Joomla 3 call model function inside controller

I fixed for someone if he get the same error by using My Model : /httpdocs/components/com_storemanager/models/searchmanager.php

<?php

    defined('_JEXEC') or die;

    jimport('joomla.application.component.modellist');

    /**
     * Methods supporting a list of Hpj_storemanager records.
     *
     * @since  1.6
     */
    class storemanagerModelSearchmanager extends JModelItem
    {

        /**
         * Method to auto-populate the model state.
         *
         * Note. Calling getState in this method will result in recursion.
         *
         * @return void
         *
         * @since    1.6
         *
         */
        public function managerList($name) 
        {
            $db = JFactory::getDBO();
            $query = $db->getQuery(true)
                ->select($db->qn("title"))  
                ->from($db->qn("#__storemanager_manager"))
                ->where("LOCATE(" . $db->quote($name) . ", " . $db->quoteName("manager") . ") = 1");

            JFactory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage($query->dump(), 'info');  // don't show your rendered query to the public
            try {
                return $db->setQuery($query)->loadObjectList();
            } catch (Exception $e) {
                JFactory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage("Query Syntax Error: " . $e->getMessage(), 'error');  // don't show $e->getMessage() to public
            }

        }

    }

And in my Controller : /httpdocs/components/com_storemanager/controller.php

function searchmanager()
    {
        $jinput = JFactory::getApplication()->input;

        $name = $jinput->get('text'));

        $model = $this->getModel('Searchmanager');

        $manegers = $model->managerList($name)

        foreach($managers as $manager) 
        {
            echo '<br><h3>'.$manager->title.'</h3><p>';
        }

        exit;
    }

Well, I originally posted this as a comment, but advice that may resolve the issue must be posted as an answer. I will hedge my post and state that there may be additional problems beyond what I am addressing. See irata's answer for the possible MVC fix.

$db = JFactory::getDBO();
$query = $db->getQuery(true)
    ->select($db->qn("title"))  
    ->from($db->qn("#__storemanager_manager"))
    ->where("LOCATE(" . $db->quote($name) . ", " . $db->quoteName(manager) . ") = 1");

JFactory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage($query->dump(), 'info');  // don't show your rendered query to the public
try {
    return $db->setQuery($query)->loadObjectList();
} catch (Exception $e) {
    JFactory::getApplication()->enqueueMessage("Query Syntax Error: " . $e->getMessage(), 'error');  // don't show $e->getMessage() to public
}

The adjustment to the WHERE clause still requires qualifying rows to have a manager value that begins with the value held in $name.

I have included two enqueueMessage() calls to help you to debug, but you must remove them when you are finished the dev stage.

Please read https://joomla.stackexchange.com/a/22712/12352 regarding your LIKE syntax.

I use this piece of code in my controller to access the model.

    JModelLegacy::addIncludePath(JPATH_ADMINISTRATOR . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'components' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'com_' . $feature . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'models');
    $model = JModelLegacy::getInstance('Items', 'InventoryModel');

That is cut and pasted straight out of a working piece of code, no edits so I expect it should work for you if you change the code around com_ . $feature and whats inside the the getInstance brackets.