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