CHAPTER Managerial Functions, Roles and Competencies ESS Ty Learning Outcomes aS Se eR After studying this chapter, the learners willbe able to: > Explain in brief the functions of management Analyse Minteberg's roles of managers Discuss the levels of management in organisations State the concepts and elements of Managerial competency Appreciate competencies required of a manager Analyse the various types of managerial skills vVVYY e ‘A manager is a person who performs the functions of planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling for the accomplishment of the objectives of an undertaking. Since a manager performs the managerial functions, he is a member of the management of the organisation. Used in this sense, management includes all those who manage the affairs of an organisation. Every manager is concemed with taking certain decisions and their implementation for the achievement of ‘organisational objectives, He guides ‘the human resources in the effective utilisation of financial, physical and information eee cae of king at clferent levels, It is i L consists of managers working S. cee ibe an the basis of their level in the Management hierarchy such as top, middle and supervisory managers, The roles and competencies of ravers depend upon the level at which they are working. This chapter is a modest attempt have an overview of managerial functions, levels, roles. and competencies. as RIAL FUNCTIONS... , ANS holars studied different organisations at different times, they Since various ae Punageiiet in their own ways. For instance, Henri a the Atte i eee ee iy sianteerieni; vated ("Ts cranage ist forest” father of Fi OMe to command, to coordinate and to. control, Thus, Fayol classified and plan, to onganise, ‘PRINCIPLES AND APPEICALIONS (i) to forecast ‘and plan, (if) to organise, as follows + trol. SN ie EG ‘co-ordinate, and, ee peas 4 ist of administrative ta er ing activities © P for ge ronson stares fring, CO for Co-ordinating, R for D for Dinectin ‘nd eG i dl activitie Teer e ee and O'Donnell, “The most wsefil ae g ae en The around the functions of planning, organising. stalfing- Dea Gea oecaaen not Bias function oe i ue “i ene an for the sake of analysis of the management process, into the following catcgories + 1. Planning; 2. Organising; 3. Staffing: Planning A ; - followed to achieve them. Planning lays down the objectives to be achieved and the steps to be i Ieis a meneal process requiring the use of intellectual faculty, foresight. and sound judgement, It involves selecting and relating of facts and making and using of assumptions regarding the future in the visualisation and formation of proposed activities believed necessary to achieve the desired results, It involves deciding in advance what to do, when to do, where to do, how to do and who is to do. and how the results are to be evaluated. Thus, planning is the systematic thinking about the ways and the means for the accomplishment of predetermined objectives, Planning involves the following steps : (i) Determination of objectives of the enterprise; (ii) Forecasting of future environment; (iii) Search of alternative courses of action: (i) Evaluation of various alternatives and formulation of a plan; (*) Formulation of strategies, policies, procedures and methods; pees of schedules, programmes, budgets, etc. ing includes determination of the ol Procedures. The purpose of planning is to cores full advantage of the available opportunities, It bre We want to go, Good planning is flexible in conditions. It covers both short-te Organising Organising is an inn che human and other moore eo OF Mnagement by which m involves. determin accomplishing certain Predeterming a panes together souping the activities, Sore. ‘ ¢ grou Ponsibility among the {iii) to command or to give Luther Gullick offered “PODSCORB", Each alphabet 4, Directing; 5. Controlling. Policies, programmes, budgets and tisk and to make at the same time nature as it fm. and long-term periods The process of organisat : i lon involves clations in the organisation, 1¢ js an jnerptts determination, of uk MPOrAnK function of every marty, 24 responsibility ager to determine the en ces PR EaMANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS. ROLES AND. COMPETENCIES nature of the activities i and the assignment of the activities to the individual. Organisaing involves the following steps : () Adentification of activities Fequired for achievement of objectives () Grouping of activities to create ‘well-defined jobs; Saba (Hi!) Grouping jobs into departments and divisions; () Assignment of jobs to subordinates; () Establishment of authority-responsibility relationships throughout the organisation. Staffing or Human Resource Management After organising the various Activities to be srformed, mana ement is in a itn the manpower requirements of the enterprise at differant Ieee the organisation struccoe, After determining the number and types of Personnel to be selected to fill different jabs, OF ce rent broceeds with recruiting, selecting and training the people to fait ee Fequirements of the enterprise. In a running. enterprise, staffing is a contingses Process because new jobs ar created in the enterprise and existing employees lave the enterproe Staffing comprises of those activities which are essential 1o keep manned the positions created by the organisation structure. It includes the task of determining the requirenients s at all levels, Earlier, staffing was considered a part of organising, But with the recognition of the importance of the human factor in industry and business, it began to be considered as a separate function. Staffing usually includes the following activities () Human resource planning; (ii) Deciding sources of recruitment; (ii) Receiving applications for job vacancies; (iv) Testing and interviewing of candidates; (») Final selection and appointment letter; (vi) Orientation and placement of employees; (vii) Training and development of employees. Directing and Leading : i i bordinates to jon is th 8s of guiding, supervising, leading and motivating the sul eek ries benetitll the enterprise, The manager not only shows the right path but also leads the subordinates to achieve the objectives of the enterprise. He creates 4 sense of belongingness, faith and loyalty among the subordinates. The direction function involves the following four elements : ; i 4 Leadership. Leadership is the process by which a manager guides and influences the work of others in choosing and attaining specified goals, According to Chester Barnand, leadership is the quality of the behaviour of the individuals whereby they guide people towards the accomplishment of some common goal. Onan Ch TEEaa MANAGEMENTPRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIon, are required (i) Communication. A: manager has to tell the sora tie ek ae ce - 4, how to do and when to doit, Ic has to create an UNE Te mamunicati, ie subordinates of work to be done: This Ja done by the P a nh, Motivation. It is the function of a manager to motivate ie vee ea ie him to perform the work assigned: A successful Cees Pe to, work harmoniously for the attainment of desired 0 ie be ai (iv) Supervision. Supervision is the process by which conformi en ae ind eral cents ig maintalried. Bective, supetiision ensues BAG ed ish Gquality, It teaches the subordinates the way tele tasks are to be pr . Controlling ‘ control consists of verifying whether everything ocetrs in According to Fayol, “Ie an imdertakin 4 ; coafiratey vith ee plan adopted, the Renita issueel and the principles established.” Controlling is that management activity whereby the managers compare actual Le once death the planned one, find out the deviations; take corrective action to remove tf se cero positive deviations in the plans and help ensure the realisation of the specific goals. In a running concern, planning and control go together because Planning * secks to set consistent, integrated and articulated goals or programmes, while control sees (© compel events conform to plans, The most notable feature of the process of control is that it is forward-looking. A manager cannot control the past but can avoid the problems in future by taking actions in the light of past experiences. The control process consists of the following steps : (0, Setting standards of performance: (ii), Measuring, perfornfance; (uf), Comparing performance with standards; (ir) Taking corrective action, if required, 2.1.1 Interelationship between Managerial Functions The basic functions of management—planning, organising, directing and controlling—are closely related to cach other. The relationship among them could be explained with the help of the anology of human body, If management is considered a human body, planning constitutes its brain, organisation its nervous system, direetion its respiratory, system and controlling many be yiewed as its eyes, Just ‘as all organs of the body function in syne with each other, the functions of management are islso performed : syne with each other, In other words, all the functions of management are to be performed simultaneously to achieve the organisational aes ‘They are not only inter-related, but inter-dependent also as shown in Fig, 2.1. ‘Yo a lay person, it may appear that functions are performed in a sequence. No, it is not true that a manager will organise only when the f planning 16 over Orel eer ene gyi te stage a ee Management Functions AMANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES Be organising is complete. In practice, a manager cannot perform a function in isolation. He has to synchronise the performance of all managerial functions to achive the desired objectives. Managers often perform the functions of planning, organising, directing and controlling simultaneously. For instance, when a manager is planning, he is thinking of organising and controlling also, While organising, a manager assigns work to subordinates, and creates authority: Tesponsbility relationships which facilitate directing and controlling. When he is directing the subordinates, he is planning task assignment, delegating authority (a part of organising) and supervising performance (a part of controlling). Similarly, controlling by a manager leads (0 overseeing performance of subordinates (a part of directing) and pointing out weaknesses of planning, organising (and staffing) and suggesting corrective actions, Further, controlling is dependent on planning for providing standards of performance, organising for assignment of tasks to employees and so on. Thus, there is a close interelationship amongst planning, organising, directing and controlling. They, in fact, inter-mingle with each other. There must be synochronisation in their performance to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency. 2.2 MANAGERIAL ROLES (MINTZBERG) Some of the characteristics that are common to most of the managers are as follows: 1, Managers spend a major portion of their time in achieving coordination between human and non-human resources. 2. Managers’ do much work at an unrelenting pace. 3. Managerial tasks are characterised by brevity, variety and fragmentation. 4. Managers prefer live action—brief, specific, well-defined activities that are current, non-routine and non-reflective. 5. Managers prefer oral to written communication. 6. Managers maintain a vast number of contacts, spending most time with subordinates, linking them with superiors and others in a complex network. It has already been observed that: managing involves certain functions, While performing these functions, a manager has to play multiple roles. A role consists of the behaviour patterns displayed by a manager within an organisation or 4 functional unit. Henry Mintzberg conducted 4 comprehensive survey on the subject of managerial roles and integrated his findings with the Tesults of a study of five practising chief executives. He identified ten basic roles performed by managers at all levels from foremen to chief executives and classified them under three heads: (1) interpersonal roles, (2) informational roles anc (3) decisional roles as shown in Table 2.1. These roles describe what managers actually da, whereas functions of managers had historically described what. managers should do, Interpersonal Roles ‘The first set of managerial behaviour concerns interpersonal roles, which include the following = (#) Figurchead : Executive managers perform a number of ceremonial duties such as representing their firm at public affairs and overseeing official functions. Lower level managers have ceremonial duties as well. perhaps on a lesser scale, including attending employees’ weddings, greeting visitors, and hosting customers.ent PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION, MANAGEM! cluding moti f duties suggested ee Tachell achieg (i) Lender + This encompasses eres our and encouragin Get i i work-relat a workers, and individ organisational ObjeetVe® ss acting as Tiaison Dee Bo rie lidisoa! wl (ii) Lisl : Managers find hem et with. aN Being activities among whic Fe Ba Of ing contacts with SUPP re effective performance, work groups, and encouraging: : a ed with communication among individuals ‘she term implies, informational es eee thes ve using information to help make tal icators who can transmit aund groups, but managers "W000 Tey should be able commun effective decisions. More important, information and articulate decisions. Mintzberg’s three informational roles are as (i) Monitor : Managers monitor activity, sl behaviour, Wellinformed managers are pre behas ional performance. San cre aiatont ed, Rather than receive information, (ii) nator : Here communications are reversed. ; pejnlogeats managers transmit information. Obviously, this. is a crucial aspect of management. Subordinates, superiors and managers of similar work. groups rely on timely information disseminated with clarity. follows : licit information, gather data, and observe ated for decision-making and can redirect Taste 2.1: Roves of MANAGERS: te ern aed f Performs ires, sets an example, duties, bestows honours, | legitimizes the powers of subordinates. | organisations, governments, mukes speeches, serves industry group, ete, an committees, 'y group, Informational Roles Observes, collects and] Transmits. information ati and judgements | Speaks f are reviews data on’ the |about ge peaks for the organisa Se dae ants Internal and external evironments.| Lobbies and defends. Engages i in public relation: _ Source : Adapted from ; 1975) pp. 50.53MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES. (ii) Spokesperson : Top executives find themselves more involved as spokespersons than lower-level managers, A firm's policy on competition, its philosophy of customer care, and its commitment to safety are topics common in executive : managers at all levels aré spokespersons who tay be'¢alled upon to represent their groups. For example, when department heads meet to discuss operating budgets, they must be prepared to present information and support budget requests of their respective departments. Decisional Roles Mintzberg identified four roles within the list of his behavioural sets. These are as follows + () Entrepreneur ; In recent years, entrepreneurs have been identified with 2 commitment to innovation. Managers in complex organisations act in entrepreneurial way, by constantly trying to improve their operations. They seek new ways of using resources, new technologies for enhanced performance, and new systems of organising human resources. (ii) Disturbance Handler ; Historically, this may be the best understood role of managers becayse they have always had the primary responsibility for resolving problems. It may also be the most stressful role as managers seem to find themselves constantly faced with disturbances that threaten the harmony and effectiveness of their organisations. (ii) Resource Allocator : The third role links planning tind organising functions, Managers must plan to meet their objectives and distribute resources accordingly. There will never be sufficient time, money, materials, and manpower to accomplish all chat is expected, so resource allocation often involves carefully assigning scarce resources, (iv) Negotiator : The allocation process bears on the role of negotiator, When scarce resources must be shared among many operating units, managers with superior negotiating skills will have advantages over others, However, negotiating extends to many managerial activities both inside and outside the firm, Purchase manager, for ‘example, negotiates material prices and terms. Personnel manager negotiates union contracts. Negotiation, of course, does not mean conflict but it does imply face to face bargaining between managers and employees to resolve problems or formulate performance expectations. ‘The above description of the managerial roles shows that managers must ‘change hats’ frequently and must be alert to the particular role needed ac a given time, The ability to recognise the appropriate role to be played and to change roles reaclly is a mark of an effective manager. However, it may be concluded that at the lower level, some of the decisional roles and informational roles are more important, whereas at the top fevel interpersonal roles and decisional roles are. of greater significance: At the middle level of management, informational roles are found to be more commen,MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION. I Roles and Ft i provides important insighis sLapproach, on the other T framework fot analysing the job of a manager. It prescribes rs should do. The roles and functional “approaches are 1W0 sides of the ‘Time coin, They are two different but related ways of analysing the job of a manager, ‘The relationship between the two approaches has been ehown in Fig. 2.2. * Fig. 2.2. Relationship between Managerial Roles and Functions. "While planning, managers play informational and decisional roles. they receive, store, "monitor and disseminate information, They also take policy and operative decisions, tn “biganising, managers play interpersonal ‘and decisional roles. They establish relationships ‘TBeiwour activities and people take decisions about utilisation of resources. and act as liaisons. In staffing, managers play decisional, informational and interpersonal roles. They determine human resource requirements, select and train people and maintain personnel records. In directing, managers play interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. They motivate the people by providing various incentives and guide them through communication process, Controlling involves mainly informational and decisional roles. Managers obtain information of results, compare them with the standards and take corrective actions which involves decision-making. 2.3 LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT. Management levels signify the hierarchy of management in any organisation. Most of the organisations have a number of managerial levels depending upon their roles and authority “The number of levels will mainly depend upon the corporate strategy, size of business, number cof workers, effective span of control, nature of environment, etc. The hierarchy of management positions from top to bottom is called levels of management. The level of a manager in the hierarchy determines the amount of authority and status enjoyed by him, The supervisory level managers have less authority than middle level managers who have in turn fess authority than the top level managers, Classification of Management Levels Pfifiner and Sherwood have classified management levels into four viz,, corporate management, top management, middle management and supervisory management. Koontz and O'Donnell and Brech have classified the levels into two, viz.. top level management and supervisory evel management. Joseph Litterer has. suggested. three levels, viz., institutional level, general ) management and departmental management. J.B. Batty has classified management into fourMANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES as) levels, viz., top management, upper middle ere ;PPer middle managetnent, middle management and supervisory oe sake of convenience, the levels of management imiy bi classified into three aerene voce maaugement, (2) Middle management, and. (3) Lower or supervisory Management. The various positions which are included in each level of management are illustrated in Fig. 2.3, Board of Directors Chiat Exocutive General Managers. ‘Top Management Departmental Heads Regional Managers Piant Managers Middle Management Supervisory or Lower Mactigement Fig, 2.3 : Hierarchy of Management. Top Management Top management includes board of directors. and chief executive of the company, In some cases, departmental heads are also taken asa part of top management. Top management lays down policies and objectives of the enterprise, It performs the higher level managem functions and takes the policy decisions. {t also coordinates the affairs of the business and reviews the performance of the middle and lower levels of management. The board of directors is merely a decision-making body and the decisions are implemented through the chief executive of the company. Top management controls the affairs of the enterprise also, The functions performed by the top management are given below 1. Laying down broad objectives and polieies of the organisation, ‘Taking decisions for the accomplishment of the goals of the enterprise Coordination of various departments and divisions, Laying down guidelines for the departmental and divisional heads. Making appointments to middle level positions in the company orga as Divisional Managers, Secretary, Departmental Heads, etc. 6. Reviewing the work of executives at different levels to ensure that their performance is in accordance with the objectives laid down. ition, such Middle Management Middle management consists of heads of various departments. The job of middle a managers is to organise their departments to implement the top management's policies. They elEEE INCIPLES AND APPLICATION, MANAGEMENT PEE . They also Per Fee controlling: TREY. J of communica’ the results in their directing care responsible for ‘of planning, organisi first level management. lower management. given below * ide level managers are of top management. The functions of ™ guna fi ecution of policies 4! s = eas aaa aL lneners of lower levels in the light of va PI 2. Analysing the ach ony i ith thei ea Jems and proceeding further wit A i ions of current problems 4. Discussing the solutions 0} results. 4. Appraising the performance of subunits. 5. Guidance and motivation of supervisory personnel. 6. Achieving cootdination between different sections or units. Lower or Supervisory Management i Lower or operative management consists of foremen, supervisors, office sano eens cs i who are engaged with the direction of the operative employees. The managers at this level dre in direct contact with the operative employees. They are more concerned with direction ‘and control functions as compared to planning and organisation functions of management First line supervisors serve as an important link between the management and the workers, They implement the top management policies and provide feedback to the higher levels of management, The lower level managers plan the day-to-day activities and assign tasks to their subordinates, guide them and take corrective steps whenever necessary. The functions of first-line management or supervisors are given below : . Supervising and guiding the operative workforce, 2. Planning and organising the activities of the group. 3, Amranging for necessary materials, machine tools, them the necessary working environment, : 4. Providing training to the employees, 5. Solving problems of the: employees. 6 ete. for the workers and providing Comm unicating problems of subordinates to the higher level management. 2.4 MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIE! cae eae a re —_ to knowledge, skills anc ee than acting succesfully Managerial competencies ref Pesca gle tl ihe me so ‘or a given job. Job created oe fo Geemnice oe ee iy “0 fence of a n are ol it le and measurable behavioursMANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES: a that comprise a significant part of the rofe of a manager, Thus, competencies denote the attributes and behaviour expected of a manager to do his job effectively. In practice, the term ‘competency’ is used synonymously with the Knowledge, skills, abilities, attributes or qualities. A manager or an executive needs to do his job effectively. Whenever we look around, we find certain managers doing exceedingly well. They are managing their enterprises very well and are out to make them grand success. ‘The various questions that normally arise are—Who are they ? What skills and qualities do they possess? What leadership styles do they follow and so on ? In fact, effective managers have a judicious mixture of knowledge, skills and personality traits which create managerial competencies. Knowledge refers to the collection and retention of information about any job or activity. It forms the basis for any action. Only knowledge cannot ensure s, Success depends upon the ability or skill of using the acquired knowledge for achieving desired results. Skill refers to the ability of practical application or knowledge. Thus, performance depends upon both knowledge and skills. The personality traits of the person making use of knowledge and skills are also important in this context. Thus the essential elements of managerial competencies are : (i) knowledge: (ii) skills, and (iii) traits as discussed below ; Knowledge Innovation is possible only through knowledge. In simple words, knowledge means collection of information and retention of facts that an individual stores in some parts of his brain. Creative process provides imagination, germinates ideas, nurtures them and develops them successfully. But innovation is the development process which translates an idea into an application. It requires persistance in analytical working out the details of product design or service, and to develop marketing, obtain finances and plan operations. Skills Skill is the ability to demonstrate a system and sequence of behaviours that are functionally related to attaining a goal. A manager is required to have certain skills which include: (a) Technical skills; (6) Human skills; (e) Conceptual skills; (d) Analytical skills; and (c) Administrative skills. An overview of these skills is given later in this chapter. Traits Trait may be defined as a disposition or characteristic way in which a person responds to a set of stimuli. Such responses represent intelligence, charisma, decisiveness, enthusiasm, strength, bravery, integrity and self-confidence. Thus, ttaits are an’ individual's personal characteristics. Some of the important traits found among successful managers include intelligence, alertness to the needs of others, understanding of the task, good communication skills, initiative and persistance in dealing with the problems, A manager provides leadership to his enterprise and so he must possess the leadership traits.—EaEE— = — LES AND APPLICAT; MANAGEMENT PRINCIP Ng 242 ae GER TRAITS OR COMPETENCIES OF A ee which go to make a . al difficult to give an exhaustive list of all ath oF le contributing 10 the success It is difficul important t successful manager. However, some of the imp: Nlows : of a manager are as fol eatlet fajon A manager must be able'to take into © * Foncionng 9 ‘a whole. Sectarian view, or thinkin . ny. Therefore, the department’ is not coi ve view of each of his actions. manager wy take a Sees cae Sa baweie communicate fect SoS ets ee niclon depends upon clarity of ee Be cael ete eocay el Wes or instruction Is worthless un less it can e oy ey eee inane must be able to express his ideas a. e as i : iser. Abili 3. Organisational Competence : A manager must be a good See ReneS ‘ at ‘lity of vital importance to make a success: ful mi Fas Sioa orate the resources:at his command for the attaiment of orgs goals. fami he has to lead ' : t keep in mind that he 4, Human Relations Competence. : A manager a ee adequate knowledge of his subordinates and not to drive them. He should po: : a : lations, motivate people for best the factors and forces which go to ensure good relations, ieee of their performance and generate cooperative and competent human behaviour. 5. Initiative : The HR: manager must possess the desire to move ahead, to introduce change for better, and to do something new. He msut always look for doing something bigger and better. 6. Emotional Stability : A manager must be able to keep his personal likes and dislikes away from his organisational responsibility. It means that in solving problems of his company, he must nat allow his personal feelings to influence his decisions. This Tequires stable emotional feelings. 7. Integrity : A manager must enjoy the unshakable confidence of both his superiors and subordinates. Both as a person and in his actions, he must be known as a person of high moral integrity. He must remember the saying that it is not enough to be g00d, one must also appear to be good. 5. Problem Solving Competence : A manager should be able to take each problem as a challenge and put in best for finding out the most appropriate solution for the same. He will first of all understand the problem and th i i a dealing with the same, en evolve appropriate strategy for 9. Empathy : A manager must h; ager lave the ability to see things from others’ point of view, He must respect the viewpoint: ik y his followers, he must understand thelr. ae U2 ea leader to predict the im i: sand outlook, Empathy enabl. pact of hi ‘ Pcnablss:the He must also be courteous ae company policies on the subordinates. the overall effect of his a ‘ion 4 siderat ig in terms of ‘myMANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES Sy 2.5 MANAGERIAL SKILLS The term ‘managerial skill’ means the personal ability put to use by a manager for the accomplishment of organisational goals. The job of a modem manager has become ver complex. He requires different types of skills to manage a large organisation in the fen changing environment. R.L, Katz has given three types of managerial skills, namely, (i) ‘Technical skills (#) Human. skills; (i) Conceptual skills. Other authors have added two more skills to the above list. These are analytical skills and administrative skills. Technical Skills Technical skill implies proficiency in a specific kind of activity particularly the one involving methods, processes, procedures or techniques. We can visualise the technical skill of the surgeon, the musician, the accountant or the engineer, when each is performing his own special function. Such functions involve specialised knowledge, analytical ability within the specialised field, facility in the use of tools and the techniques of the specific discipline. Technical skills are very important in managing. The first line supervisor in a manufacturing firm needs greater knowledge about the technical aspects of the job compared to his top boss. In a small manufacturing organisation, even the top boss who owns the company needs to have a lot of technical skills. However, in big organisations, technical skills are more important at the lower levels. Managers need technical skills to guide and train subordinates. They cannot handle their subordinates if they do. not know how the jobs are done. There are two things a manager should understand about technical skills. In the first place, he must know what skills should be employed in his unit. Secondly, the manager must understand the role of each skill employed and also the inter-relationships between different skills. Human Skills Human skills denote the manager's ability to work effectively as a group member and to build cooperative effort within the team he leads. Every managerial level requires managers to interact with the subordinates working with processes and physical resources. Human relations skills are required to win cooperation of others and build effective work-teams. Such skills require a sense of feeling for others and capacity to look at things from others’ point of view. Human skills are reflected in the way a manager perceives his superiors, subordinates and peers. A person with human skills is sufficiently sensitive to the needs and motivations of others in the organisation, With human skills, managers can resolve intra and inter-group conflicts. An awareness of the importance of human skills should be a part of every manager's orientation. Conceptual Skills it i ising how the Conceptual skills signify the ability to see the organisation as a whole Le., recognising to eats “paictions Ae Eeanlation depend on one another, They also make the iehiaiial aware of how changes in one part of the organisation affect the others. Conceptual skills exten165 AND APPLICATIONS ; industry: the community and the individual business © the ind ary mage as relationship ©} sO of pores, of he 1 ole. Th and. economic Far ectiveness of the organisation proving the ove to visualising the the political, social an insight into i gystematic manne, 4 Fi Aystep sed nin These skills refer to the ability t¢ proceed in | Nee ae eee re ees to examine the various spec tf speatic SUES a Tn a san SOT Is ee lytical skills are needed for problem solving jtuations. to erthenomenon, TREY cnADIE ME TTS” An of & Paty examine ies mensiON Mand managing oe end decision making, eval ‘Administrative Skills ‘These conue around ability €0 act in pragm: ses ce and plans, to mobilise and organise activities and to regulate onganisational events 1m 2.5.1 Skill Requirement at Different Management Levels ‘The managers at each Jevel will require seclinical, Inman and conceptual knowledge and skills to successfully carry out the tasks assigned to him. However, the mix ‘of knowledge and skills required at each level will have to be different in tune with the tasks to be performed. Figure 2.4 shows the relative importance of these skills at various levels of management. At the supervisory level, technical skills are more inyportant for the success of a supervisor's job. ‘As he moves up the hierarchy, increasing demands are made for conceptual skills. Human = are more or less equally important at all levels. Technical skills can be learnt easily, it conceptual skills can’t be attained unless an individual has the potential and capacity Analytical Skills by implementing atic manner, get things done ordinate diverse esources and efforts, to ¢ ‘an orderly manner. to learn them, 2 =e ;MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS, ROLES AND COMPETENCIES RR eview Questions “To manage is to forecast and plan, to organi ‘ . 10 organise, Fayol). In the light of this statement, discuss th 2. What are the functions of a Manager? Is mere knowledge of management enough to become 8 successful manager? Briefly explain your viewpoint 3. What roles ate performed by the mana; context of a business enterprise. to command, to coordinate and to control" (Henri ie functions of managers. gers according ta Mintzberg ? Explain each role in the 4. Discuss Henry Mintzherg's classification of basic roles performed by the managers in modern ‘organisations, 5. Explain the inter-personal and decisional roles played by top level managers in modern organisations. 6. What do you understand by the term ‘Levels of Management! ? Briefly describe the functions of different levels of management. 7. Explain different levels of management with the help of a suitable diagram. 8. What functions and duties are associated with top and middle level management in a modern industrial unit ? Explain briefly. 9. What are managerial competencies ? Why are they important ? 10, Discuss the nature of managerial competencies. Also elaborate the major managerial competencies. 11. Explain the various managerial skills which are required for success in managing. 12. Explain the different types of skills required by managers and comment on their relative importance at different levels in the organisation. 13, “A successful manager possesses a number of competencies.” Explain this statement, 14. Write short notes on the following : (a) Functions of management (&) Mintzberg’s informational roles of managers (c) Levels of management. (d) Managerial competencies. Activities —$&£ <—<$<—$<$ < —< <_< —<— ———————————_—— ipanies Chief ired of i ef Executives and ask them the competencies req ‘ Veo toe ee ener a-report on the basis of their answers and explain the three most epaveant competence highlighted by the Chief Executives. =. Minzberg’s managemet have studied, conduct a survey 6! nager 2 working end find out the roles they are performing in of business organisations actual practice.