Classe dirigente, cultura manageriale e sviluppo nel Mezzogiorno.

The article presents the main evidence of a recent research carried out on six regions on the gap in the number of managers and executives within Southern Italian companies, along with the lack of managerial culture in the South of the country. In fact, the role of managers in the process of economic and social development is particularly relevant, although less explored by socio-economic literature which, in turn, draws greater attention to entrepreneurs as well as to economic and political élites. Instead, managers and executives represent a privileged bench for analysis in order to deeper understand the dynamics within firms, the elements of backwardness and innovation, the strengths and weaknesses related to the development of modern enterprises. In a context such as the Italian Mezzogiorno which seems to be refractory to innovation, the presence and diffusion of management may represent a significant element of modernization and confer, where present, an added value to the company, improving productivity and performance, also triggering virtuous processes of economic and social growth and development for the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]