Henry Mintzberg has identified ten common roles of all managers.
The roles are divided into three groups:
Interpersonal
Informational
Decisional
Under interpersonal role management involves managers to act as:
Figurehead
Leader
Liaison manager
Figurehead performs ceremonial & symbolic duties such as greeting visitors, signing legal documents, attaining social functions etc. on behalf of the organization.
As a Leader managers have to direct & motivate subordinates, provide training & counselling etc.
As a Liaison manager maintains information, links both inside & outside organizations through mail, phone, meeting etc.
Under informational role managers have to play as:
Monitor
Disseminator
Spokes person
The main role of a Monitor is to seek & receive information, scan periodic reports & maintain personal contacts.
Disseminator has to forward information to other members of the organization through memos, reports, phones etc.
Spokes Person transmits information to outsiders through speeches, reports etc.
Under decisional role managers have to act as:
Entrepreneur
Disturbance handler
Resource allocator
Negotiator
Entrepreneur has to indicate projects, identify new ideas, focus on creativity, take risk & exploit opportunities.
As a Disturbance Handler manager takes corrective action during disputes or crises. Managers have to resolve conflicts among subordinates & remain adaptive to face environmental changes & challenges.
As a Resource Allocator manager decides allocation of resources on priority basis & prepares budget.
A Negotiator represents department during negotiation of union contracts, sales, purchases etc.
Robert Katz has suggested three managerial skills that are essential to the success of management.
These skills are:
Technical
Human
Conceptual
Technical skill involves process or technical knowledge & proficiency.
It belongs to the lower level of the hierarchy.
Managers use the processes, techniques & tools of a specific area.
It is the ability & knowledge needed to accomplish complex action actions, tasks & processes.
Human skill involves the ability to interact effectively with people.
Middle level managers should have strong human skill.
Managers interact & cooperate with employees. Human relations skills are directly related to a manager’s leadership abilities.
It focuses on the ability to get things done by understanding & working through others outside of formally prescribed organizational mechanisms is crucial for managerial success.
Conceptual skill involves the formulation of ideas.
It is associated with top level management.
Managers understand abstract relationships, develop ideas & solve problems creatively.
Conceptual skill focuses on the ability to see the enterprise as a whole & recognise how various functions of the organization are interrelated & how changes in one part affect all the others.
It helps to visualize internal & external relationship.
Example: Articulating a vision for the organization
2. TYPES OF MANAGERIAL ROLES
Henry Mintzberg has identified ten common roles of
all managers.
The roles are divided into three groups:
Interpersonal
Informational
Decisional
3. INTERPERSONAL ROLE
Under interpersonal role management involves
managers to act as:
Figurehead
Leader
Liaison manager
4. CONT…
Figurehead performs ceremonial & symbolic duties
such as greeting visitors, signing legal documents,
attaining social functions etc. on behalf of the
organization.
As a Leader managers have to direct & motivate
subordinates, provide training & counselling etc.
As a Liaison manager maintains information, links
both inside & outside organizations through mail,
phone, meeting etc.
5. INFORMATIONAL ROLE
Under informational role managers have to play as:
Monitor
Disseminator
Spokes person
6. CONT…
The main role of a Monitor is to seek & receive
information, scan periodic reports & maintain
personal contacts.
Disseminator has to forward information to other
members of the organization through memos, reports,
phones etc.
Spokes Person transmits information to outsiders
through speeches, reports etc.
7. DECISIONAL ROLE
Under decisional role managers have to act as:
Entrepreneur
Disturbance handler
Resource allocator
Negotiator
8. CONT…
Entrepreneur has to indicate projects, identify new
ideas, focus on creativity, take risk & exploit
opportunities.
As a Disturbance Handler manager takes corrective
action during disputes or crises. Managers have to
resolve conflicts among subordinates & remain
adaptive to face environmental changes & challenges.
As a Resource Allocator manager decides allocation
of resources on priority basis & prepares budget.
A Negotiator represents department during
negotiation of union contracts, sales, purchases etc.
9. SKILL DISTRIBUTION AT VARIOUS
MANAGEMENT LEVEL
Robert Katz has suggested three managerial skills that
are essential to the success of management.
These skills are:
Technical
Human
Conceptual
11. TECHNICAL SKILLS
Technical skill involves process or technical knowledge
& proficiency.
It belongs to the lower level of the hierarchy.
Managers use the processes, techniques & tools of a
specific area.
It is the ability & knowledge needed to accomplish
complex action actions, tasks & processes.
12. HUMAN SKILL
Human skill involves the ability to interact effectively
with people.
Middle level managers should have strong human
skill.
Managers interact & cooperate with employees.
Human relations skills are directly related to a
manager’s leadership abilities.
It focuses on the ability to get things done by
understanding & working through others outside of
formally prescribed organizational mechanisms is
crucial for managerial success.
13. CONCEPTUAL SKILL
Conceptual skill involves the formulation of ideas.
It is associated with top level management.
Managers understand abstract relationships, develop
ideas & solve problems creatively.
Conceptual skill focuses on the ability to see the
enterprise as a whole & recognise how various
functions of the organization are interrelated & how
changes in one part affect all the others.
It helps to visualise internal & external relationship.
Example: Articulating a vision for the organization.
Editor's Notes
By: Dr. Debajani Palai, Faculty: IMIT, Cuttack, Odisha
