An anthropocentric approach to developing personal effectiveness in managers against the backdrop of digital transformation

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of personal effectiveness in managers of a human-centered organization. The study is based on a detailed analysis of personal determinants that underpin the subject’s effectiveness within active and cooperative relationships. The research material comprised objective indicators, including levels of team microclimate and burnout, as well as employee involvement in corporate initiatives. The central analytical category was personal effectiveness, conceptualized as a complex integral indicator contingent upon a range of characteristics: professional training, communication skills, the ability to create a favorable working atmosphere, organize support, and establish team cooperation. A project was developed to improve the managers’ personal effectiveness. It aimed at fostering competencies that ensure harmonious coexistence between employees and managements, strengthen a healthy working environment, and increase job satisfaction. The project’s goal was to cultivate internal resources for successful functioning under intense pressure and change through the development of necessary personal qualities and adaptive abilities. Research methods included a formative experiment (running January–November 2025), testing (assessment of a manager’s personal maturity by M. A. Shchukina and A. S. Smeltsova; assessment of professional well-being by E. I. Ruth and R. A. Berezovskaya; diagnostics of emotional burnout by K. Maslach adapted by N. E. Vodopyanova); questionnaires (to collect data on the level of team microclimate); and statistical analysis (cluster analysis, Mann-Whitney U-test, Fisher φ*-test. The sample included 109 line managers (76% women and 24% men) aged 24 to 50 (M = 32.4; Me = 32; Mo = 30) with higher (n = 94; 86%) or secondary vocational education (n = 15; 14%). Based on the testing results, an original personal effectiveness enhancement program was developed and piloted with 14 managers. This program integrated facilitation, mastermind groups, and psychological training. It aimed at adjusting rigid cognitive attitudes, developing an internal locus of control, and encouraging self-development. Preliminary results indicated progress toward reaching the targeted constructs, thereby confirming the effectiveness of the targeted psychological intervention in forming a human-centric managerial identity. The study shows that systemic development of managers ensures successful adaptation to digital transformation and encourages them to contribute to the development of an organizational culture based on the values of meaningfulness and involvement.