The Influence of Judges’ Managerial Competences on Judicial Performance: A Statistical Analysis

Planning, monitoring, and control, activities typical of managerial function, occupy a portion of the judicial role, yet this subject remains underexplored. Aiming to fill this gap, this study aims to identify relevant managerial competencies of judges and discuss the correlation between these competencies and judicial performance. The theoretical framework encompasses court administration and the competency-based management approach. Research data were gathered through a questionnaire. A sample of 60 judges and 199 clerks from first-degree judicial units of the Court of Justice of Minas Gerais, Brazil, responded a five-point Likert scale of agreement containing 22 items related to managerial competencies of judges. The data were subjected to exploratory factor and regression analysis. The findings reveal that, according to judges, their most significant managerial skills encompass: i) Resolvability, ii) Outcomes-based Management, iii) Communication, and iv) Judicial Process Management. Conversely, from the perspective of court clerks, the most relevant judges’ managerial competencies are: i) Leadership and Team Management, ii) Judicial Process Management, and iii) Performance Monitoring. The paper discusses these results and tests their relationships with judicial performance.