Master's Thesis from the year 2002 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, grade: 5,5 (Schweiz) = 1,5 (Deutschlan, University of St. Gallen, language: English, abstract: Based on the literature gap and the need for increased understanding of the GA manager’s role identified before, the following research questions will be analyzed in this paper: •What are the theoretical constituents (competencies) and determinants of a GA manager’s role? •How are these constituents and determinants perceived in practice, and what is the status quo of management development tools and processes for GAM? •What are the critical success factors for human resources management when creating an environment that is conducive to the development of the GA manager’s role?