Part 2. Informational and Decisional Roles

The direct relationships with people in the interpersonal roles place the manager in a unique position to get information. Thus, the three informational roles are primarily concerned with the information aspects of managerial work. In the monitor role, the manager is constantly monitoring the environment to determine whether the work is efficient or not, receiving and collecting information. This information is collected both directly, by asking questions, and indirectly, through unsolicited information. In the role of disseminator, the manager transmits special information into the organization. The top level manager receives and transmits more information from people outside the organization than the supervisor. In the role of spokesperson, the manager disseminates the organization's information into its environment. Thus, the top level manager is seen as an industry expert, while the supervisor is seen as a unit or departmental expert.

The unique access to information places the manager at the center of organizational decision making. There are four decisional roles. As the manager is exposed to new ideas or methods that may improve the work’s operations, she or he assumes the entrepreneur role. In this role the manager initiates change and activities that will allow and encourage the work unit to use the ideas or methods most advantageously. In the disturbance handler role, the manger deals with threats to the organization. What happens when parts of the work environment – schedules, equipment, contracts get out of control? The manager must handle these crises as they develop.

In the resource allocator role, the manager is responsible for determining who in the work unit gets the resources - including money, facilities, equipment and access to the manager’s time - and how much each person gets. The manager also chooses where the organization will expend its efforts.

Managers are required to spend a good portion of their time in the negotiator role when they negotiate on behalf of the organization. Negotiating may be required on contracts with suppliers or simply on trading off resources inside the organization. The manager must play this role because he or she is the only one in the work unit with both the information and authority negotiators need to have.

These multiple roles are what managers actually do as they are completing their managerial functions.

Exercise 5. Comprehension. Answer the questions.

 

1. What are the major managerial functions?

2. Why do managers have to fill various roles?

3. What is a role in management? What is it influenced by?

4. When does a manager assume the figurehead role?

5. How does a manager play the leadership role?

6. What is the liaison role related to?

7. Why does a manager play the monitor role?

8. What is the idea of the spokesperson role?

9. When does a manager assume the entrepreneur role?

10. Why does a manager have to play the disturbance handler role?

11. What is the resource allocator role connected with?

12. Why do managers spend much time in the negotiator role?

13. What does a negotiator need to have?

 

 

Exercise 6. Find the synonyms to the words from list A in list B.

A: upmost; liaison; peer; expose; handle; devouring; shield; permeate; requirement; devotion; individually; role; constantly; expend;

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B: shade; demand; part; manage; penetrate; loyalty; separately; relation; subject to; predominant; spend; permanently; absorbing; equal;

Exercise 7. Match the words to get word partners from the text.

1. role 2. functional 3. job 4. machine shop 5. managerial 6. interpersonal 7. symbolic 8. government 9. organization 10.industry

a. foreman b. relationships c. goals d. positions e. functions f. title g. expert h. requirements i. officials j. work