Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it be a business, a not-for-profit organization, or government body. Management includes the activities of setting the strategy of an organization and coordinating the efforts of its employees (or of volunteers) to accomplish its objectives through the application of available resources, such as financial, natural, technological, and human resources. The term "management" may also refer to those people who manage an organization.
Social scientists study management as an academic discipline, investigating areas such as social organization and organizational leadership. Some people study management at colleges or universities; major degrees in management include the Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) and Master of Business Administration (MBA.) and, for the public sector, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. Individuals who aim to become management specialists or experts, management researchers, or professors may complete the Doctor of Management (DM), the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or the PhD in Business Administration or Management.
Larger organizations generally have three levels of managers, which are typically organized in a hierarchical, pyramid structure:
- Senior managers, such as members of a Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or a President of an organization, set the strategic goals of the organization and make decisions on how the overall organization will operate. Senior managers provide direction to the middle managers who report to them.
- Middle managers, examples of which would include branch managers, regional managers and section managers, provide direction to front-line managers. Middle managers communicate the strategic goals of senior management to the front-line managers.
- Lower managers, such as supervisors and front-line team leaders, oversee the work of regular employees (or volunteers, in some voluntary organizations) and provide direction on their work.
The term “Levels of Management’ refers to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions in an organization. The number of levels in management increases when the size of the business and work force increases and vice versa. The level of management determines a chain of command, the amount of authority & status enjoyed by any managerial position. The levels of management can be classified in three broad categories:
- Top level / Administrative level
- Middle level / Executory
- Low level / Supervisory / Operative / First-line managers
These managers are classified in a hierarchy of authority, and perform different tasks. In many organizations, the number of managers in every level resembles a pyramid. Each level is explained below in specifications of their different responsibilities and likely job titles.
Top
The top or senior layer of management consists of the board of directors (including non-executive directors and executive directors), president, vice-president, CEOs and other members of the C-level executives. Different organizations have various members in their C-suite, which may include a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and so on. They are responsible for controlling and overseeing the operations of the entire organization. They set a "tone at the top" and develop strategic plans, company policies, and make decisions on the overall direction of the organization. In addition, top-level managers play a significant role in the mobilization of outside resources. Senior managers are accountable to the shareholders, the general public and to public bodies that oversee corporations and similar organizations. Some members of the senior management may serve as the public face of the organization, and they may make speeches to introduce new strategies or appear in marketing.
Helpful skills of top management vary by the type of organization but typically include a broad understanding of competition, world economies, and politics. In addition, the CEO is responsible for implementing and determining (within the board's framework) the broad policies of the organization. Executive management accomplishes the day-to-day details, including: instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules; appointment of middle level executives such as department managers; coordination of departments; media and governmental relations; and shareholder communication.
Middle
Consist of general managers, branch managers and department managers. They are accountable to the top management for their department's function. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. Their roles can be emphasized as executing organizational plans in conformance with the company's policies and the objectives of the top management, they define and discuss information and policies from top management to lower management, and most importantly they inspire and provide guidance to lower level managers towards better performance.
Middle management is the midway management of a categorized organization, being secondary to the senior management but above the deepest levels of operational members. An operational manager may be well-thought-out by middle management, or may be categorized as non-management operate, liable to the policy of the specific organization. Efficiency of the middle level is vital in any organization, since they bridge the gap between top level and bottom level staffs.
Their functions include:
- Design and implement effective group and inter-group work and information systems.
- Define and monitor group-level performance indicators.
- Diagnose and resolve problems within and among work groups.
- Design and implement reward systems that support cooperative behavior. They also make decision and share ideas with top managers.
Lower managers include supervisors, section leaders, forepersons and team leaders. They focus on controlling and directing regular employees. They are usually responsible for assigning employees' tasks, guiding and supervising employees on day-to-day activities, ensuring the quality and quantity of production and/or service, making recommendations and suggestions to employees on their work, and channeling employee concerns that they cannot resolve to mid-level managers or other administrators. First-level or "front line" managers also act as role models for their employees. In some types of work, front line managers may also do some of the same tasks that employees do, at least some of the time. For example, in some restaurants, the front line managers will also serve customers during a very busy period of the day.
Front-line managers typically provide:
- Training for new employees
- Basic supervision
- Motivation
- Performance feedback and guidance
LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT IN LIBRARIES
Managers can be categorized in a number of ways. Most commonly, we think of them in vertical hierarchy. They usually work at three levels, viz. Top, Middle and Lower level of the organization. The Managers at top or nearer to the top have broader responsibilities and authority than those at lower levels. According to Stueart and Moran, various organisations including libraries have three levels of management as under:
- Top Management
- Middle Management
- Lower Management or First Line Supervisors
Top Management
It includes directors, associate directors and assistant directors in the large libraries. They are responsible to set policies for the entire organisation and are responsible for its overall management. They act as leaders and have wide powers as wells responsibilities.
Middle Management
They are in–charge of specific sub-units of the organization. In the libraries, they are heads of the department or Branch Librarians. Their responsibilities are confirmed to the successful functioning of the department concerned. They also serve as liaisons between top management and supervisors.
Lower Management or First Line Supervisors
They act as supervisors of the junior staff and lead the activities of individual workers in carrying out the day to day work of the organisation/library. These managers implement the procedures and processes that allow their units to work effectively and efficiently.
But the above mentioned hierarchy in the management is being distributed more widely throughout the organizations these days. This change can be seen in all types of organisations including libraries and information centres. The emphasis is being given to team work now-a-days.
REFERENCES
- Wikipedia. Management. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management (accessed October 10, 2017)
- Levels of management. Management Study Guide http://managementstudyguide.com/management_levels.htm (accessed October 10, 2017)
SEE ALSO
AUTHOR
- Salman Haider - Librarian Cataloger Blogger
HISTORY
- Written: 2017-10-06
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