The role of managers in organisations

Managers achieve organisational goals by collaborating with others and assigning tasks, rather than handling all responsibilities themselves.

Traditional management involves a set of core activities that guide a business towards its objectives.

Core traditional management functions

• Planning - Setting a future direction for the business.
• Organising - Arranging people and resources to support the plan.
• Directing - Leading and motivating staff to work towards objectives.
• Controlling - Monitoring progress to ensure alignment with the original plan.

Fayol's five functions of management

Henri Fayol (1841–1925), an early management theorist, outlined five key functions that remain relevant for managers today.

Planning

All managers must anticipate future needs. Senior managers set broad objectives, which are broken down into specific targets for junior staff. This function involves developing strategies to implement these objectives effectively.

Organising

Managers recruit carefully and delegate tasks to empower employees. Senior leaders create a clear structure with functional departments, ensuring tasks are divided logically to support shared goals.

Commanding

This involves guiding and supervising staff to achieve business aims. Managers focus on developing employee skills, boosting motivation, and encouraging initiative within teams.

Coordinating

Managers ensure harmony across different business areas, fostering a unified purpose. This prevents wasted efforts, such as overlapping research by separate departments on the same issue.

Controlling

Clear objectives allow for measurable standards. Managers evaluate performance, address any shortfalls, and offer positive reinforcement for achievements.

Mintzberg's ten managerial roles

Henry Mintzberg critiqued traditional views like Fayol's, arguing they outlined vague goals rather than real managerial work. In his 1973 book The Nature of Managerial Work, Mintzberg proposed ten roles grouped into three categories.

Interpersonal roles

These roles focus on relationships and leadership within and across the organisation:

• Figurehead - Acting as a symbolic leader for ceremonial duties.
• Leader - Motivating and training staff, including other managers.
• Liaison - Building connections with leaders in different parts of the organisation.

Informational roles

These involve handling and sharing information to support decision-making:

• Monitor - Gathering relevant data about the business environment.
• Disseminator - Sharing key information with internal teams.
• Spokesperson - Representing the organisation to outside parties.

Decisional roles

These centre on making choices and solving problems:

• Entrepreneur - Identifying opportunities for business growth.
• Disturbance handler - Managing threats or crises affecting the organisation.
• Resource allocator - Distributing financial, physical, and human resources.
• Negotiator - Handling important discussions on behalf of the organisation.

Differences between Fayol and Mintzberg's approaches

While Fayol and Mintzberg offer distinct perspectives on management, their ideas complement each other by providing both structured functions and practical roles.

Key differences in their theories:

• Mintzberg viewed Fayol's functions as too restrictive and not fully reflective of daily managerial tasks.
• Mintzberg's approach stresses interpersonal elements, such as building relationships and fostering dialogue, which extend beyond Fayol's five functions.
• Both approaches provide complementary foundations for understanding effective management practices.