Mintzberg's Managerial Roles

Summary

This script delves into Henry Mintzberg's exploration of managerial roles, challenging the traditional view of managers as merely planners, organizers, leaders, and controllers. Mintzberg's research identified three key roles for managers: interpersonal, informational, and decisional, each with specific responsibilities that contribute to an organization's smooth operation and success. The summary highlights the interconnected nature of these roles and their importance in effective management.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Managers' roles are often misunderstood, prompting Henry Mintzberg to seek a more accurate depiction of managerial work.
• 🔍 Mintzberg conducted extensive research, including observing managers and analyzing their diaries, to understand their daily activities.
• 👥 Managers serve in three broad categories of roles: interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles, each with specific responsibilities.
• 👑 Interpersonal roles stem from a manager's formal authority and include being a figurehead, leader, and liaison.
• 📜 As a figurehead, managers perform ceremonial duties that ensure the smooth operation of the organization.
• 💼 In the leader role, managers are responsible for hiring, training, and motivating their subordinates towards achieving group goals.
• 🔗 The liaison role connects the manager's organization to external entities, establishing valuable contacts and information networks.
• 📡 Informational roles allow managers to act as monitors, disseminators, and spokespersons, gathering and sharing crucial data.
• 👀 As monitors, managers scan their environment for information, utilizing their extensive networks to stay informed.
• 📣 Disseminators ensure that information gathered by managers is shared within the organization, keeping team members informed.
• 🗣️ Spokespersons represent the organization externally, communicating with investors, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• 🛠️ Decisional roles involve acting as an entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator, leveraging information for organizational benefit.
• 🚀 Entrepreneurial managers identify and seize opportunities for organizational improvement.
• 🆘 Disturbance handlers manage crises and unforeseen events that require immediate attention and action.
• 💰 Resource allocators decide how organizational resources are distributed, including time, money, and equipment.
• 🔄 Negotiators use their authority and information to negotiate contracts and resolve disputes on behalf of the organization.
• 🌟 Mintzberg emphasizes that while not every manager may focus equally on each role, access to all roles is crucial for effective management.

Q & A

What question did Henry Mintzberg seek to answer through his research on managerial roles?

Henry Mintzberg sought to answer the question 'What does a manager actually do?' by providing a more accurate and useful description of managerial work.

Why was Mintzberg not satisfied with Henri Fayol's depiction of managers?

Mintzberg felt that Henri Fayol's depiction of managers as those who engage in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling was too vague and did not accurately represent the actual work of managers.

What are the three distinct roles that Mintzberg identified managers serve in an organization?

The three distinct roles that Mintzberg identified are interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles.

What is the significance of a manager's formal authority in their interpersonal roles?

Formal authority is significant because it results in the possession of status, which leads to the various interpersonal roles that a manager plays, such as figurehead, leader, and liaison.

Can you explain the role of a manager as a figurehead?

As a figurehead, managers are the head of the organizational unit and are responsible for performing certain ceremonial duties, which ensure that the organization runs smoothly.

What is the role of a manager as a leader?

As a leader, managers are accountable for the work and performance of their subordinates, often being responsible for hiring, training, and providing incentives to increase productivity towards group goals.

How does a manager act as a liaison?

As a liaison, managers serve as a connection between their organization or subunit and those outside of it, establishing contacts with peers, customers, and suppliers, which can be a valuable source of information.

What are the three informational roles that a manager serves?

Within their informational role, managers serve as a monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson, gaining access to important information and sharing it with the organization or subunit.

Why is the role of a monitor important for a manager?

The role of a monitor is important because it involves scanning the environment for information, which is crucial for making informed decisions and staying aware of opportunities and threats.

What is the significance of a manager's role as a disseminator?

As a disseminator, managers share important information with their organization or subunit, ensuring that subordinates have access to the information they need to perform their tasks effectively.

How does a manager's role as a spokesperson tie into their informational roles?

As a spokesperson, managers send information to people outside the organization, such as investors or suppliers, which is a natural extension of their access to information and their role in disseminating it within the organization.

What are the five decisional roles that a manager plays in an organization?

The five decisional roles that a manager plays are entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator, and they also make decisions based on the information they have access to.

Why is the role of an entrepreneur important in a manager's decision-making process?

As an entrepreneur, managers seek to utilize their information to improve their organization or subunit, taking advantage of opportunities they have identified through their role as a monitor.

Can you describe the role of a disturbance handler in a manager's responsibilities?

As a disturbance handler, managers are responsible for responding to events or circumstances beyond their control, such as economic conditions, labor strikes, or natural disasters, which require action to mitigate their impact.

What does a manager do as a resource allocator?

As a resource allocator, managers decide who in their organization or subunit gets what resources, including time, money, equipment, or facilities, and establish an organizational structure for their unit.

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

As a negotiator, managers use their authority to commit organizational resources and their access to information to negotiate on behalf of the organization, such as supplier contracts, employee grievances, and labor contracts.

What did Mintzberg argue about the importance of each managerial role?

Mintzberg argued that each of the ten managerial roles provides a better reflection of what managers actually do, and that the sum of these roles is greater than the individual roles by themselves, emphasizing the necessity and importance of each role for a manager's effectiveness.

Outlines

00:00

🧐 Exploring Managerial Roles: Mintzberg's Perspective

This paragraph delves into the question of what managers actually do, challenging traditional views like Fayol's that managers engage in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Henry Mintzberg, a professor at McGill University, was unsatisfied with these vague descriptions and conducted extensive research to develop a more accurate portrayal of managerial work. His findings identified three distinct roles for managers within an organization: interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles. Mintzberg's work emphasizes the importance of understanding these roles to effectively train future managers. The paragraph also defines a manager and discusses the significance of formal authority in shaping a manager's status and roles within an organization.

05:01

🤝 The Multifaceted Roles of Managers

This paragraph expands on the interpersonal roles of managers, which include being a figurehead, leader, and liaison. As a figurehead, managers perform ceremonial duties that ensure organizational smoothness. As leaders, they are accountable for their subordinates' work and performance, including hiring, training, and providing incentives. As liaisons, they establish connections with external parties, which leads to their informational roles. The paragraph also discusses the informational roles of managers as monitors, disseminators, and spokespersons, highlighting how these roles are interconnected and essential for accessing and sharing vital information within and outside the organization.

Keywords

💡Managers

Managers are individuals in charge of an organization or subgroup, possessing authority and status within the organizational structure. They are central to the video's theme, which explores the various roles and responsibilities of managers as identified by Henry Mintzberg. The script discusses how managers' formal authority leads to specific interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles.

💡Henry Mintzberg

Henry Mintzberg is a professor at McGill University known for his research on managerial work. He is a key figure in the video as his dissatisfaction with existing descriptions of managerial functions led him to develop a more nuanced understanding of what managers do. His work forms the basis for the video's exploration of managerial roles.

💡Interpersonal Roles

Interpersonal roles are those derived directly from a manager's formal authority and include being a figurehead, leader, and liaison. These roles are integral to the video's message, illustrating how managers interact with their subordinates and external entities, maintaining the organization's smooth operation and establishing valuable contacts.

💡Informational Roles

Informational roles pertain to the access and dissemination of information that managers have due to their interpersonal roles. As monitors, disseminators, and spokespersons, managers gather, share, and communicate information, which is vital for decision-making within the organization. This concept is central to the video's narrative on the multifaceted nature of managerial work.

💡Decisional Roles

Decisional roles are the actions managers take based on the information they have access to, including being an entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. These roles are crucial to the video's theme, demonstrating the impact managers have on organizational strategy and response to challenges.

💡Figurehead

A figurehead is a ceremonial role that managers play as the head of an organizational unit. This role, while not always central to operational tasks, ensures the organization's social and ceremonial functions run smoothly, as illustrated by the script's examples of taking a new employee to lunch or meeting with foreign dignitaries.

💡Leader

As leaders, managers are accountable for the work and performance of their subordinates. This role is essential to the video's message, showing how managers are responsible for hiring, training, and motivating their teams to achieve group goals, thus driving the organization's success.

💡Liaison

The role of a liaison involves managers acting as a connection between their organization or subunit and external entities. This role is highlighted in the script as crucial for establishing contacts and obtaining valuable information, demonstrating the importance of networking in managerial work.

💡Monitor

As monitors, managers scan their environments for information, which can be solicited or unsolicited. This role is vital to the video's theme, as it shows how managers stay informed about their surroundings, enabling them to make informed decisions and identify opportunities.

💡Dissemination

Dissemination refers to the process by which managers share information with their organization or subunit. This concept is central to the video's exploration of how managers ensure that valuable information reaches those who need it within the organization, highlighting the importance of communication in managerial roles.

💡Spokesperson

The role of a spokesperson involves managers communicating information to external stakeholders. This role is highlighted in the script as managers must represent their organization to investors, government agencies, and other external parties, emphasizing the public-facing aspect of managerial work.

💡Entrepreneur

As entrepreneurs, managers utilize their information to improve their organization or subunit. This role is integral to the video's narrative, showing how managers identify and take advantage of opportunities for innovation and growth within the organization.

💡Disturbance Handler

Disturbance handlers are managers who respond to events or circumstances beyond their control, such as economic conditions or natural disasters. This role is crucial to the video's message, illustrating how managers must be prepared to address significant challenges that impact the organization.

💡Resource Allocator

Resource allocators are managers who decide the distribution of resources within their organization or subunit. This role is central to the video's theme, demonstrating how managers allocate time, money, equipment, and facilities, which is essential for the organization's operational efficiency and strategic direction.

💡Negotiator

As negotiators, managers are uniquely positioned to represent the organization in various agreements and contracts. This role is highlighted in the script as an essential part of managerial work, showing how managers use their authority and information to secure favorable terms for the organization.

Highlights

Henry Mintzberg questioned the traditional depiction of managers by Henri Fayol, seeking a more accurate description of managerial work.

Mintzberg conducted extensive research and observed managers at all levels and from different countries to understand their roles.

Managers serve three distinct roles: interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles.

A manager's formal authority and status in an organization lead to various roles they must fulfill.

Interpersonal roles include being a figurehead, leader, and liaison within an organization.

Managers perform ceremonial duties as figureheads, such as attending employee events or meeting dignitaries.

Leadership roles involve accountability for subordinates' work and performance, including hiring and training.

As liaisons, managers establish external contacts, which are valuable for information sharing.

Informational roles stem from the contacts and networks developed through interpersonal roles.

Managers act as monitors, constantly scanning their environments for valuable information.

In their role as disseminators, managers share important information with their organization or subunit.

Managers serve as spokespersons, communicating information to external stakeholders.

Decision-making roles are significantly influenced by the information managers gather and their authority.

As entrepreneurs, managers identify and take advantage of opportunities for organizational improvement.

Disturbance handlers respond to uncontrollable events that require managerial action.

Resource allocators decide the distribution of resources such as time, money, and equipment within the organization.

Negotiators use their authority and information access to represent the organization in negotiations.

Mintzberg's ten managerial roles provide a comprehensive view of the multifaceted nature of managerial work.

The effectiveness of a manager is contingent upon their ability to fulfill these diverse roles.

Mintzberg emphasizes that while not every manager may give equal attention to each role, access to all is crucial.

Transcripts

A common question that many people find themselves asking is What do managers actually do?

Truthfully this is a fair question.

If we intend to train and educate the next generation of managers isn't it important

to have an understanding of what we're training them for?

These questions plagued the mind a professor at McGill University by the name of Henry

Mintzberg.

You see Mintzberg wasn't satisfied by Henri Fayol's depiction of managers as those that

engage in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

He felt that these functions were far too vague and weren't an accurate representation

of what managers actually did on the job.

So naturally Mintzberg sought out to uncover a more supportable and useful description

of managerial work.

In addition to conducting his own research, Mintzberg scoured current and available research

pertaining to managerial roles.

These studies incorporated managers at all levels of the organizational structure as

well as managers from different countries.

Managers were observed firsthand in their natural environments and some were even asked

to keep detailed diaries of their various activities during the day.

With access to all of this data, Mintzberg attempted to paint a much more accurate picture

of managerial roles and accurately answer the question: What does a manager actually

do?

Mintzberg found that managers serve three distinct roles in the organization: interpersonal

roles, informational roles, and decisional roles.

Each of these categories spawned more specific responsibilities that ultimately share a common

theme.

But before we get to this, lets discuss where it all begins.

What is a manager?

Although definitions vary, a manager can easily be described as someone who is in charge of

an organization or subgroup.

And since the manager is in charge of an organization or subgroup they're given a certain amount

of authority over the group.

Mintzberg argued that the presence of this authority was important because this formal

authority, meaning authority derived from simply having a certain position in the organizational

structure, results in the possession of status.

And a manager's status in the organization is what leads to the various roles that we'll

describe now.

The first role of managers is an interpersonal role.

Interpersonal roles are derived directly from formal authority since the manager wouldn't

have the same relationship with his or her subordinates if he or she lacked formal authority

and thus status in the group.

Within interpersonal roles managers fulfill three important roles: figurehead, leader,

and liaison.

As a figurehead, managers are the head of the organizational unit and are responsible

from performing certain ceremonial duties.

These duties can include taking a newly hired employee out to lunch, attending the wedding

of an employee, or even meeting with foreign dignitaries.

Although these may not sound critically important to the organization, they insure that the

organization runs smoothly.

The next role is that of a leader.

As a leader, managers are accountable for the work and performance of their subordinates.

Managers are often responsible for hiring and training in their direct area, and also

providing subordinates with incentives to increase productivity while working towards

group goals.

The last interpersonal role is one of a liaison.

As a liaison, managers serve as a connection between their organization or subunit to those

outside of it.

Acting as a liaison leads to managers establishing contacts with their peers, as well as customers

and supplies, which can serve as a valuable source of information.

Each of the individual roles within interpersonal roles leads to the second role of a manager:

informational roles.

Through their interpersonal roles, managers develop important contacts that provide them

with access to important information.

Within their informational role, managers serve as a: monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson.

At this point I'm sure that you can see how these roles are beginning to tie together.

For without the interpersonal roles managers wouldn't be in a position to gain access to

information in the first place.

As a monitor, managers are responsible for scanning their environments for information.

This information can come from a managers vast collection of networks, and can either

be solicited or unsolicited.

The important thing, is that the manager has their ears to the ground and is waiting for

valuable information to relay to his or her subordinates.

Once the managers collects this information they are now in a position to disseminate

that information to their organization or subunit.

This action highlights a manager's role as a disseminator.

Without the manager, subordinates wouldn't have access to this information since they

likely lack to vast network of contacts that managers possess.

The last informational role of a manager is that of a spokesperson.

In addition to disseminating information to those inside the organization of subunit,

managers also send information to people on the outside.

This could take the form of a conference call with investors, a testimony at a congressional

hearing, or even a conversation with a supplier.

In addition to managing the interests of their subordinates, managers must also deal with

external stakeholders, such as: investors, suppliers, creditors, and government agencies

to name a few.

Due to their informational roles, managers now have access to what is needed to make

decisions.

Managers play a significant role in the decision-making of their organization or subunit, and this

is in large part due to the level of information that they have access to.

Within a managers role as a decision-maker, they also serve as an: entrepreneur, disturbance

handler, resource allocator, and negotiator.

As an entrepreneur, managers seek to utilize their information for the purpose of improving

their organization or subunit.

Remember that while serving as monitor the manager is scanning the environment for information

and opportunities.

As entrepreneur, the manager now takes advantage of those opportunities that were previously

identified.

As the disturbance handler, managers are responsible for responding to events or circumstances

that are beyond their control.

These circumstances or pressures are typically too significant for a manager to ignore, and

thus some kind of action is needed.

These pressures can include: deteriorating economic conditions, labor strikes, natural

disasters, competitor actions, or even product issues like Firestone tires in the 1990s,

the deaths caused by Tylenol in the early 1980s, and more recently the BP oil spill.

The impact of these events is significant, and certainly warrant a response from managers

in their disturbance handler role.

The third decisional role that managers engage in is that of a resource allocator.

As resource allocator, managers decide who in their organization or subunit gets what.

This can include things like: time, which is important considering the managers connections

and access to information, money, equipment, or even facilities.

In addition to allocating scarce resources, managers also establish an organizational

structure for their unit and authorize decisions before implementation.

The fourth and final decisional role is that of a negotiator.

Due to their authority to commit organizational resources, as well as their access to information,

managers are uniquely positioned to negotiate on behalf of the organization.

Managers regularly negotiate supplier contracts, employee grievances, and employee labor contracts.

Together, Mintzberg argued that each of these ten managerial roles provide a better reflection

of what managers actually do.

Each role is uniquely important and the sum of these managerial roles is certainly greater

than the individual roles by themselves.

Take for example a manager who doesn't have access to information.

How would they make accurate and timely decisions?

How would they allocate resources, negotiate effectively, or even identify new opportunities

for their organization?

The truth is that each managerial role is necessary and important to ultimately the

effectiveness of a manager.

Now Mintzberg certainly didn't claim that every manager gives each role the same attention,

but that access to each was important for a manager to be able to fulfill their roles

and responsibilities effectively.

This has been Mintzberg's Managerial Roles.

In our next video, we'll discuss the early management theory Scientific Management.

For questions please leave them in the comment box below and I'll do my best to get back

to those in a timely fashion.

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you while you sleep.

Thanks for watching.