Dr.
Henry Mintzberg, a prominent management researcher, conducted research to find
out what are manager duties or responsibilities.
In 1916 Henri Fayol was the first to define the
manager. Dr. Henry Mintzberg wanted to find out if Henri Fayol’s 50-year-old definition
of manager and management definition still stood in the 60s and 70s. So he conducted
research based on the structured observation method.
For this, Mintzberg observed the daily activities
of five executives for one week.They all were from 5 different types of
organizations; a consulting firm, a school, a technology firm, a consumer goods
manufacturer, and a hospital. He kept track of all their activities and
analyzed it.
His
research report titled “MANAGERIAL WORK: ANALYSIS FROM OBSERVATION” was for his
doctoral dissertation at the Sloan School of Management, M. I. T.
In
January 1971, he submitted the report, and it was accepted and published in
October 1971.
In
his research, Mintzberg said that what managers do can best be described by
looking at their work roles.
The
term management role refers to specific categories of managerial behavior.
He
identified 10 identified roles a manager plays in an organization which fall
into 3 basic categories:
- Interpersonal roles,
- Informational roles.
- Decisional roles.
10 managerial roles by Henry
Mintzberg are;
- Figurehead
- Leader
- Liaison
- Monitor
- Disseminator
- Spokesperson
- Entrepreneur
- Disturbance handler
- Resource allocator
- Negotiator
Interpersonal Roles
These
roles relate to the manager’s behavior that focuses on interpersonal contact.
Interpersonal roles are roles that involve people (subordinates and persons
outside the organization) and other duties that are ceremonial and symbolic.
The
three interpersonal roles include being a;
- Figurehead.
- Leader.
- Liaison.
According
to Dr. Henry Mintzberg, These three interpersonal roles derive from the
authority and status associated with managers’ posts.
1. Figurehead
The
figurehead performs symbolic legal or social duties. All social, inspirational,
legal, and ceremonial obligations.
In
this light, the manager is seen as a symbol of status and authority.
2. Leader
The
Leader builds relationships with employees and communicates with, motivates,
and coaches them.
Duties
are at the heart of the manager-subordinate relationship and include
structuring and motivating subordinates, overseeing their progress, promoting
and encouraging their development, and balancing effectiveness.
3. Liaison
The
liaison maintains a network of contacts outside the work unit to obtain
information.
Describes
the information and communication obligations of a manager. One must network
and engage in information exchange to gain access to knowledge bases.
Informational Roles
Informational
roles involve receiving, collecting, and disseminating information.
The
3 informational roles include;
- Monitor,
- Disseminator, and
- Spokesperson.
These
informational roles are all about receiving and transmitting information so
that managers can serve as the nerve centers of their organization. The
informational roles are;
4. Monitor
The
monitor seeks internal and external information about issues that can affect
the organization.
Duties
include assessing internal operations, a department’s success, and the problems
and opportunities which may arise.
All
the information gained in this capacity must be stored and maintained
5. Disseminator
The
disseminator transmits information internally that is obtained from either internal
or external sources.
Highlights
factual or value-based external views of the organization and subordinates.
This requires both filtering and delegation skills.
6. Spokesperson
The
spokesperson transmits information about the organization to outsiders. Serves
in a PR capacity by informing and lobbying others to keep key stakeholders
updated about the operations of the organization.
Decisional Roles
Decisional
roles revolved around making choices. Managers’ interpersonal role leads to
decisional roles.
Information
and resources collected and gathered by the interpersonal enable a manager to
play the decisional roles or responsibilities that he is obligated to.
The
four decisional roles include being an entrepreneur, disturbance handler,
resource allocator, and negotiator.
7. Entrepreneur
The
entrepreneur acts as an initiator designer and encourages change and
innovation.Roles encourages managers to create improvement projects and work to
delegate, empower and supervise teams in the development process.
8. Disturbance handler
The
disturbance handler takes corrective action when the organization faces
important, unexpected difficulties.
A
generalist role takes charge when an organization is unexpectedly upset or
transformed and requires calming and support.
9. Resource allocator
The
resource allocator distributes resources of all types, including time, funding,
equipment, and human resources.
Describes
the responsibility of allocating and overseeing financial, material, and
personnel resources.
10. Negotiator
The
negotiator represents the organization in major negotiations affecting the
manager’s areas of responsibility and is an integral task for the spokesman,
figurehead, and resource allocator roles.
If
we analyze Mintzberg’s findings, we can say that authority and status derive
the interpersonal roles; interpersonal makes it necessary for a manager to play
informational roles. And that enables a
manager to make a decision.
These
ten roles of a manager, stated by Mintzberg, come with many responsibilities.
Informing, Connecting, and orders require a manager to be able to adapt to the
situation and control it in a balanced way.
