ALCOHOL AND MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE

Effects of alcohol intoxication at .05 and .10 breath alcohol concentr ation upon a number of validated indicators of managerial performance were investigated in a double-blind crossover placebo-controlled simul ation design. Managers (N = 48) spent 2 days handling quasi-experiment al (partially event-controlled) tasks that permitted realistic manager ial decision making under both ''normal'' and ''emergency'' conditions . The data showed that speed and frequency of managerial action were a ffected by alcohol at the .10 but not the .05 level. Strategy and plan ning deteriorated at both levels. Limited improvement of performance w as observed for one simpler component of managerial functioning at the lower intoxication level, possibly due to myopia and/or a motivated ' 'strain'' toward better performance induced by the perception of impai rment.