LECTURER : S M GUMBE
COURSE : EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (EDP)
MODULE : MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR (MOB)
DATE : 17 AUGUST 2013
Define the term management and explain the roles that they play in organisations. Support your answer with examples? DEFINATION :
Management generally is applied to the process of utilising the human, physical and financial resources of an organisation to ensure that its objectives and day to day operations are achieved as efficiently and effectively as possible. Primary activities or functions associated with management include planning, organising, leading and controlling.
ROLES OF MANAGERS :
Most managers are encountered with many different roles every day. For instance, as well as leading your organisation, you might find yourself faced with a challenge to resolve conflict in an organisation, negotiating a new contract, representing your department at a board meeting. etc
According to Henry Mintzberg there are ten primary roles or behaviours that can be used to categorize a manager’s different functions. The ten roles are : (a) Figurehead (b) Leader (c) Liaison (d) Monitor (e) Disseminator (f) Spokesperson (g) Entrepreneur (h) Disturbance Handler (i) Resource Allocator (j) Negotiator
These ten roles are subsequently divided up into three categories namely: 1. Interpersonal – which comprises of figurehead, leader and liaison. 2. Informational – made up of monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. 3. Decisional – which has entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator
A closer look at each category one will realise that the Interpersonal category is mainly involved with the PROVIDING of information and ideas, thus as a figurehead, the manager has a social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities and is expected to be a source of inspiration. Subordinates look up to the manager as a person with
References: 1. ARTICLE by MITCH McCRIMMON Leadership: A NEW ROLE FOR MANAGEMENT IN TODAY’S POST-INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION IVEY Business Journal | July / August 2010 2. Henry Mintzberg 's Management Roles – MINDTOOLS (mindtools.com) 3. MANAGEMENT & ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR, 9TH Ed – LAURIE J. MULLINS