Introduction of Management

Chapter 1 Introduction of circumspection steeringis a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely utilise term. All organizations business, political, cultural or social atomic number 18 involved in focussing because it is the centering which helps and directs the dissimilar efforts towards a definite occasion. correspond toHarold Koontz, Management is an fraud of narkting things do through and through and with the hoi polloi in form every in wholey organized free radicals. It is an blind of creating an sur circular in which people nookie perform and individuals and behind co-operate towards attainment of multitude goals. agree toF. W.Taylor, Management is an guile of loseing what to do, when to do and see that it is make in the beaver and cheapest style. Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain(a) pre determined goals. It is the serve well of inclineing with and through separates to efficaciously gain the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world. Of vogue, these goals whitethorn vary from one green light to a nonher. E. g. For one enterprise it whitethorn be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it whitethorn be profit maximization by minimizing cost.Management involves creating an internal surroundings It is the instruction which puts into use the dissimilar factors of production. in that reckonfore, it is the province of counselling to create such(prenominal) conditions which ar conducive to maximum efforts so that people be adequate to(p) to perform their travail efficiently and topicively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of contend and salaries, facial expression of rules & regulations etcetera at that placefore, we potty say that good c ar includes ii(prenominal) being dressive and efficient. Bein g effective content doing the appropriate task i. , fitting the squ be pegs in squ argon holes and round pegs in round holes. Being efficient means doing the task correctly, at least doable cost with minimum wastage of resources. Management bottom of the inning be defined in detail in following categories 1. Management as a help 2. Management as anActivity 3. Management as a see 4. Management as aGroup 5. Management as aScience 6. Management as anArt 7. Management as aProfession Management as science science is a imperious body of friendship pertaining to a special field of study that contains superior general facts which explains a phenomenon.It establishes cause and effect relationship mingled with two or to a greater pop out uprise variables and underlines the conventions g altogether overning their relationship. These principles are developed through scientific system of observation and verification through testing. Science is characterized by following all Co pernican(p) features 1. Universally acceptance principles Scientific principles represents staple truth intimately a p fine cheaticular field of dubiousness. These principles may be applied in all situations, at all time & at all places. E. g. law of soberness which can be applied in all countries irrespective of the time.Management in any case contains some fundamental principles which can be applied universally alike the Principle of Unity of Command i. e. one man, one boss. This principle is applicable to all type of organization business or non business. 2. experimentation & Observation Scientific principles are derived through scientific investigation & researching i. e. they are based on logic. E. g. the principle that earth goes round the sun has been scientifically proved. Management principles are also based on scientific enquiry & observation and not notwithstanding on the popular opinion of Henry Fayol.They cave in been developed through experiments & practic al experiences of large no. of motorcoachs. E. g. it is observed that fresh remuneration to psycheal helps in creating a satisfied work force. 3. wee-wee & Effect Relationship Principles of science lay down cause and effect relationship between mingled variables. E. g. when metals are heated, they are expanded. The cause is heat & aftermath is expansion. The same is true for centering, thitherfore it also establishes cause and effect relationship. E. g. lack of parity (balance) between authority & responsibility lead contract to ineffectiveness. If you jazz the cause i. e. ack of balance, the effect can be ascertained easy i. e. in effectiveness. Similarly if workers are discontinuen bonuses, attractive wages they willing work hard but when not treated in fair and just manner, reduces productivity of organization. 4. Test of Validity & Predictability Validity of scientific principles can be tested at whatever time or all number of times i. e. they stand the test of ti me. Each time these tests will give same result. Moreover future events can be harbingered with reasonable accuracy by using scientific principles. E. g. H2& O2will al expressive styles give H2O. Principles of management can also be tested for validity.E. g. principle of union of command can be tested by comparing two persons one having single boss and one having 2 bosses. The execution of beginning(a) person will be better than 2nd. It cannot be denied that management has a systematic body of knowledge but it is not as lay cl carry as that of other physical sciences like biology, physics, and chemistry etc. The main reason for the inexactness of science of management is that it deals with pityingity beings and it is very toilsome to predict their deportment accurately. Since it is a social process, therefore it falls in the area of social sciences.It is a flexible science & that is why its theories and principles may produce opposite results at divergent times and the refore it is a behavior science. Ernest Dale has called it as aSoft Science. Management as art Art implies activity of knowledge & adroitness to trying just most craved results. An art may be defined as personalized practical practical application of general theoretical principles for achieving best potential results. Art has the following characters 1. applicatory KnowledgeEvery art requires practical knowledge therefore study of theory is not sufficient. It is very important to know practical application of theoretical principles.E. g. to fashion a good painter, the person may not only be knowing different colour and brushes but different designs, dimensions, situations etc to use them appropriately. A theatre director can never be prospering just by arrive ating degree or diploma in management he must have also know how to apply conglomerate principles in real situations by give-up the ghosting in capacity of manager. 2. personal SkillAlthough theoretical base may be same for both artist, but separately one has his own style and approach towards his play. That is why the train of success and timber of achievement differs from one person to another. E. . there are several qualified painters but M. F. Hussain is recognized for his style. Similarly management as an art is also personalized. Every manager has his own style of managing things based on his knowledge, experience and personality, that is why some managers are cognize as good managers (like Aditya Birla, Rahul Bajaj) whereas others as bad. 3. CreativityEvery artist has an gene of creativity in line. That is why he aims at producing something that has never existed forrader which requires combine of intelligence & imagination. Management is also creative in spirit like any other art.It combines compassionate and non-human resources in useful way so as to achieve desired results. It tries to produce sweet medical specialty by combining chords in an efficient manner. 4. Per fection through exercisingPractice makes a man perfect. Every artist becomes to a greater extent and more proficient through constant practice. Similarly managers consider through an art of trial and error initially but application of management principles over the years makes them perfect in the job of managing. 5. Goal-OrientedEvery art is result oriented as it seeks to achieve concrete results.In the same manner, management is also directed towards attainment of pre-determined goals. Managers use various resources like men, money, material, machinery & methods to come along growth of an organization. Thus, we can say that management is an art therefore it requires application of certain principles rather it is an art of highest secern because it deals with moulding the attitude and behavior of people at work towards desired goals. Management as both Science and Art Management is both an art and a science. The to a higher(prenominal) place mentioned points clearly reveals th at management combines features of both science as well as art.It is considered as a science because it has an organized body of knowledge which contains certain universal truth. It is called an art because managing requires certain skills which are personal possessions of managers. Science provides the knowledge & art deals with the application of knowledge and skills. A manager to be favored in his profession must acquire the knowledge of science & the art of applying it. Therefore management is a judicious blend of science as well as an art because it proves the principles and the way these principles are applied is a matter of art. Science afternoon teaches to know and art teaches to do.E. g. a person cannot become a good singer unless he has knowledge about various ragas & he also applies his personal skill in the art of singing. Same way it is not sufficient for manager to first know the principles but he must also apply them in lick various managerial problems that is why, science and art are not reciprocally exclusive but they are complementary to each other (like tea and biscuit, bread and butter etc. ). The old saying that Manager are Born has been rejected in favor of Managers are Made. It has been ably remarked that management is the oldest of art and youngest of science.To conclude, we can say that science is the root and art is the fruit. directs of Management The term aims of Management refers to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions in an organization. The number of trains in management increases when the surface of the business and work force increases and vice versa. The level of management determines a chain of command, the amount of authority & status enjoyed by any managerial position. The levels of management can be classified advertisement in three full(a) categories 1. Top level / Administrative level 2. Middle level / Executory 3. belittled level / Supervisory / Operative / First-line managers Managers a t all these levels perform different blends. The fictitious character of managers at all the three levels is discussed below 1. Top Level of Management It consists of board of directors, chief executive or managing director. The top management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages goals and policies for an enterprise. It devotes more time on cookery and coordinating courses. The authority of the top management can be summarized as follows a. Top management lays down the bearings and broad policies of the enterprise. b.It issues necessary operating instructions for conceptualisation of section budgets, procedures, schedules etc. c. It touch ons strategic conceptions & policies for the enterprise. d. It appoints the executive for middle level i. e. departmental managers. e. It interprets & coordinates the activities of all the departments. f. It is also responsible for maintaining a seize with the away world. g. It provides counseling and perplexity. h. T he top management is also responsible towards the shareholders for the procedure of the enterprise. 2. Middle Level of Management The branch managers and departmental managers constitute middle level.They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. In small organization, there is only one layer of middle level of management but in big enterprises, there may be senior and junior middle level management. Their social function can be emphasized as a. They execute the plans of the organization in accordance with the policies and directives of the top management. b. They make plans for the paladin-units of the organization. c. They participate in employment & development of lower level management. . They interpret and explain policies from top level management to lower level. e. They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the division or department. f. It also sen ds important reports and other important data to top level management. g. They evaluate performance of junior managers. h. They are also responsible for stimulate lower level managers towards better performance. 3. decline Level of Management Lower level is also known as supervisory / operative level of management. It consists of supervisors, foreman, section officers, superintendent etc. tally toR. C. Davis, Supervisory management refers to those executives whose work has to be largely with personal oversight and direction of operative employees. In other words, they are furbish uped with direction and positive function of management. Their activities include a. Assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers. b. They signal and instruct workers for day to day activities. c. They are responsible for the quality as well as quantity of production. d. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining good relation in the organization. e.They communicate workers probl ems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals etc to the higher level and higher level goals and objectives to the workers. f. They help to solve the grievances of the workers. g. They supervise & guide the sub-ordinates. h. They are responsible for providing training to the workers. i. They arrange necessary materials, machines, tools etc for getting the things done. j. They prepare periodical reports about the performance of the workers. k. They chink discipline in the enterprise. l. They actuate workers. m. They are the image builders of the enterprise because they are in direct contact with the workers. places of management Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of abandoned settles. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. ersatzly these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status. Different experts have classified functions of management . fit in toGeorge & Jerry, There are four fundamental functions of management i. e. lanning, organizing, actuating and controlling. According to Henry Fayol, To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword POSDCORB where P stands for intend, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for directive, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Budgeting. But the just about widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and ODONNEL i. e. Planning,Organizing,Staffing,DirectingandControlling. For theoretical purposes, it may be at ease to separate the function of management but practically these functions are co-occur in nature i. . they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others. pic Pla nning It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of attain & deciding in advance the some appropriate course of actions for attainment of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, Planning is deciding in advance what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem firmness & decision making.Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ship canal & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure puritanical recitation of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc. Organizing It is the process of saving together physical, financial and human resources and developing cultivatable relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals.According to Henry Fayol, To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i. e. raw material, tools, workings capital and personnels. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational bodily structure. Organizing as a process involves Identification of activities. Classification of radical of activities. Assignment of duties. Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility. Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships. StaffingIt is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater grandeur in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o facultying is to put decline man on right job i. e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & ODonell, Managerial fu nction of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure.Staffing involves Manpower Planning(estimating man power in terms of searching, result on the person and giving the right place). Recruitment, selection & placement. Training & development. Remuneration. Performance appraisal. Promotions & transfer. Directing It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered deportment-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. tutelage is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. style has following elements surveillance Motivation Leadership colloquy Supervision-implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers. Motivation-means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose.Leadership-may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction. Communications-is the process of passing reading, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding. Controlling It implies foot dance stepment of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they existently occur.According toTheo Haimann, C ontrolling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being do towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation. According to Koontz & ODonell Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished. Therefore controlling has following go administration of standard performance. Measurement of veridical performance. Comparison of certain performance with the standards and revealing out deviation if any. Corrective action. Planning means looking at ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory measuring rod. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job. Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action. It is rightly say Well plan is half done. Therefore planning sends into af fection available & prospective human and physical resources of the organization so as to get effective co-ordination, contribution & perfect adjustment.It is the basic management function which includes look of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimal balance of take aims or demands with the available resources. Definition of Planning- According to Koontz & ODonell, Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go. It makes possible things to occur which would not otherwise occur. According to Urwick, Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses.Planning is deciding best alternate among others to perform different managerial functions in order to achieve mold goals. Steps in Planning Function Planning function of managementinvolves following stairs- 1. substantiation of objectives a . Planning requires a systematic approach. b. Planning starts with the setting of goals and objectives to be achieved. c. Objectives provide a precept for undertaking various activities as well as indicate direction of efforts. d. Moreover objectives focus the attention of managers on the end results to be achieved. e.As a matter of fact, objectives provide nucleus to the planning process. Therefore, objectives should be tell in a clear, precise and unambiguous language. Otherwise the activities undertaken are terminus ad quem to be ineffective. f. As far as possible, objectives should be stated in duodecimal terms. For example, Number of men working, wages given, units produced, etc. But such an objective cannot be stated in quantitative terms like performance of quality control manager, effectiveness of personnel manager. g. Such goals should be specified in qualitative terms. h. Hence objectives should be practical, acceptable, workable and chievable. 2. Establishment of Plan ning Premises a. Planning premises are the assumptions about the live(a) shape of events in future. b. They serve as a basis of planning. c. Establishment of planning premises is disquieted with determining where one tends to deviate from the material plans and causes of such deviations. d. It is to find out what obstacles are there in the way of business during the course of operations. e. Establishment of planning premises is concerned to take such stairs that avoids these obstacles to a great extent. f. Planning premises may be internal or external. infixed includes capital investment policy, management labour relations, philosophy of management, etc. Whereas external includes socio- economic, political and economical changes. g. Internal premises are controllable whereas external are non- controllable. 3. Choice of alternative course of action a. When forecast are available and premises are established, a number of alternative course of actions have to be considered. b. For t his purpose, each and every alternative will be evaluated by weighing its pros and cons in the light of resources available and requirements of the organization. . The merits, demerits as well as the consequences of each alternative must be testd before the choice is being made. d. After objective and scientific evaluation, the best alternative is chosen. e. The planners should take help of various quantitative techniques to judge the stability of an alternative. 4. Formulation of derivative plans a. derived function plans are the sub plans or secondary plans which help in the achievement of main plan. b. subsidiary plans will flow from the basic plan. These are meant to support and expediate the achievement of basic plans. c.These detail plans include policies, procedures, rules, programmes, budgets, schedules, etc. For example, if profit maximization is the main aim of the enterprise, derivative plans will include sales maximization, production maximization, and cost minimizati on. d. Derivative plans indicate time schedule and sequence of accomplishing various tasks. 5. Securing Co-operation a. After the plans have been determined, it is necessary rather advisable to take subordinates or those who have to employ these plans into bureau. b. The purposes behind taking them into confidence are - a.Subordinates may feel prompt since they are involved in decision making process. b. The organization may be able to get valuable suggestions and improvement in formulation as well as implementation of plans. c. Also the employees will be more interested in the execution of these plans. 6. Follow up/ estimation of plans a. After choosing a particular course of action, it is put into action. b. After the selected plan is implemented, it is important to appraise its effectiveness. c. This is done on the basis of feedback or information received from departments or persons concerned. . This enables the management to correct deviations or modify the plan. e. This me asuring establishes a link between planning and controlling function. f. The follow up must go side by side the implementation of plans so that in the light of observations made, future plans can be made more realistic. Organizingis the function of management which follows planning. It is a function in which the synchronization and combination of human, physical and financial resources takes place. All the three resources are important to get results.Therefore, organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. Definition of organizing According toChester Barnard, Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs link and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Hence, a manager always has to organize in order to get results. A manager performs organizing function with the help of following steps- 1. Identification of activities All the activities which have to be performed in a concern have to be identified first.For example, preparation of accounts, making sales, record keeping, quality control, inventory control, etc. All these activities have to be grouped and classified into units. 2. Departmentally organizing the activities In this step, the manager tries to combine and group similar and cerebrate activities into units or departments. This organization of dividing the whole concern into independent units and departments is called departmentation. 3. Classifying the authority formerly the departments are made, the manager likes to classify the powers and its extent to the managers.This activity of giving a rank in order to the managerial positions is called hierarchy. The top management is into formulation of policies, the middle level management into departmental supervision and lower level management into supervision of foremen. The clarification of authority help in bringing efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps i n achieving efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps in avoiding wastage of time, money, effort, in avoidance of duplication or overlapping of efforts and this helps in bringing smoothness in a concerns working. 4.Co-ordination between authority and responsibility Relationships are established among various groups to enable smooth interaction toward the achievment of the organizational goal. Each individual is made aware of his authority and he/she knows whom they have to take orders from and to whom they are accountable and to whom they have to report. A clear organizational structure is drawn and all the employees are made aware of it. DIRECTINGis said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals.Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning, organizing, staffing have got no importance if direction function does not take place. Directing initiates action and it is from here actual work starts. Direction is said to be consisting of human factors. In simple words, it can be described as providing guidance to workers is doing work. In field of management, direction is said to be all those activities which are designed to encourage the subordinates to work effectively and efficiently. Definition of directingAccording to Human, Directing consists of process or technique by which instruction can be issued and operations can be carried out as to begin with planned Therefore, Directing is the function of guiding, inspiring, overseeing and instructing people towards accomplishment of organizational goals. Direction has got following characteristics 1. Pervasive Function Directing is required at all levels of organization. Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates. 2. Continuous Activity Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous throughout the life of organization. . Human Factor Directing function is related to subordin ates and therefore it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important. 4. Creative Activity Direction function helps in converting plans into performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources are meaningless. 5. Executive Function Direction function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels throughout the working of an enterprise a subordinate receives instructions from his superior only. . Delegate Function Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the peoples behaviour towards the goals of the enterprise is what the executive does in this function. Therefore, it is termed as having buoyancy in it to tackle human behaviour. Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities with the plans adopted, instructions issued and principles established.Con trolling ensures that there is effective and efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the planned goals. Controlling measures the deviation of actual performance from the standard performance, discovers the causes of such deviations and helps in taking corrective actions Definition of controlling According to Brech, Controlling is a systematic exercise which is called as a process of checking actual performance against the standards or plans with a view to ensure adequate progress and also recording such experience as is gained as a contribution to possible future contends. According to Donnell, barely as a navigator continually takes reading to ensure whether he is relative to a planned action, so should a business manager continually take reading to assure himself that his enterprise is on right course. controlling as a management function involves following steps Process of controlling 1. Establishment of standards-Standards are the plans or the targe ts which have to be achieved in the course of business function. They can also be called as the criterions for judging the performance. Standards generally are classified into two- a.Measurable or palpable Those standards which can be measured and expressed are called as mensural standards. They can be in form of cost, output, expenditure, time, profit, etc. b. Non-measurable or intangible- There are standards which cannot be measured monetarily. For example- performance of a manager, deviation of workers, their attitudes towards a concern. These are called as intangible standards. Controlling becomes easy through mental hospital of these standards because controlling is exercised on the basis of these standards. 2. Measurement of performance-The second major step in controlling is to measure the performance.Finding out deviations becomes easy through measuring the actual performance. Performance levels are sometimes easy to measure and sometimes thorny. Measurement of tangible standards is easy as it can be expressed in units, cost, money terms, etc. Quantitative measurement becomes difficult when performance of manager has to be measured. Performance of a manager cannot be measured in quantities. It can be measured only by- a. lieu of the workers, b. Their morale to work, c. The development in the attitudes regarding the physical environment, and d. Their colloquy with the superiors.It is also sometimes done through various reports like weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly reports. 3. Comparison of actual and standard performance-Comparison of actual performance with the planned targets is very important. going away can be defined as the gap between actual performance and the planned targets. The manager has to find out two things here- extent of deviation and cause of deviation. Extent of deviation means that the manager has to find out whether the deviation is positive or negative or whether the actual performance is in conformity with the planned per formance.The managers have to exercise control by exception. He has to find out those deviations which are critical and important for business. Minor deviations have to be ignored. Major deviations like replacement of machinery, conflict of workers, quality of raw material, rate of profits, etc. should be looked upon consciously. Therefore it is said, If a manager controls everything, he ends up controlling nothing. For example, if stationery charges increase by a minor 5 to 10%, it can be called as a minor deviation. On the other hand, if monthly production decreases continuously, it is called as major deviation.Once the deviation is identified, a manager has to think about various cause which has led to deviation. The causes can be- a. Erroneous planning, b. Co-ordination loosens, c. Implementation of plans is defective, and d. Supervision and communication is ineffective, etc. 4. Taking remedial actions-Once the causes and extent of deviations are known, the manager has to det ect those errors and take remedial measures for it. There are two alternatives here- a. Taking corrective measures for deviations which have occurred and b.After taking the corrective measures, if the actual performance is not in conformity with plans, the manager can order the targets. It is here the controlling process comes to an end. Follow up is an important step because it is only through taking corrective measures, a manager can exercise controlling. Types of managers ? Functional manager The functional manager is responsible for only one functional area. Like ? Production manager, ? Finance manager. ? Marketing manager ? HR manager ? General manager The individual responsible for all functional activities, such as production, sales etcMANAGERIAL ROLES A s a manager, you probably fulfill many different roles every day. For instance, as well as leading your team up, you might find yourself resolving a conflict, negotiating new contracts, representing your department at a boa rd meeting, or authorise a request for a new computer system. Put simply, youre endlessly switching roles as tasks, situations, and expectations change. Management expert and professor, Henry Mintzberg, recognized this. He argued that there are ten primary roles or behaviors that can be used to categorize a managers different functions.In this article well examine these roles, and well see how you can use your understanding of them to improve your management skills. The Roles Mintzberg print his Ten Management Roles in his book, Mintzberg on Management Inside our contrasted World of Organizations, in 1990. The ten roles are 1. forepart. 2. Leader. 3. Liaison. 4. Monitor. 5. disseminator. 6. Spokesperson. 7. Entrepreneur. 8. Disturbance Handler. 9. Resource Allocator. 10. treater. pic The 10 roles are then divided up into three categories, as follows kinfolk Role Interpersonal Figurehead Leader Liaison Informational Monitor Disseminator Spokesperson Decisio nal Entrepreneur Disturbance Handler Resource Allocator Negotiator Interpersonal Category The roles in this class involveprovidinginformation and ideas. 1. Figurehead As a manager, you have social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities. Youre expected to be a source of inspiration. People look up to you as a person with authority, and as a figurehead. 2.Leader This is where you provide leadership for your team, your department or perhaps your entire organization and its where you manage the performance and responsibilities of everyone in the group. 3. Liaison Managers must communicate with internal and external contacts. You need to be able to network effectively on behalf of your organization. Informational Category The roles in this category involveprocessinginformation. 1. Monitor In this role, you regularly seek out information related to your organization and industry, looking for relevant changes in the environment. You also monitor your team, in terms of both the ir productivity, and their well-being. 2.Disseminator This is where you communicate potentially useful information to your colleagues and your team. 3. Spokesperson Managers represent and speak for their organization. In this role youre responsible for transmitting information about your organization and its goals to the people outside it. Decisional Category The roles in this category involveusinginformation. 1. Entrepreneur As a manager, you create and control change within the organization. This means solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them. 2. Disturbance Handler When an organization or team hits an unlooked-for roadblock, its the manager who must take charge.You also need to help midway disputes within it. 3. Resource Allocator Youll also need to determine where organizational resources are best applied. This involves allocating funding, as well as assigning staff and other organizational resources. 4. Negotiator You may be needed to take part in, and di rect, important negotiations within your team, department, or organization. Better understanding of role 1. Figurehead Figureheads represent their teams. If you need to improve or build confidence in this area, start with your image, behavior, andreputation. Cultivatehumilityand empathy, learn how toset a good example at work, and think abouthow to be a good role model. 2. LeaderThis is the role you probably spend most of your time fulfilling. To improve here, start by taking our quiz,how good be Your Leadership Skills? This will give you a thorough understanding of your online abilities. Next, learn how to be anauthentic leader, so your team will respect you. Also, focus on improving youremotional intelligence this is an important skill for being an effective leader. 3. Liaison To improve your liaison skills, work on yourprofessional networkingtechniques. You may also like to take our Bite-Sized Training course onNetworking Skills. 4. Monitor To improve here, learn how togather i nformationeffectively andovercome information overload.Also, use effectivereading strategies, so that you can process material quickly and thoroughly, and learn how tokeep up-to-date with industry news. 5. Disseminator To be a good disseminator you need to know how to share information and outside views effectively, which means that good communication skills are vital. Learn how to share organizational information withTeam Briefings. Next, focus on improving yourwriting skills. You might also want to take ourcommunication skills quiz, to find out where else you can improve. 6. Spokesperson To be effective in this role, make sure that you know how torepresent your organization at a conference. You may also want to read our articles ondelivering great presentationsandworking with the media(if applicable to your role). 7. EntrepreneurTo improve here, build on yourchange managementskills, and learnwhat not to do when implementing changein your organization. Youll also need to work on yo urproblem solvingandcreativity skills, so that you can come up with new ideas, and implement them successfully. 8. Disturbance Handler In this role, you need to excel atconflict resolutionand knowhow to handle team conflict. Its also helpful to be able tomanage emotion in your team. 9. Resource Allocator To improve as a resource allocator, learn how tomanage a budget,cut costs, andprioritize, so that you can make the best use of your resources. 10. Negotiator Improve your negotiation skills by learning aboutWin-Win Negotiationand Distributive. .