Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 1
THE NATURE OF MANAGEMENT
Chapter Check-In
❑ Defining management
Levels o f Management
Manager
A person responsible for the work performance of group members.
Top-level managers
Managers at the top one or two levels in the organization.
Top-level managers are empowered to make major decisions affecting the
present and future of the firm. Only a top-level manager, for example,
would have the authority to purchase another company, initiate a new
product line, or hire hundreds of employees. Top-level managers are the
people who give the organization its general direction; they decide where it
is going and how it will get there. The terms executive and top-level
manager can be used interchangeably.
Middle-level managers
Managers who are neither executives nor first-level supervisors, but who
serve as a link between the two groups.
First-level managers
Managers who supervise operatives (also known as first-line managers or
supervisors).
Historically, first level managers were promoted from production or clerical
positions into supervisory positions. Rarely did they have formal education
beyond high school. A dramatic shift has taken place in recent years,
however. Many of today’s first level managers are career school graduates
who are familiar with modern management techniques. The current
emphasis on productivity and quality has elevated the status of many
supervisors.
To understand the work performed by first-level managers, reflect back on
your first job. Like most employees in entry-level positions, you probably
reported to a first-level manager. Such a manager might be supervisor of
newspaper carriers, dining room manager, service station manager,
maintenance supervisor, or department manager in a retail store.
Supervisors help shape the attitudes of new employees toward the firm.
Newcomers who like and respect their first level manager tend to stay with
the firm longer. Conversely, new workers who dislike and disrespect their
first supervisor tend to leave the firm early.
Functions of Managers
Table contains a more in-depth look at each category of roles that help
managers carry out
Table: Mintzberg’s Set of Ten Roles
A manager wears many hats. Not only is a manager a team leader, but he
or he is also a planner, organizer, cheerleader, coach, problem solver, and
decision maker — all rolled into one. And these are just a few of a manger’s
roles.
In addition, managers’ schedules are usually jam-packed. Whether they’re
busy with employee meetings, unexpected problems, or strategy sessions,
managers often find little spare time on their calendars. (And that doesn’t
even include responding to e-mail!)
Chapter Checkout
Q&A
1. For most organizations, top management consists of ______.
a. any manager above the level of foreman
b. the chief executive officer, the president, and his or her vice
presidents
c. the chief executive officer only
d. the chief executive officer and the president only
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__________________________SMILE_____________________________________
Fundamentals of Management
Chapter 2