Manager Meaning of Manager, Types of Managers

The concept or figure of a manager is mostly related to business environments. Nonetheless, the managing function can be extended to different spheres by applying the underlying concept. A manager is someone that has the responsibility of getting things done. He normally manages both people and resources (physical resources or economic resources, among others). He has to plan, organize, execute and control all the activities he has been delegated with by using all available resources to do it effectively. Managers normally have enough authority to require and dispose resources as needed.

A manager is a person who is responsible for a part of a company, i.e., they “Manage” the company. Managers may be in charge of a department and the people who work in it. In some cases, the manager is in charge of the whole business. For example, a ‘restaurant manager’ is in charge of the whole restaurant.

A manager is a person who exercises managerial functions primarily. They should have the power to hire, fire, discipline, do performance appraisals, and monitor attendance. They should also have the power to approve overtime, and authorize vacations. He or she is the boss.

They can hire or fire employees, ask for supplies and equipment and organize teams depending on the nature of the tasks. Companies normally hire managers with professional background and experience or train their current employees to become managers. Broadly speaking, managers within an organizational structure can be classified as operational, tactical and strategic, depending on the nature of their responsibilities.

Operational managers are in charge of day-to-day activities such as a production-line supervisor; on the other hand, tactical managers deal with whole departments such as a marketing manager or a plant manager; and finally, strategic managers are those with the responsibility of guiding the organization to achieve expected results, for example a Chief Executive Officer.

Types of Managers:

General managers are responsible for the overall performance of an organization or one of its major self-contained subunits or divisions.

Functional managers lead a particular function or a subunit within a function. They are responsible for a task, activity, or operation such as accounting, marketing, sales, R&D, production, information technology, or logistics. Frontline managers manage employees who are themselves not managers. They are found at the lowest level of the management hierarchy.

Top-Level Managers

This is the highest level of the managerial hierarchy and also known as the brain of the management. This level is the final source of authority. Generally, top-level management is constituted with a management committee elected directly from shareholders as members of the board of directors. Besides, this level also involves chief executives like the chairman, president, managing director or general manager.

Top-level managers are responsible for the performance of the entire organization through middle managers. They coordinate among different departments and units of an organization. They perform complex and varied nature of jobs. They work long hours and spend much of their time in meetings and decision making.

Middle-Level Managers

The middle-level manager is the largest group of managers in most organizations. This level of managers consists of departmental heads like personnel manager, production manager, marketing manager, finance manager, procurement manager, and similar other positions.

In some big organizations; this level of management may have two layers i.e. senior and junior middle-level managers. Heads of the department come under the senior level whereas branch heads are under the junior level manager. The top-level manager delegates a major part of his/her authority and responsibility to this level.

This level manager plays the role of mediator between the top and first-line management. The managers of this level have to report about the accomplishment of work to the top level and give instructions to the lower level

Lower-Level Managers

This level is known as the first-line or operating level of managers. It is directly involved in the actual operation of production, marketing, financing, accounting, etc. This level consists of supervisors, foremen, sales officers, accounts officers, superintendents, and other operational heads. They are responsible for the implementation of plans and strategies developed by the middle-level manager. They have a direct relation with the employees who are involved in an operation.

Thus, this level is directly responsible for the completion of works and planned objectives.

On the Basis of Nature or Area of Managerial Job

Job Managers may also be classified on the basis of the scope of activities they manage. Managers work in various areas regardless of their level In an organization. On the basis of function, managers may be classified into three groups:

• Generalist Manager
• Functional Manager
• Staff Manager

Generalist Manager

Managers who perform different types of jobs in an organization as per the requirement are called generalist managers. They don’t have specialization in any area. But they have to look after the overall activities of the organization apart from any particular area of operation.

Generally, the generalist manager desire to manage a complex or difficult department or unit. They lack specialization as they can be transferred to or from one organization to another organization. They have over workload, as they have to perform the diverse nature of jobs.

Chief executive officers, presidents, vice presidents, general managers or deputy general managers fall under this category.

Functional Manager

Managers who specialize in specific areas are functional managers. Their authorities, duties, and responsibilities are already described in the job description. The managers performing functions relating to production, finance, public relation, research and development, accounting, etc. are managers of this category.

In practice, all department heads of a business firm are functional managers. In the normal course of operation, they are accountable for the performance of their department or unit.

Staff Manager

Staff Managers are professionals and experts in a specific area of business. They are given no specific formal position at a management level. However, they play the role of advisors between generalist and functional managers. They provide guidance and suggestions to both the above managers on the basis of requirement.

Legal advisors, external auditors, management consultants are examples of such managers.