The uncertainty and unpredictability of future events has stimulated interests in research on the nature and characteristics of changes and trends that will be likely to drive competitive performance in the future. Many prominent scholars, including Toffler, Drucker, Handy and Naisbitt, have attempted and identified key drivers of change in the 21st century. The study reviews the current schools of thought in futures studies and major business forecasts in order to highlight the key areas of change in business environment and management. A survey questionnaire was designed and administered to determine the perceptions of managers about managerial competencies and effective managerial performance. The findings revealed that managers’ performance in the coming decade is primarily measured against the quality of their relationships with customers, followed by communication, team-building, goal accomplishment competencies. Effective management performance is essentially linked to managers’ ability to manage relationships, processes and time.

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