Identification and Comparison of Requirements Imposed on Brand Managers: Cross-National Study in the U.S.A. and in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Purpose of the article: The author’s interest focuses on human factor of brand managers, as brands and their added value are considered to be among the most important sources of competitive advantage for business in a competitive marketplace. There is no doubt that for succeeding in their job role, brand managers must have knowledge, dispositional traits and concomitant soft skills that arise from these traits. The purpose of the article is to provide the insight into the offering of brand manager posts in the Czech Republic and in the U.S.A. and to analyse the collected data with the special interest in finding the answer whether the employers are searching the brand managers possessing personal dispositions and skills of knowledge workers, and if there is no significant difference in the requirements between the Czech and American recruitment advertisers. Methodology/methods: For a successful empirical research, the content analysis method by Berelson was used to study the texts in the advertisements publicly available on career portals. The statistical verifications of results were conducted using the chi-square test. Scientific aim:The goal of the primary survey was to provide the answers to the research questions that arise from the following research assumptions: (1) employers do not publish different requirements for candidates for the job of Brand Manager in the U.S.A. and in the Czech Republic, (2) the set of requirements for candidates for the job of Brand Manager in the U.S.A. will confirm that a brand manager is one of the workers who has skills and personality prerequisites expected from knowledge workers. Findings: The results of the actual research project confirmed the fundamental need for excellent communication skills (69.0%) and presentation skills (65.5%). Unlike employers in the Czech Republic, the American companies are more interested in people with a high degree of responsibility (41.4%) that is the third highest relative frequency of identified traits. About one third of American advertisements had requirements for the high degree of creativity, conceptual thinking and analytical skills of candidates for the position of Brand Manager. During the comparison of the data results gathered in both countries, there were recorded significant differences practically in all analysed groups of personality traits, behavioural competencies and so-called soft skills. Statistical verification confirmed the shift of requirements in the group of performance prerequisites and abilities, as well as in the group of interpersonal skills and abilities. Conclusions: Comparison of frequencies of requirements placed on candidates for the position of Brand Manager in the U.S.A. and in the Czech Republic indicated differences, but it does not mean that the US employers are less demanding. The differences in the employers’ expectations supported by a set of psychological requirements placed on candidates for the position of Brand Manager inspire the discussion and are the reason for a deeper investigation of the job roles in product management. The findings indicated that employers are looking for employees possessing personal dispositions and skills of a knowledge worker nevertheless the ability to innovate is not presented in the American job advertisements as often as in the Czech Republic.