| This is the third article in a series looking at | | | | external board work; performing other activities that |
| Management and how you can understand it better | | | | involve outsiders |
| and use it in your business. For the previous | | | | 4. Monitor - examples include reading periodicals and |
| previously sections, please contact using the links at | | | | reports; maintaining personal contacts |
| the bottom of the article. | | | | 5. Disseminator - examples include holding |
| WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF MANAGEMENT? | | | | informational meetings; making phone calls to relay |
| In today's business world, organisations are | | | | information |
| desperate to show potential employees how they | | | | 6. Spokesperson - examples include holding board |
| value their staff. Policies have been designed and | | | | meetings; giving information to the media |
| implemented that support working mothers, working | | | | 7. Entrepreneur - examples include organising strategy |
| fathers, personal development, and the growth of | | | | and review sessions to develop new programs |
| the staff member within their career. In fact, many | | | | 8. Disturbance Handler - examples include organising |
| people will assess potential employers according to | | | | strategy and review sessions that involve |
| the support they provide their staff. | | | | disturbances and crises |
| But, traditional business management models are still | | | | 9. Resource Allocator - examples include scheduling; |
| used every day. Quantitative methods are applied to | | | | requesting authorisation; performing any activity that |
| help with decision making on new products, systems, | | | | involves budgeting and the programming of |
| and the like. A certain level of bureaucracy is applied | | | | subordinates' work |
| to a business, maintaining a hierarchy, and systems | | | | 10. Negotiator - examples include participating in union |
| are always assessed according to output - i.e. is there | | | | contract negotiations |
| a better way it can be done to maximize profits? | | | | The reality is that most managers fulfil aspects of |
| But, what specific roles have been created for | | | | these ten roles most of the time. Some levels of |
| managers? If you are a manager, can you see which | | | | management within an organisation will carry out |
| of these roles applies to you? According to Henry | | | | tasks reflective of certain roles more than others (eg |
| Mintzberg (The Nature of managerial Work, 1973), | | | | top level managers making more decisions). But for a |
| there are ten primary roles within management. | | | | business to perform at its best, its managers should |
| 1. Figurehead - examples include greeting visitors, | | | | be able to perform the majority of these roles. This |
| signing legal documents | | | | is even more important if the organisation is a small |
| 2. Leader - examples include virtually all activities that | | | | business, as the resources to employ different |
| involve subordinates | | | | people for different roles are not readily available. |
| 3. Liaison - examples include acknowledging mail; doing | | | | |