The purpose of this study was to identify the technical, interpersonal, and analytical skills essential for managers of chain apparel specialty stores located in regional shopping centers in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Statistical Area. A literature review indicated that there is little specific information available concerning skills needed by chain apparel specialty store managers.

In the 1980s, the apparel specialty retail industry was characterized by a number of firms expanding and diversifying their retail holdings and coming to dominate the industry. As a result the industry is composed of national retailers whose decision-making structures are highly centralized. This centralized structure has altered the skills necessary for chain store managers to perform specified job duties.

This qualitative study used the nominal group technique (NGT), structured interviews, and a field study to address the research problem. A nominal group method, involving seven store managers, generated a list of 150 essential skills in eight specified job duty categories. This NGT essential skills list provided the framework for subsequent structured interviews with five district managers of chain apparel specialty stores. The store managers and district managers were then asked to priority rank the essential skills list and the lists were analyzed for congruency. The lists were also compared with daily time/activities logs completed by three store managers to determine if they actually used the specified skills. Triangulation was used to permit the researcher to be more confident of the data.

The essential technical skills identified by participating chain apparel specialty store managers and district managers include a knowledge of company policies, equipment usage, fashion-related product information, payroll procedures, and theft control. The dominant interpersonal skills were the ability to communicate, train, delegate, and role model specific behaviors for employees. The essential analytical skills include the ability to set high store standards, solve customer and employee problems, determine sales trends, and generate creative promotional ideas. Managers must have a combination of management and leadership skills and be able to "drive the business" with creativity, employee involvement and motivation strategies.