Managerial Attributes
2a. Describe the three primary managerial attributes: technical competence, social and human skills and conceptual ability. Discuss how their importance varies with the type and level of manager’s job. (10m)
The three primary managerial attributes were introduced by Robert L Katz. Whilst social and human skills are required through all levels of managements, the amount of technical competence and conceptual ability required by a manager varies at different levels of management due to the nature of their job.
Being technical competent means having the expertise and knowledge about the task directly related to particular aspect of production of goods and services. First-line and operational level managers would require this most, where nature of their jobs is supervision and training of staffs and job operations. For instance, supervisors at retail shops are usually in charge of training new staffs in the daily operation of the workplace, such as the standard operation procedures, how to handle customers, cashiering and more. Supervisors therefore need to be competent technically in order to teach and ensure quality of new and existing staffs and hence, the importance of technical competence of lower management. Also, those who are involved with more skill-centric jobs such as accounting would require technical competency regardless of their level of management.
Conceptual ability refers to the ability to look at the operations of the organisation from a macro level, and the ability to read the external environment. This is most required by top managements such as chief executive officers (CEOs) who are responsible for achievement of goals at a strategic level. CEOs are the head of the company and they have to make strategic decisions such as policy making, merger and acquisitions and more which would affect not only the internal organisation, but the company’s partners and stakeholders as well. As such, they need to have a good understanding of internal and
The three primary managerial attributes were introduced by Robert L Katz. Whilst social and human skills are required through all levels of managements, the amount of technical competence and conceptual ability required by a manager varies at different levels of management due to the nature of their job.
Being technical competent means having the expertise and knowledge about the task directly related to particular aspect of production of goods and services. First-line and operational level managers would require this most, where nature of their jobs is supervision and training of staffs and job operations. For instance, supervisors at retail shops are usually in charge of training new staffs in the daily operation of the workplace, such as the standard operation procedures, how to handle customers, cashiering and more. Supervisors therefore need to be competent technically in order to teach and ensure quality of new and existing staffs and hence, the importance of technical competence of lower management. Also, those who are involved with more skill-centric jobs such as accounting would require technical competency regardless of their level of management.
Conceptual ability refers to the ability to look at the operations of the organisation from a macro level, and the ability to read the external environment. This is most required by top managements such as chief executive officers (CEOs) who are responsible for achievement of goals at a strategic level. CEOs are the head of the company and they have to make strategic decisions such as policy making, merger and acquisitions and more which would affect not only the internal organisation, but the company’s partners and stakeholders as well. As such, they need to have a good understanding of internal and