Management and Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example

Management is essentially an act of fulfillment of objectives through people, and efficient management implies getting the maximum output from the people. Therefore, a good manager must encourage teamwork and enhance team spirit by meeting the needs of both the individual and the team. This paper focuses on various theories of management and demonstrates their application with the help of a case study. Roles of a Manager – case of Oliver A business organization is a complex body that requires efficient and skilful management for proper running.

A manager has multiple functions and responsibilities. Based on this theory, Henry Mintzberg identified ten essential managerial roles that are required for the fulfillment of the company’s objectives. The ten managerial roles are – 1) Figurehead, 2) Leader, 3) Liaison, 4) Monitor, 5) Disseminator, 6) Spokesperson, 7) Entrepreneur, 8) Disturbance-handler, 9) Resource-allocator, and 10) Negotiator (Watson & Gallagher, 2005, p.34). He has further categorized them in three groups as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Interpersonal Roles Informational Roles Decisional Roles Figurehead Monitor Entrepreneur Leader Disseminator Disturbance-handler Liaison Spokesperson Resource-allocator Negotiator (Lussier & Achua, 2009, p.10) The interpersonal roles define the authoritativeness of the manager and involve maintenance of a positive relationship with the employees. In figurehead role, the manager performs symbolical or ceremonial duties that can be of either social or legal nature. For instance, he needs to do social functions like attending to candidates for jobs, presenting awards, entertaining clients, receiving official visitors, and attending farewell dinners.

As legal function he has the authority to sign official papers like cheques, vouchers and contracts. In leader role, a manager supervises and evaluates the performances of employees, hires new employees and provides them training. In liaison role, he maintains contact with people outside the organization to form a network of services. The second group which is informational roles involves a major part of managerial functions which is to gather and convey information from the employees. In monitor role, the manager needs to gather information regarding problems and solutions of the organization.

This can be done by reading journals, magazines, newspapers or by attending meetings inside or outside the organization or by observing and comparing the business activities of the competitors. In disseminator role, the manager receives information from internal sources like higher level of management or from external sources. He in turn transmits the information to the employees through group meetings or emails. In spokesperson role, the manager provides information about the organization to outside people like consumer groups, press, TV and government officials and any other communities who have vested interest in the organization.

The third group which is decisional roles involves assessment of various possibilities before making strategies for the benefit of the organization. Such decisions may affect few employees or can affect the entire organization. In entrepreneur role, a manager develops ideas for new projects, makes decisions to abandon any project, develops innovative ideas and new products. In disturbance-handler role, a manager finds means to resolve external or internal