Page 33 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

2 Management Roles Approach

• Says that managers engage in certain “roles” as they manage others.
• WHAT Mintzberg said managers do: He identified and defined managerial roles—specific
categories of managerial actions or behaviors expected of a manager. (Not sure what a “role”
is? Think of the different roles you play—such
as student, employee, volunteer, bowling team Exhibit 1–5 Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles
member, boyfriend/girlfriend, sibling, and so
forth—and the different things you’re expected INTER ROLES
to do in those roles.) INTERPERSONAL ROLES
Leader
• Exhibit 1–5 shows Mintzberg’s ten separate, but
Figurehead Liaison
interrelated roles.

INFORMATIONAL ROLES
Entrepreneur Monitor S
Mintzberg’s
Managerial
Disturbance Roles
Handler
Disseminator
Resource
32 Muschi/Getty Images When: late 1960s ROLES Negotiator Spokesperson INFORMATIONA
Who: Henry Mintzberg
A
A
Allocator
NAL
How: Empirical study
DECISIONAL ROLES
of five chief executives
at work. 5 Source: Based on Mintzberg, Henry, The Nature of Managerial
Work, 1st edition, © 1973.

Which Approach—Functions or Roles—Is Better at Defining
What managers Do?

— Both approaches appear to do a good job of describing what managers do.
— However, the functions approach stands out! It continues to be popular due to its clarity and
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simplicity. But, don’t disregard the roles approach; it offers another way to understand and
appreciate what managers do.

managerial roles interpersonal roles decisional roles informational roles
Specific categories of managerial behavior; Involving people (subordinates and persons Entailing making decisions or choices Involving collecting, receiving, and
often grouped around interpersonal outside the organization) and other duties that disseminating information
relationships, information transfer, and are ceremonial and symbolic in nature
decision making
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