Henry Mintzberg, a renowned management scholar, came up with the idea that business managers must undertake many different managerial roles every day in order to carry out functions of management.
He had identified ten common management roles and divided them into three groups:
1. Interpersonal roles
These roles come from the manager’s authority in dealing with workers and motivating staff at all levels of the hierarchy:
- Figurehead: Representing the organization in social and ceremonial events, acting as a symbol of authority.
- Leader: Motivating and inspiring employees, providing direction and vision, building and maintaining team spirit.
- Liaison: Developing and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders such as clients, suppliers, etc.
2. Informational roles
These roles are about acting as a source, receiver and transmitter of information throughout the business:
- Monitor: Actively seeking and collecting information from internal and external sources, staying informed about the environment.
- Disseminator: Sharing relevant information with employees across the organization, keeping them informed.
- Spokesperson: Representing the organization to external audiences, communicating key messages and information.
3. Decisional roles
These roles focus on making decisions and allocating resources to meet the objectives:
- Entrepreneur: Identifying and initiating new opportunities for growth and change, taking calculated risks.
- Disturbance handler: Dealing with unexpected problems and issues that arise, making quick decisions to resolve them.
- Resource allocator: Deciding how to allocate resources including financial, human, etc. across different projects and areas within the organization.
- Negotiator: Negotiating contracts, agreements, and settlements with external parties, representing the organization’s interests.
In short, Henry Mintzberg proposed a framework of ten managerial roles that executives play within a business organization. These roles are grouped into three distinct categories such as interpersonal roles, informational roles and decisional roles.
Mintzberg’s framework offers a nuanced understanding of the complexities of managerial work. The framework is not a rigid prescription, but rather a helpful lens for understanding and reflecting on the diverse activities and responsibilities of managers.
While the framework was developed decades ago, it remains relevant today and can be applied to modern management practices.
