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Your Business taster module

    The following module introduces you to the role of a manager. Using an example, you will review the general tasks that occur throughout the day for department manager Jane in order to assess and define the multiple skills required to succeed in a senior role.

    You will also review and analyse multiple roles to understand how they influence and contribute to the manager. Looking at a selection of theories, you will grasp an understanding of people's needs within the workplace and attribute these to the work ethic of a manager.

    A small 'Test Me' section will assess your knowledge at the end of the module, and will supply you instantly with answers to help you with your learning.

    Click the next page in the lower right hand corner of this content box to start your study.

    The manager working in a modern organisation needs a wide range of skills. Think of the skills needed by Jane, the manager of a department, in the following scenario:

    Analysis of Data;

    Jane arrived early so that she could have some time undisturbed. She needed to look through some financial reports and start to plan her department's budget for the next year.

    Communication;

    As she worked through last year's reports she noticed that levels of key items of stock had been dangerously low on five separate occasions. She emailed the team members who were responsible for ordering materials and arranged a meeting for later in the day.

    Problem Solving;

    At the meeting, the team discussed the problem and identified exactly what was going wrong. By the end of the meeting Jane was confident that the problem would not occur again.

    Team Work;

    During the meeting she noticed that John, the leader of the stock room team, was unusually quiet. After the meeting she spoke with John, listening while he talked about a family problem that he was experiencing.

    This scenario is very much an introduction to many of these skills. There are whole textbooks, for example, on the subject of financial reports or problem solving. The two key tasks at this stage of your studies is to get an overview of the skills that you need to have, and to make notes of areas where you need to carry out further study.

    Let's take a look at the managerial role to assess what managers actually do.

    Mintzberg investigated 10 roles that managers fill, placing them in three groups, as shown in the Figure below:

    As you study this table, ask yourself three questions:

    • To what extent does my current job involve that managerial role?
    • If it is an important part of my work, how good is my performance of that role?
    • In which areas do I need to improve in future?
    Group Role Description
    Interpersonal Figurehead The manager represents the organisation in matters of formality, for example, signing documents and being available for people who insist on access to the 'top'.
    Leader This relates to all the manager's activities. It includes responsibility for staffing, and for motivating and guiding subordinates.
    Liaison The manager has horizontal relationships with individuals and groups outside their own unit, and outside the organisation.
    Informational Monitor The manager seeks and receives formal and informal, internal and external, information. This enables the manager to develop an understanding of the working of the organisation and its environment.
    Disseminator The manager transmits external and internal information to subordinates. Without giving out information the manager cannot delegate.
    Spokesperson The manager has formal authority to transmit information to people outside the unit, e.g. to superiors and the general public.
    Decisional Entrepreneurial The manager's initiates and plans change through exploiting opportunities or solving problems, and taking action to improve the existing situation.
    Disturbance handler The manager reacts to involuntary situations and unpredictable events. When an unexpected disturbance occurs, the manager must take action to correct the situation.
    Resource allocator The manager uses formal authority to decide where effort will be expended, and makes choices on the allocation of resources such as money, time, materials and staff. The manager decides the programming of work and maintains control.
    Negotiator The manager negotiates with other individuals or organisations, for example a trade union. Negotiation is an important part of the job.
    Figure 6.1 Mintzberg's ten roles

    Feedback

    Think about the areas you need to improve on. This mental list will be useful when you have your next appraisal meeting, plan your future professional development and training, or have an informal meeting with your line manager or HR contact to discuss your future plans.

    There are numerous theories related to management. Some of them include;

    Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

    -The first major study of motivation was carried out by Maslow in the 1940s, but it is still used today. He thought that people have a hierarchy of needs which includePhysiological, Safety, Social, Esteem and Self-actualisation.

    Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory

    -Herzberg's theory also looked at people's needs at work, but took an alternative approach in which he grouped them under only two headings:Hygiene factors (or dissatisfiers) and Motivators (or satisfiers). The latter are factors that encourage people to work better whereas Hygiene factors are those that do not satisfy people such as pay, security and/or working conditions.

    McClelland's Achievement Motivation Theory

    -McClelland carried out research into needs and identified four main types; Achievement (person seeks achievement and needs to retain challenging goals to improve), Power (a strong need to lead and gain authority), Affiliative (team players who need friendly relationships and interaction) and Avoidance (the idea of being rejected or failing produces motivation for particular individuals).

    Adams' Equity Theory

    -Awareness and cognizance of the wider situation - and crucially comparison - feature strongly in Equity Theory. When people feel fairly or advantageously treated they are more likely to be motivated; when they feel unfairly treated they are highly prone to feelings of disaffection and de-motivation. The way that people measure this sense of fairness is at the heart of Equity Theory.

    McGregor X Y Theory

    -Managers who have a Theory X approach focus on telling staff what to do and checking that they do it. Managers with a Theory Y approach try to motivate people by making sure that the person's goals match with the organization's goals.

    Tuckman - Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing Model

    -As a team develops maturity and ability, relationships establish and the leader changes practice and style. Beginning by directing, moving through to coaching then participating before finishing delegating and almost detaching themselves from the group. The team may then produce a successor and the previous leader can develop a new team.

    To find out more about your current level of management skills, try the assessment on the following website:

    1. Match the terms Mintzberg uses for the manager's horizontal relationships with individuals and groups outside their own unit, and outside the organisation?

    Mintzberg terms

    Interpersonal

    Informational

    Decisional

    Drop List

          Drag List

          • Monitor
          • Liaison
          • Entrepreneurial

          2. How many roles did Mintzberg investigate in total?

          Choices

          Choose

          3. Which of the following skills did Jane use in the scenario:

          Choices

          Correct Answer

          4. XY theory suggests that managers have 2 approaches to work, match the correct statement to the titles of the approach:

          Managers delegate tasks to a leader to promote progression from below

          Managers try to motivate people by making sure that the persons goals match the organisations goals

          Managers personally train employees in order to gain loyalty to the company

          Managers focus on telling staff what to do and checking that they do it

          5. As per the Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing Model - Number the actions taken by managers from 1 - 4 (first to last).

          Sequences

          1

          2

          3

          4

          Drop List

                  Drag List

                  • Directing
                  • Participating
                  • Finishing Delegating
                  • Coaching

                  6. Match the Management Theory with the originator:

                  Management Theory

                  Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing Model

                  Equity Theory

                  Motivational Needs Theory

                  Motivation Theory

                  XY Theory

                  Drop List

                          Drag List

                          • McClelland
                          • Adams
                          • McGregor
                          • Tuckman
                          • Herzberg
                        Professional body membership included
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