Chapter List

Overview

Chapter Objectives

• What is management?

• What do managers do?

We begin this book by examining the role of the manager; this will help you to have a better understanding of management, what managers do and the impact effective management has on an organization. You may not necessarily have 'manager' in your job title. In fact many organizations avoid the term, particularly for jobs that have a management element at a junior level. For example, the Civil Service typically uses the titles 'Administrative Officer' and 'Executive Officer' for such positions. Many companies call their junior managers 'supervisors' or 'team leaders'. On the other hand, in some small firms, the Directors are also responsible for day-today management.

That's all very well but not particularly helpful without some understanding of what the management role involves. There are many differing views amongst writers on management, which help towards an overall understanding.

Many of the early writers on management have significantly influenced the way we view the management role. For example, in the first European...