Levels of Management - Essay Example

All managers serve similar functions, such as leading, monitoring and controlling the business activities of an organization. All must ensure that various aspect of the corporate strategy and mission are carried out. However, there are differences in the functions of various managers within the organization. Senior managers do not oversee the work of those on the front line, as line managers do. Senior managers often have the same expectations, though line managers are responsible for ensuring that those expectations are carried out by workers, and finding ways to continue carrying out those expectations. Line managers are often the translators who take goals and strategies and put them into practice. According to Hales (2005), line managers are involved in “the proximal and immediate direction, monitoring and control of operational work.” In other words, line managers most often direct non-managerial employees. According to Bernard L. Erven (1999), the five functions of management are “planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling.” Though management involves additional functions, most can be categorized under one of the five. However, the level of management does determine how much involvement the manager may have in each of these functions and what the manager’s specific responsibilities are. Senior managers are more likely to be responsible for the bulk of strategic planning. Line manager are likely to be involved in planning as well, though the main responsibility is identifying how specific jobs should be completed or altered to help the organization implement its strategy. Creative problem solving is another aspect of management described by Erven. He defines creative problem solving as “broader than problem finding, choice making or decision making. It extends from analysis of the environment within problem finding, choice making or decision making” (1999). Creative problem solving may be categorized under planning, if the problem to be solved involves altering or redefining the organization’s strategy. Problem solving may also become part of controlling, when the solution is identified and implemented within the strategy. For the senior manager, problem solving involves analyzing the business environment and evaluating all possible alternatives and related outcomes. Reports from industry sources, financial officers, middle managers and others will likely be accessed to explore all possibilities. The responsibility of the line manager is to provide senior managers with information regarding the capacity and capabilities of workers, through production reports. For the sales manager, where a separate sales department exists, reports that highlight performance, current sales and marketing strategies, and customer purchasing trends may be required. In Twice News, January 2005, Panasonic’s new Senior VP of product and marketing, John Iacoviello, outlines new strategies to increase sales. A new strategy that Iacoviello discusses is the development of a “chipset that can bring high-speed transmission of high- definition video to every room in the house over existing power lines.” As a senior manager, Iacoviello must rely on market reports that provide an accurate picture of competitor’s capabilities and current offerings. Decisions to introduce new technology are not made hastily. Demand and capability must first exist. New products must not be too cost prohibitive to realize profit, regardless of how much a competitive edge this would give Panasonic. Line managers are important in gathering and presenting information on costs of production for the new chipsets. If marketing managers are considered the line managers of marketing, they too must present research reports and consumer trends to senior managers such as Iacoveillo, so that decisions can be made as to when, where and how the new technology might be introduced. In situations such as Panasonic’s, where new strategies must be developed and implemented, Iacoviello becomes highly involved in at least two of Erven’s five managerial roles, planning and organizing. He will have little to do with staffing, as this is typically the role of line managers. Even if Panasonic may need to recruit new talent to incorporate its new chipset into products, a senior manager will not be involved in the process of searching for and hiring new talent. Line product managers will understand the technological requirements and are in the best position to acquire the most qualified talent. In a research study of line managers conducted by Hales (2005) “contact patterns showed that they were primarily the vertical, internal link between senior managers and the work-group, although in some organizations, it also included external relations with customers and clients.” Line managers in this role will be less involved in the planning at this point. They will be concerned more with staffing, directing and controlling. Even if no new talent is required, there may be changes to the production process, which required workers to change how they get things done. The line manager then has the task of turning strategy into an end result. For line marketing managers, involvement in all five roles is more likely. Introducing new technology into consumer markets requires extensive planning, to determine which current marketing tasks should be utilized and in identifying any new channels or routes of advertising and distribution. They need to ensure the proper marketing mix is utilized and must coordinate various marketing processes. Therefore, organization is also required. In the process of organizing marketing campaigns, marketing line managers must determine who does what, so directing and controlling are also part of their roles. Staffing may also be required, should additional effort be required or when more specialized knowledge within specific segments is needed. Panasonic’s introduction of the new technology represents one situation which defines the roles of various managers. Other organizations or situations may define each level of management with a different mix of the five roles and responsibilities. Much of this depends on the structure of the organization. Panasonic works within a somewhat more traditional hierarchy. Others possess a more flat structure, in which senior managers are more likely to work directly with front line employees and managers. In such instances, titles are less important and roles are less clearly defined. The most inexperienced workers may contribute more to the strategic planning process. Experienced managers may be more likely to consult with workers directly, to obtain information for developing or changing the strategy. Regardless of the organization’s structure, guidelines within each position for different types of managers should be clearly defined, if not by specific roles, by established corporate guidelines and by tying managerial roles into the corporate mission. References Erven, B. (1999). The Five Functions of Management. Columbus: The Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved November 29, 2009 from http:// www.ag.ohio-state.edu/Function.html. Hales, C. (2005). Rooted in Supervision, Branching into Management: Continuity and change in the role of first-line managers. Journal of Management Studies 42:3. Twice News (2005). Panasonic Uses CES to Reveal New Initiatives. This Week in Consumer Electronics. Reed Elsevier, Inc. Read More