratus, B. S. (n. d.). The meaning sphere of personality [Electronic resource]. http://testmetod.ru/index.php/stati/138-smyslovaya-sfera-lichnosti-b-s-bratus (Accessed: 10.06.2025).
- Burtsev, A. O., Dashko, M. N., & Efimkina, N. V. (2020). Research on components of managerial potential of heads of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Psychology and Law, 10(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2020100101. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/FTDLHK
- Vakhnina, V. V. (2019). Sociopsychological features of development of personal meanings towards professional activity of internal affairs bodies leaders. In Problems of professional development of internal affairs officers: Proceedings of the Interdepartmental Conference (Moscow, November 15, 2018, pp. 47–51). Moscow: Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation named after V. Ya. Kikot. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/IHWRDL
- Velmisova, D. V. (2023). Managerial interaction as a context of meaningmaking. Telescope: Journal of Sociological and Marketing Research, 3, 36–44. https://doi.org/10.24412/1994-3776-2023-3-36-44. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/IIYGCZ
- Dvoynova, U. B., & Naumova, Yu. A. (2023). Theoretical review of valuemotivational aspect of personality in organizational identity. International Journal of Medicine and Psychology, 6(8), 208–212. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/QNHICW
- Zharkovich, M., Chetkovich, Ya., & Knezhevich, M. (2015). Organization of enterprises as a function of successful business. Construction of Unique Buildings and Structures, 1(28), 91–98. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TJDRLP
- Ivannikov, V. A. (2015). Generation of activity and the problem of motivation. Bulletin of Moscow University. Series 14: Psychology, 2, 15–22. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TSHMIF
- Korzhenovsky, I. I., & Melanina, A. A. (2023). Personal features of leaders of successful production teams. Organizational Psychology, 13(3), 182–200. https://doi.org/10.17323/2312-5942-2023-13-3-182-200. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/IHXPLD
- Leontiev, D. A. (1999). Psychology of meaning: Nature, structure and dynamics of meaning reality (486 pp.). Moscow: Smysl.
- Leontiev, D. A. (1992). Meaninginlife orientations test (18 pp.). Moscow: Smysl.
- Mukhacheva, A. V., & Sokolov, A. I. (2017). Analysis of differences in motivation of ownermanagers and hired managers of regional enterprises. Economy of Region, 13(2), 524–536. https://doi.org/10.17059/2017-2-17. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/YSPBBZ
- Osgood, C., Suci, G., & Tannenbaum, P. (1972). Application of the semantic differential technique to research on ethics and related issues. In Semiotics and Artmetrics (370 pp.). Moscow.
- Pilipchevskaya, N. V., & Zyryanova, E. V. (2016). Valuemeaning orientations of future managers in education. Problems of Modern Teacher Education, 537, 161–167. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/XBHAXP
- Prigozhin, A. I. (2015). Business goals: Formation and development. Social Sciences and Modernity, 1, 127–138. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TKLKPJ
- Ryabinina, E. V., & Ivanova, O. E. (2020). Research on the meanings of professional activity of organizational leaders. Business. Education. Law, 4(53), 102–108. https://doi.org/10.25683/VOLBI.2020.53.476. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/DFWLQX
- Sosnovsky, B. A. (1993). Motive and meaning (198 pp.). Moscow: Prometheus.
- Sosnovsky, B. A. (2020). Needmeaning factors of human attitude to work. Management Issues, 1(62), 158–168. https://doi.org/10.22394/2304-3369-2020-1-158-168. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/UKDMPV
- Sosnovsky, B. A., & Lebedeva, E. A. (2022). Semantic approach to the study of leader psychology. Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Organizational Psychology and Work Psychology, 7(4), 90–114. https://doi.org/10.38098/ipran.opwp_2022_25_4_005. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/MSNQFX
- Sultanova, F. R., & Leonova, A. B. (2021). The role of individual personality factors in assessing organizational culture attractiveness. Bulletin of Moscow University. Series 14: Psychology, 2, 123–141. https://doi.org/10.11621/vsp.2021.02.07. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/PFUVXM
- Tatarinova, T. A., & Dominyak, V. I. (2022). Psychological ownership in organizational context: On prerequisites, correlates and consequences. Organizational Psychology, 12(1), 153–174. https://doi.org/10.17323/2312-5942-2022-12-1-153-174. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/JAFKKU
- Usova, N. V. (2020). Studying the relationship between coping behavior characteristics and social activity of personality under conditions of social and labor uncertainty. Perspectives of Science and Education, 5(47), 357–367. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2020.5.25. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/CPLNCV
- Fedorinov, V. I., & Antonova, N. V. (2024). Work motivation of financial organization employees: Connection with engagement and job satisfaction. Organizational Psychology, 14(1), 173–195. https://doi.org/10.17323/2312-5942-2024-14-1-173-195. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WWEFHH
- Yarulov, A. A. (2019). Meaningful guidelines of management. Public Education, 4(1475), 154–159. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WORAIY
- Yarygina, Ya. N. (2009). Dependence of managers’ motivation on personal values at high level of meaninginlife orientations. Bulletin of Samara Humanitarian Academy. Series: Psychology, 1(5), 135–139. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/REMCOP
- Gabrheová, G., Ondrijová, I., & Sciranková, A. (2024). Coping with demanding situations in managerial work in the context of the personality traits of managers. Ad Alta, 14(1), 50–55. https://doi.org/10.33543/j.1401.5055. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TUUBJA
- Chaki, M. R., Guha, B., Biswas, S., et al. (2024). Multivariate framework for introspecting the motivational factors for satisfaction in HR profession. Military Technical Courier, 72(2), 651–675. https://doi.org/10.5937/vojtehg72-48661. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/LWSDIL
- Pishchik, V., & Postnikova, M. (2020). Digital generation representatives of various professional success levels: Psychological features. E3S Web of Conferences, 8, 22002. (Rostov on Don, August 19–30, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202021022002. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/RDBDLJ
- Ghadi, M. Y., Sakka, F., Vasilieva, V., et al. (2024). Sociopsychological factors influencing satisfaction, loyalty, and employee involvement in the production process. Rivista di Studi sulla Sostenibilita, 13(2), 29–46. https://doi.org/10.3280/riss2023-002003. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/UHRAXB
- Filinova, N. V., Bobinkin, S. A., Matveeva, S. V., et al. (2015). The influence of individual psychological abilities on managerial activities of line managers. Asian Social Science, 11(7), 208–214. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v11n7p208. EDN: https://elibrary.ru/UFRCDR
Supplementary files



