Understanding Organizations and Management

• Organizations involve people arranged to achieve a specific motive.
• Managers operate within organizations.
• Organizations are defined by a distinct purpose, a collection of people, and a systematic structure.

Types of Organizations

• Organizations are classified based on size, business nature, location (local/international), and ownership.
• Public Organizations.
• Business Organizations.
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Managers vs. Non-Managers

• Non-managerial employees work directly on tasks and have specific responsibilities. These people are also known as subordinates, ordinary employees, doers or operators.
• Managers supervise and direct others in the organization.

Managerial Levels

• Top Managers: Make decisions and set the direction. They establish policies and philosophies for the company. Examples: vice presidents, presidents, CEOs, or board chairpersons.
• Middle Managers: Translate goals from top managers into specific details and clarify these targets for lower-level managers. Examples: project leaders, district managers, division managers, or store managers.
• First-Line Managers: Direct day-to-day work of non-managerial employees. Examples: supervisors, team leaders, coaches, and shift managers.

Management Definition

• Management involves achieving tasks through a group by effectively using available resources; it's a process of interrelated activities.
• Efficiency refers to doing things right.
• Effectiveness refers to doing the right things.
• Management is essential for organized living and crucial for successful organizations.

Managerial Functions

• There are four managerial functions.
• Planning: Defines goals, establishes strategy, and develops coordinating plans.
• Organizing: Determines tasks, assigns responsibilities, groups tasks, establishes reporting structures, and sets decision-making protocols.
• Directing: Leadership, communication, and motivation ensure employees work efficiently to achieve goals.
• Controlling: Monitoring, comparing, and correcting work performance to address deviations.

Managerial Roles by Mintzberg

• Managers play 10 interrelated roles.

Interpersonal Roles

• Figurehead: Performing symbolic activities like attending ceremonies.
• Leader: Hiring, training, motivating, and guiding subordinates.
• Liaison: Mediating between the organization and external entities.

Informational Roles

• Involve gathering, receiving, and sharing information.
• Monitor: Seeking and receiving information about internal and external factors.
• Disseminator: Transmitting information to subordinates, peers, and superiors.
• Spokesperson: Representing the organization to external parties.

Decisional Roles

• Entrepreneur: Initiating changes and improvements.
• Disturbance Handler: Taking corrective action during unexpected crises.
• Resource Allocator: Distributing work and delegating authority.
• Negotiator: Representing the organization in negotiations with external and internal parties.

Managerial Skills

• Skills are abilities gained naturally or through learning to perform a job or succeed in a profession through managerial experience.
• Technical Skills: Expertise in a specific field.
• Human Skills: Ability to work well with others.
• Conceptual Skills: Ability to think and conceptualize about complex situations.
• Political Skills: Building a power base and establishing connections.

Importance of Skills by Manager Level

• Conceptual skills are most important for top managers.
• Human skills are equally important across all managerial levels.
• Technical skills are most important for lower-level managers.

Universality of Management

• Supporters believe management principles are universal across organizations regardless of location.
• Management processes are universal.
• Management knowledge is universal.
• Management skills and principles are transferable.
• Management is also culture-bound.