There are three main types of managers in a business organization. Line
managers, staff managers, and functional managers. Line managers are those who
have authority over others in a hierarchical structure. The staff managers are
specialists who are employed to give advice to senior line managers. They might
be economists, specialist market researchers or scientific experts advising on
the environmental impact of certain products or processes. They act in an
advisory capacity only and have no authority to make decisions in other
departments of the organization.
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James Tao — Co-Founder & Management Consultant at Tao Management Group, LLC
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Functional managers have special authority.
They have the authority to make a manager accept their advice. All the managers
play three types of role in an organization.
The managers have to play information roles. They are well connected within
the organization and act as channels of information to be carried from one
department to another.
The managers have to play interpersonal roles. These responsibilities arise
from the manager's formal authority. Managers have a figurehead role. For
example, a chief executive represents the company at conferences. Managers have
to play the role of a leader also. A manager is responsible for hiring, firing,
training and motivating employees. They have a liaison role as well. Managers
spend a lot of time meeting with other managers in order to know what is
happening in all the departments of the business organization. Senior managers
spend time interacting with people outside the business also. The managers get
to be in a position to inspire and influence people both within and outside the
business.
Managers also get to make all the decisions of the business. They have the
authority and access to the information and details about the business that
means that they are in a better position to take all the decisions of the
business.
The managers play all these roles and control the business in the best
possible way. They should make sure to give some space to the employees and let
them experiment in the workplace, this will motivate them to work hard towards
the goals of the business.
