Introduction to Management The Role of the Manager

Transcription

1 Introduction to Management The Role of the Manager Learning Outcomes At the end of this session you will be able to understand what management is; know the skills and functions of management; know what is expected of managers Introduction This session provides an introduction to the concept of Management. First, we provide a definition; we look at what it is and how it is developed. We look at it s nature and importance in modern society. The main functions of all managers are outlined along with the various skills and responsibilities that managers need. Define Management All of us who work in organisations are either managing or being managed so there should be little difficulty in stating what you understand management to be. However, finding an adequate definition is not easy considering all the variety of meanings the word holds. It refers to a number of things including a process of achieving organisational goals, a body of information or knowledge and an individual who guides and controls organisational activities. Even though management has been performed since the earliest days of mankind, it is surprising that no one universally agreed definition has emerged. For the purpose this module, we will use the definition provided in the core text (Tiernan, Morley & Foley, 2006), management is viewed as the process in which managers engage to achieve organisational goals. It encompasses a number of reoccurring characteristics that have been highlighted in the literature. These characteristics state that management is: (1) a process or series of continuing and related activities (2) is viewed as involving the achievement of organisational goals and (3) reaches such organisational goals by working with and through people. Managers can be viewed as individuals within organisations whose principal aim is to achieve organisational goals by holding positions of authority and making decisions about the allocation of resources. Therefore management involves the utilisation of both human and financial resources in the attainment of organisational goals.

2 The Functions of Management In order to achieve organisational goals all members perform several major functions or activities. The key management functions are planning, organising, staffing, leading, and controlling. Planning Planning is the process of establishing goals for the successful performance of the organisation and selecting a course of action in order to achieve them. It involves deleloping a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate and coordinate activities. Setting goals helps to keep the work that has been done in proper focus and helps organisational members hold their attention on what s most important. Plans are developed throughout the organisation including business units, work groups and individuals. Organising Once plans are outlined and developed, it is important to allocate resources to ensure they can be achieved. Organising involves dividing tasks into sub tasks and allocating resources to achieve such tasks and co ordinating employees. In addition it shows how tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and highlights where decisions are to be made. Therefore, it establishes managerial authority. Staffing The quality of an organisation is, to a large degree, determined by the quality of it s employees. Success for most organisations depends on finding the employees with the skills to successfully perform the tasks required to attain the company s strategic goals. Therefore, the staffing function ensures effective employees are selected, trained, developed and rewarded for the accomplishment of organisational goals. Leading Once you have the right employees in place, the next function of management requires good leadership. Leading entails directing, motivating and communicating with employees to achieve organisational goals. The leading function is almost entirely concerned with managing people within the organisation. Controlling The final activity managers perform is controlling. Controlling involves monitoring employee activities, keeping the organisation on track to achieve its goals and making corrections as needed.

3 Management Levels and Skills Managers are located at different levels in the organisation. Typically managers at varing levels in the organisation perform a range of different tasks. Three distinct but overlapping levels of management can be identified in most organisations. These are, top managers, middle managers and front line managers. The Top Level Management consists of the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Chief Executive Officer is also called General Manager (GM) or Managing Director (MD) or President. The Board of Directors are the representatives of the Shareholders, i.e. they are selected by the Shareholders of the company. Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer is selected by the Board of Directors of an organisation. The main role of the top level management is summarized as follows : 1. The top level management determines the objectives, policies and plans of the organisation. 2. They mobilises (assemble and bring together) available resources. 3. The top level management does mostly the work of thinking, planning and deciding. Therefore, they are also called as the Administrators and the Brain of the organisation. 4. They spend more time in planning and organising. 5. They prepare long term plans of the organisation which are generally made for 5 to 20 years. 6. The top level management has maximum authority and responsibility. They are the top or final authority in the organisation. They are directly responsible to the Shareholders, Government and the General Public. The success or failure of the organisation largely depends on their efficiency and decision making. 7. They require more conceptual skills and less technical Skills. The Middle Level Management consists of the Departmental Heads (HOD), Branch Managers, and the Junior Executives. The Departmental heads are Finance Managers, Purchase Managers, etc. The Branch Managers are the head of a branch or local unit. The Junior Executives are Assistant Finance Managers, Assistant Purchase Managers, etc. The Middle level Management is selected by the Top Level Management. The middle level management emphasize more on following tasks : 1. Middle level management gives recommendations (advice) to the top level management. 2. It executes (implements) the policies and plans which are made by the top level management. 3. It co ordinate the activities of all the departments. 4. They also have to communicate with the top level Management and the lower level management. 5. They spend more time in co ordinating and communicating. 6. They prepare short term plans of their departments which are generally made for 1 to 5 years.

4 7. The middle Level Management has limited authority and responsibility. They are intermediary between top and lower management. They are directly responsible to the chief executive officer and board of directors. 8. Require more managerial and technical skills and less conceptual skills. The Front Line Management consists of the Foremen and the Supervisors. They are selected by the middle level management. It is also called Operative / Supervisory level or First Line of Management. The lower level management performs following activities : 1. Lower level management directs the workers / employees. 2. They develops morale in the workers. 3. It maintains a link between workers and the middle level management. 4. The lower level management informs the workers about the decisions which are taken by the management. They also inform the management about the performance, difficulties, feelings, demands, etc., of the workers. 5. They spend more time in directing and controlling. 6. The lower level managers make daily, weekly and monthly plans. 7. They have limited authority but important responsibility of getting the work done from the workers. They regularly report and are directly responsible to the middle level management. 8. Along with the experience and basic management skills, they also require more technical and communication skills. What Skills and Competencies do successful Managers Possess? What makes a good manager? Innate traits or acquired skills? Assuming that a manager is one who directs the activities of other persons and undertakes the responsibility for achievement of objectives through such efforts, successful management seems to rest on three basic developable skills: technical, human and conceptual. The relative importance of these three skills varies with the level of managerial responsibility Technical Skill The technical skill implies an understanding of and proficiency in a specific kind of activity, particularly one involving methods, processes, procedures, or techniques; it involves specialised knowledge, analytical ability within that specialty, and facility in the use of the tools and techniques of the specific discipline. Vocational and on the job training programmes largely do a good job in developing this skill. Human Skill This refers to the ability to work with, understand and motivate other people; the way the individual perceives (and recognises the perceptions of) his superiors, equals, and subordinates, and the way he behaves subsequently. The person with highly developed

5 Henry Mintzberg provided a categorisation scheme for defining what managers do on the basis of actual managers on the job. These are commonly referred to as the Mintzberg s managerial roles. He concluded the managers perform 10 different highly interrelated roles. r The term managerial roles refers to specific categories of management t behaviour. These 10 roles as shownn below are grouped under three headings interpersonal relationship, the transfer of information, and decision making. human skills is aware of his own attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs b about other individuals and groups; he is able to see the usefulness and limitations of these feelings. He is sufficiently sensitive to the needs and motivations of others in his organisation so that he can judge the possible reactions to, and outcomes of, the various courses of action he may undertake. Conceptual Skill This skill involves the ability to see the enterprise as a whole; itt includes recognising how the various functions of the organisation depend on one another,, and how changes in any one part affect all the others; and it extends to visualising the relationshipp of the individual business to the industry, the community y, and the political, social and economic forces of the nation as a whole. The extent to whichh the three skills s are required at different levels of management is shown in the diagram below. Managerial Roles

6 Summary This session introduced the concept of management, which was defined as the process in i which managers engagee to achieve organisational goals. It thenn explainedd the functions of Management and highlighted the specific skills and competencies necessary to be an effective manager.