Mathematics In Higher Education: Examining The Relationship Between Managerial Decision-Making Effectiveness, Self-Assessment, and Mathematical Mastery Using Research Technologies

Managers’ achievements in decision-making may be associated not only with their level of competence but also with individual characteristics such as self-assessment and interest in mathematics. Using the study of mathematics as an example, the main objective of our research is to examine the relationship among three variables: managerial decision-making outcomes, self-assessment, and interest in mathematics. We test three hypotheses regarding: (1) the relationship between the level of self-assessment and achievements in managerial decision-making; (2) the relationship between mathematical literacy and achievements; and (3) the moderating effect of mathematical literacy on the relationship between self-assessment and achievements. The study involved managers from various sectors of the economy (N = 516, mean age = 36 years, 56% male), who completed a mathematics test and answered questions from a personality questionnaire. The results showed that high achievements in decision-making are associated with a high level of self-assessment (p < 0.001). At the same time, the relationship between these variables is moderated by mathematical knowledge. We can conclude that the timely assessment of self-evaluation levels and the continued maintenance of an adequate level of mathematical knowledge will contribute to the professional development of managers.