MANAGERS’S ROLES

A role is a set of specific tasks that a person is expected to perform because of the position he or
she holds in an organization.
Henry Mintzberg had identified 10 roles of a typical manager in 1970s. According to him a
manager has roles, broadly categorized as follows:

1. Interpersonal,
2. Informational,
3. Decisional roles.

1. Interpersonal Roles
Managers assume interpersonal roles in order to coordinate and interact with employees, provide
them direction and offer instructions. Managers play the role of a figurehead, leader and liaising.

(a) Figurehead role, the manager performs ceremonial and symbolic activities for the
department or the organization. Being a figurehead the manager needs to be visionary and
strategize the activities of the department or the firm. Examples of roles outline future
organizational goals to employees at company meetings; open a new corporate
headquarters building, state the organization’s ethical guidelines and the principles of
behavior employees are to follow in their dealings with customers and suppliers.

(b) Leader role, the manager’s role is to motivate subordinates for better performance.
Relationship with subordinates, communication and influence are a part of the role of the
leader. Examples of Leader role activities are provide an example for employees to follow;
give direct commands and orders to subordinates; make decisions concerning the use of
human and technical resources; mobiles employees support for specific organizational
goals.

(c) Liaison role, pertains to the development of information sources both inside and outside
the organization. Example of liaison role activities; coordinate the work of managers in
different department; establish alliances between different organizations to share resources
to produce new goods and services.

2. Informational Roles
Information roles relate to the tasks necessary to obtain and transmit information. Nearly 75 per
cent of the time of the managers is spent on this role. Information role involves 3 sub-roles.

(a) Monitor role a manager acts as a monitor and analyses information inside and outside the
organization. With the information collected the manager can effectively organize and control
people and other resources. Example of monitor role activities are evaluate the performance
of managers in different functions and take corrective action to improve their performance;
watch for changes occurring in the external and internal environment that may affect the
organization in the future.
(b) Disseminator role, the manager transmits information to the other members of the
organization to influence their attitudes and behavior. Example of disseminator role activities

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 inform employees about changes taking place in the external and internal environment that
will affect them and the organization; communicate to employees the organization’s vision and
purpose.

(c) Spokesperson role, the manager uses information to promote the organization so that all the
stakeholders respond positively towards it. Example of spokesperson activities launce a
national advertising campaign to promote new goods and services, give a speech to inform the
local community about the organization’s future intentions.

3. Decisional Roles
These relate to the methods managers use to plan strategies and utilize resources.
(a) Entrepreneur role, the manager must decide which programs and projects to initiate and how
to invest resources on them. Examples of activities commit organization resources to develop
innovative goods and services; decide to expand internationally to obtain new customers for
the organization’s products.

b) Disturbance Handler role, the manager assumes responsibility for handling an unexpected
event or crisis that threatens the firm’s access to resources. Example of activities move quickly
to take corrective action to deal with unexpected problems facing the organization form the
external environment, such as a crisis like an oil spill, terror attack or from the internal
environment, such as producing faulty goods or services

(c) Resource Allocator role, the manager needs to decide how best to use people and other
resources to increase organizational effectiveness. Being engaged in this role the manager
must also be a negotiator. Example of activities is to allocate organizational resources among
different functions and departments of the organization, set budgets and salaries of middle and
first level managers.

(d) Negotiator role, the manager act as a mediator on behalf of the organization. For example the
manager meets and formally negotiates with others – suppliers about a large delivery, the
finance offices about the need for additional budget allocations or the union about workers
grievances. Example of negotiator role activities work with suppliers, distributors and labour
unions to reach agreements about the quality and price of input, technical and human resources;
work with other organizations to establish agreements to pool resources to work on joint
project.

The Functions of Management

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It involves the fore-casting of future problem and selecting the proper course of action to solve the
problem. Planning involves selecting objectives and developing strategies, policies, programs, and
procedures for implementing those objectives based on future expectations that may affect the

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organization. Planning is deciding in advance what to do, where to do it, when to do it, how to do
it and who will do it.

Planning involves determining short-term or long term goals or both. The smooth flow of work
that results produces more efficient and more satisfied workers. It encompasses decisions such as
identifying office space will be needed within the next five years, whether to install a system to
process data would be cost effective, identifying automated technology necessary as resources in
accomplishing goals, establishing the necessary qualifications of employees using the equipment.
The planning process includes the following stages:
 Identifying organizational needs and opportunities
 Evaluating alternative courses of action
 Selecting and undertaking the desired course of action
 Evaluating the effectiveness of the chosen plan.

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Organizing involves the blending or combing of human and material resources by determining the
tasks to be performed and by establishing a framework of authority and responsibility for the
people who are to accomplish those tasks.
It involves the division and subdivision of activities into the department, section and job as well
as the integration of activities of an organization. It is a collection of various factors like man,
machinery, material, money, etc.
The organizing function includes the following stages:
 Identifying specific job activities with which to accomplish organizational activities
 Combining activities into logical systems that use resources economically
 Assigning responsibilities and delegating authority to specific positions or people.

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Human resources are the biggest asset of an organization. This function of management is also
related with human resources. Human resources are very important for proper and regular
functioning of an organization. No organization can run without human factor. No enterprise can
succeed unless right men are put on the right job. The staffing process concerned with appointment
of personnel for individual job. It involves the following steps.
i. Determine the effective man power.
ii. Set their qualification according to work and remuneration.
iii. Training & recruitment of the employees.
Staffing involves filling the positions provided by the organizational structure. There is need to
define the requirements for the jobs to be performed. Candidates for the job selected, new and
present employees must be evaluated and provided with the necessary training to accomplish their
tasks. Staffing includes such tasks as future personnel needs, possible additional employee needs
that may be provided through temporary or part-time workers, new full-time employees or
retrained employees, training employees whose jobs are being phased out, terminals, or analyzing
office employment tests for validity and reliability based on job descriptions.

4. Directing and Leading

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subordinates both individually and in groups towards the achievement of organizational goals. The
directing function actually starts the work. It guide the human resources how work be done? With
the help of good directing, people can easily obtain their goals.
Directing and leading can include explaining steps to follow when completing a supplies
requisition form, obtaining estimated monthly budget variances from supervisors and to prepare
comprehensive report, and counseling an employee who has a poor work record.

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It is the important function in all types of enterprises. It is concerned with measuring and
comparing the operating results with plan and take corrective action if any deviation occur.
Performance is measured against goals and plans or standards, negative deviations are identified
and corrective action against deviations taken. So that similar problem may not occur in future.

Coordinating
The manager needs to coordinate the 5 functions of management. Coordination is the orderly
synchronization or putting together of efforts of workers to provide the proper amount, timing and
quality of execution so that their organized efforts lead to the accomplishment o the stated
objectives of the enterprise.

Successful coordination of activities happens when managers effectively carries out the 5
functions. When coordination is lacking the manager needs to determine which management
function(s) require improvement. This is because the manager works on several projects at the
same time each at different stages of completion therefore is usually performing all the
management functions concurrently and on a continuing basis.