Organization and Management Lesson 3: Functions, Roles and Skills of a Manager

Summary

This script delves into the multifaceted roles and skills of managers, highlighting the hierarchical structure of top, middle, and lower level managers and their respective responsibilities. It outlines the 10 roles of a manager, categorized into interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles, emphasizing the importance of leadership, communication, and decision-making. Essential skills for managers include conceptual, human, and technical abilities, which are crucial for effective management and organizational impact.

Takeaways

• 🏢 The script discusses the different functions, roles, and skills of a manager in an organization.
• 📊 Management levels are categorized into top, middle, and lower levels, each with distinct responsibilities and authority.
• 🔝 Top-level managers, or strategic managers, oversee the entire organization, develop strategic plans, and maintain external relationships.
• 💼 Middle-level managers, or tactical managers, execute organizational plans based on top-level goals and manage departmental objectives.
• 👷 Lower-level managers, or operational managers, supervise daily operations and address employee issues, escalating them to higher management when necessary.
• 🤝 Managers have interpersonal roles such as leaders, liaisons, and figureheads, focusing on relationships within and outside the company.
• 📢 Informational roles include being a spokesperson, monitor, and disseminator, emphasizing the manager's role in information flow.
• 🛠 Decisional roles involve disturbance handling, resource allocation, negotiation, and entrepreneurship, highlighting the manager's impact on organizational direction.
• 🧠 Conceptual skills allow managers to understand the organization's big picture and its environment.
• 👥 Human skills are crucial for effective communication, leadership, and motivation within a team.
• 🛠️ Technical skills enable proficiency in task execution based on the manager's expertise and knowledge.
• 💡 The script emphasizes the impact of managerial decisions on the well-being and success of the team and organization.

Q & A

What are the three levels of management and their respective roles?

The three levels of management are top-level managers, middle-level managers, and lower-level managers. Top-level managers, also known as strategic managers, are responsible for controlling and overseeing the entire organization, developing goals, strategic plans, company policies, and making decisions on the direction of the business. Middle-level managers, or tactical managers, establish specific objectives and activities for their departments based on the general goals set by top-level managers. Lower-level managers, known as operational managers, supervise the everyday operation of the company, focusing on controlling and directing the employees or staff.

What is the role of top-level managers in an organization?

Top-level managers are responsible for controlling and overseeing the entire organization. They develop goals, strategic plans, company policies, and make decisions on the direction of the business. They also prioritize the company's stability, development, progress, and overall efficiency and effectiveness, and maintain the relationship of the organization to the external environment, such as future investors and government.

What tasks are middle-level managers responsible for?

Middle-level managers are in charge of establishing specific objectives and activities for their departments based on the general goals developed by the top-level managers. They execute organizational plans in conformance with the company's policies and the objectives of top management.

What are the responsibilities of lower-level managers?

Lower-level managers, or operational managers, are responsible for supervising the everyday operation of the company. They focus on controlling and directing the employees or staff of the organization and escalate employee problems to higher-level managers when necessary.

What are the three categories of a manager's roles and what are they?

The three categories of a manager's roles are interpersonal, informational, and decisional. Interpersonal roles involve establishing and maintaining relationships with the internal and external environment of the company. Informational roles involve being a source of information within and outside the organization. Decisional roles focus on the decision-making process within the company.

What is the significance of a manager's conceptual skills?

Conceptual skills enable managers to see the big picture, recognize significant elements in a situation, and understand the relationships among the elements. They allow managers to develop a holistic view of their organization and its relation to the wider external environment.

Why are human skills important for a manager?

Human skills are important for a manager because they enable them to relate well with people, work cooperatively, promote teamwork, and create an environment where people feel secure and free to express their opinions. These skills facilitate effective communication, leadership, inspiration, and motivation.

What does technical skill refer to in the context of management?

Technical skills refer to the manager's proficiency in performing their tasks using their expertise. Managers must be knowledgeable about the tasks assigned to them to execute them efficiently and effectively.

How do the roles of a manager as a leader, liaison, and figurehead contribute to the organization?

As a leader, a manager provides guidance and manages the performance and responsibilities of the team. As a liaison, they communicate with internal and external contacts, networking effectively on behalf of the organization. As a figurehead, they serve as a source of inspiration and authority for the group members.

What is the role of a manager as a spokesperson in the informational category?

As a spokesperson, a manager represents and speaks for the company, transmitting information about the organization and its goals to people outside the organization.

How does a manager's role as a negotiator impact the organization?

As a negotiator, a manager participates in important negotiations within the team, department, or organization, which can influence outcomes and relationships with other parties.

What does it mean for a manager to be an entrepreneur in their role?

Being an entrepreneur in the manager's role means creating and controlling change within the organization. This involves solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them.