Mintzberg's Three Managerial Roles

 

Task 1

Mintzberg's three managerial roles

            The managers’ role according to Mintzberg can essentially be divided into ten common roles. These roles or expectations can be further classified into three broad categories which include the interpersonal, the interpretational and the decisional roles. The managers role in this case will be in reference to UK’s 2013 best performing company, Pets At Home.

Interpersonal role

            The role of a manager as an interpersonal individual requires that the manager act as a figurehead. This means that they have to take on the role of performing any social duties such as the welcoming of the visitors and the hosting of receptions, or legal duties on behalf of pets at home such as the signing of legal documents. In this case they are acting as symbolic leaders of pets at home. It is imperative that the manager know that as figurehead, the employees look up to him. This is because as a figurehead, they represent the employees. As a good figurehead, the leader should not only strive to create a good reputation, but should also cultivate humility and empathy. This means that they have to learn to set a good example at work.

            This particular role also requires that the manager take up the leadership role which includes the directing as well as the motivating of all subordinates. Furthermore under the leadership role it is the duty of the manager to train both current as well as new employees. This duty requires that the manager learn to interact with all employees in Pets at Home (Mintzberg, 2013, p. 23).The leader is responsible for the motivation of all employees under their guidance. Thus, an active manager, as a leader, will always mean that they have active subordinates. As a leader, it is important that the manager know how to select and encourage but also promote and discipline his subordinates. Thus, in this case, the leader should learn how to balance both his subordinates as well as Pets at Homes’ needs in a way that will optimize efficient operations.

Finally, this role requires that the manager constantly act as the Pets at Homes’ liaison person both from within the organization as well as outside the organization. This means that they have to act not only as business correspondents but also as participants in any meetings with other organizations. In a way, the manager is seen as an information and communication center.   Interactions in this capacity are important to Pets at Home for informants will always provide favors as well as information crucial to the thriving of the organization. Thus, it is essential that the manager built and establish good networking skills.

The informational role

            The informational role of the manager requires that they play a monitoring role. This means that it is their duty to insure that they seek and acquire information that is work related. This includes reading reports and other relevant sources as well as attending relevant seminars and training. In this capacity, the manager is in charge of monitoring internal organizational operations as well as external trends events, ideas, and potential pressures. Such Information is valuable for it may help detect changes, problems and opportunities that may be presented for the organization. Monitoring is about establishing and using an intelligence system.

            As a disseminator, it is the duty of the manager to communicate information relevant to the running of the organization to relevant persons and departments. This includes that communication of information/decisions to subordinates through memos and reports (Vaccaro et.al, 2012, p. 29). This requires that the manager be shrewd for sometimes the information that must be communicated may be in such a manner that only the manager might understand, it is their duty to make sure that that information is properly interpreted before it can be handed down for integration.

            Finally, the managers’ informational role involves his acting as a spokesperson whose duty is to transmit information to outsiders. This involves the passing on of relevant organizational materials to the outside world vial reports as well dishing out the organizations progress. In this capacity, the manager has to ensure that the key influencers and stakeholders are kept informed of performances, plans as well as policies. This means that the manager must be an expert in the Pets at Homes’ business. This means that the manager has to take up a human resource capacity in order to sell the organization and its functions.

Decisional role

            The finally duty/role of the manager of any given organization is to play the decisional role. This involves making of relevant decisions that may involve the organization. This requires that the manager be able to identify gaps within the organization and in doing so seek to identify ways to fill those gaps. Here, the manager has to act as an entrepreneur whose role is to identify new ideas as well as initiate new improvement projects in the organization. This includes the implementation of innovations as well as planning of the Pets at Homes’ future (Tengblad, 2006, p.1437). Once the ideas are created, in this capacity, it is the duty of that manager to delegate these new ideas to the subordinates for implementation.

            The manager in this capacity also acts as a disturbance handler. This means that they disputes that may arise from both within and outside the organization and where necessary, they take corrective action. This may involve stepping in to first calm the situation then try resolving the conflict by either re-allocation or removing the problem. This is important for the organization for more often than not they help avert crisis situations in the organization.

            Decision making also requires that the manager be a resource allocator. This means that they have the power to decide where to apply the Pets at Homes’ resources (Rubin & Dierdorff, 2009, p. 208). It involves the drafting and approval of plans, budgets as well as schedules that run the organization as well as set the organizations priorities. In this capacity, the manager is in charge of making all important organizational decisions. The managers’ task in this case is to ensure the basic work system is in place and that program staff overloads such as what to do, by whom, and what processing structures will be used is properly arranged.

            Finally, as the decision maker, it is the duty of the manager to act as the Pets at Homes’ negotiator. This means that they are in charge of defending the interests of the organization. This means that they have to participate as well as direct team, departmental as well as organizational negotiations. This is a very important skill for it is required in the spokesman, figurehead and resource allocator roles for the manager to be able to skillfully navigate his role in the organization.

Task 2

Managerial planning

            Planning is the key element that successful drives any organization. This is because planning is the process of determining in advance what the organization or a particular department hopes to achieve, the duration that will be taken for that particular achievement, how the achievement will be made and at what cost will that achievement come. Planning is important because it is the process used to determine Pets at Homes’ goals as well as achievements by creating provisions for their achievement. Planning can be concluded to be the process of picking a course of action from a given variety of alternatives (Steiner, 2010, p.12).

Types of planning

            Managerial planning involves the determination of the Pets at Homes’ aims. Once determined, it is then imperative to develop premises around the organizations present atmosphere. Once this is achieved, then planning will include choosing a course of action, instigating activities necessary for the ushering of the transformational plans into action, and finally the evaluation of the outcome (Smith, 2013, p.41). Depending on a particular organization and their agenda, managerial planning has often been divided into categories including strategic, tactical and operational planning.

            Strategic planning often occurs at the top level of management in any given organization. This type of planning involves determining of the organizations’ goals as well as how to achieve these goals. It involves a general overview of the organizations objectives, values, vision and objectives (Sarkis, 2011, p.113). Vied as the foundational basis of the organization, strategic planning usually dictates a given organizations long-term decisions. The scope of this plan is likely to range from two years up to ten years. This type of planning is important because every manager at any level of the organization will use this plan as a guide to the decision they make on behalf of the organization. It also influences the organizations internal culture as well as its outside interactions (Davies, 2012, p. 62). Thus, it is imperative that this type of planning is futuristic, robust yet flexible, and must focus on accommodating the organizations future growth. Crucial components of this plan include having a vision, a mission as well as having core values.

Tactical planning on the other hand involves the implementation of the laid out strategic plans. This particular planning usually involves middle and lower management in the organization. It involves the tactics that organization aims to use. This particular planning is usually short range and mostly has a scope of less than one year. It can be described as planning that breaks down the organizations’ broader mission into sizable, actionable activities. This particular planning is best handled by middle-level management. This type of planning is very flexible and can hold anything required for the proper achievement of Pets at Homes’ goals. Components of this planning include specific goals with fixed deadlines, budgets, resources, funding and marketing (Johnson, 2012, p. 498).

            Finally, it is imperative that managers put into consideration operational planning. This can best be described as the daily running of Pets at Home. This plan can best be described as a roadmap for the implementation of tactical planning. However, for this to be able to work there has to be a realistic timeframe in which the plan can operate. This type of planning can best be described as short term objectives plan. The creation of functioning operative planning is the duty of lower management as well as supervisors. This type of planning can be divided into either single use plans for one in a lifetime events or ongoing plans such as rules, procedures or policies.  

Characteristics of planning

            Planning in any given organization can change depending on that type of organizations. This flexibility has allowed different types of planning to adopt specific natures and characteristics. Despite the decision likely to be made by a manager in the organization, there are a number of characteristics that follow these decisions made under strategic management depending on the activity being considered. This is because decisions at any corporate level on a given organization have to be more conceptual, value oriented and less concrete that those made say at the business level of that organization.

            For example, decisions made at the corporate level are usually characterized by great cost, risk and profit potential. Thus, there is need for flexibility as well as stretchy time horizons. Functional level decisions on the other hand involve the implementation of the organizational strategy and are usually short range and low risk thus incur modest costs because the rely on the available resources. Business level decisions on the other hand act as bridges for the corporate and functional level plans. Thus while they are less risky, costly and are potentially profitable than the corporate plans, they are the exact opposite as far as functional level planning is concerned (Brinckmann et.al, 2010, p.38).

Steps in management planning

            Having established the need for a plan, it is imperative that the managers be aware of the steps taken in order to successfully implement an organizations’ /departments’ plan.

The first is to be able to set up goals and objectives that the department. This part of planning includes having a detailed overview of each goal and the reason for its choice, including any anticipated outcomes of goal related projects. Once this is established, the manager has identified resources required for the completion of the goals. This includes both financial as well as human resource. It is imperative that the manager establish goal related tasks that will help drive the project (Freeman, 2010, p.72).

            The goals and tasks then have to be arranged in terms of their priorities. Thus they have to be arranged from the most important to the least important. Once the priorities have been established, the next step would be to create specific timelines in which the goals and tasks have to be established. This should be done simultaneously with the assigning of tasks to individuals in the department (Farndale, 2010, p.166).

            It is very important for a system of evolution to be put in place that will determine the progress made towards the achievement of the goals (Steyn, 2012, p.45). Finally, every manager is aware of the fact that even the best laid plans can always backfire, therefore, it is important for the manager to have a back-up plan.

Conclusion

            The management of any given department in an organization, regardless of the level, is no easy task. It requires that the manager be alert at all times and constantly on the fore front in driving the organizations’ agenda. This means that on top of the general duties bestowed on managers, there is a different set of qualification required in the management of departments and organizations that require a specific amount of shrewdness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

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Johnson, K. L. (2012). The role of structural and planning autonomy in the performance of internal corporate ventures. Journal of Small Business Management, 50(3), 469-497.

Mintzberg, H. (2004). Enough leadership. Harvard Business Review, 82(11), 22.

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Smith, R. D. (2013). Strategic planning for public relations. Routledge.

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Steyn, B. (2012). Strategic management roles of the corporate communication function.

Tengblad, S. (2006). Is there a ‘New Managerial Work’? A Comparison with Henry Mintzberg's Classic Study 30 Years Later*. Journal of management studies, 43(7), 1437-1461.

Vaccaro, I. G., Jansen, J. J., Van Den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2012). Management innovation and leadership: the moderating role of organizational size. Journal of Management Studies, 49(1), 28-51.