Management and Human Factors: Exploratory Research With Focus Groups

The article analyzes the training needs of managers belonging to public and private companies in the Region of Sicily, Italy, using focus groups. Fifty-two managers took part in the research—32 executives and 20 employees with intermediate positions in collaboration with senior management. This is a qualitative research with explorative purposes whose approach is part of the symbolic interactionism paradigm. Data analysis, supported by the Atlas.ti software, has permitted the coding of the meanings underlying the text of the narratives and identifying four “code families” as key themes of the observed reality. A managerial profile emerges that, moving between critical issues and resources, shows an awareness of the need to refine skills that take into account the human factor, semantic category that is present across all the thematic areas addressed and on which one should think and plan a specific management training.