Before Managing Others, Manage Yourself Strategically: A Systematic Literature Review

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VIII, August 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Before Managing Others, Manage Yourself Strategically: A Systematic Literature Review

Sajeevanie T.L.
Department of Human Resource Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Abstract: Management is not just for organizations. Self-management, if used properly, makes individuals not just survive but also thrive. Similarly, that experience can be elongated to understand the best approach to manage other selves too. This systematic literature review aims to examine the state of existing literature related to the concept of self-management, the role of self-management in different contexts to achieve excellence and finally the strategic perspective of self-management. After a systematic review of the available literature based on a sample of 30 empirical and conceptual studies, it was found that self-management has a positive influence on all the contexts but literature on strategic self-management remains scarce. Hence, the author highlights the importance of future research studies devoted to strategic self-management practices involved in both organizational and institutional contexts.

Keywords: Self-management, Strategic self-management, Strategic self-management practices, Systematic literature review.

I. INTRODUCTION

Self-management is not just for professional growth but also for success in every aspect of life. In addition, it can be considered as a goal-oriented concept that makes individuals more valuable. Simply self-management empowers individuals to follow their goals and direct their thoughts, feelings and actions to achieve their desired goals. Scholars have defined self-management in different ways considering its application and the importance. Bryant and Poustie (2001) mentioned self-management as competencies, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required for successful performance. Drucker (2007) defined self-management as a self-development strategy that revolves around some basic principles that enable one to remain on the cutting edge to adapt, cope and meet new challenges and develop.

Considering the organizational involvement of self-management, Renn and Huning (2008) explained that self-management refers to employees setting their own goals, working independently to achieve their goals and monitoring their progress towards achieving personal goals. Self-management equates to personal management or management of one’s life to be able to survive (Tracy, 2010, cited in Mbofung, 2014).

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