Types of Managers
Managerial jobs can be divided into functional and general managers, administrators, entrepreneurs and small-business owners, and team leaders.
A. Functional and General Managers
Functional managers supervise the work of employees engaged in specialized activities, such as accounting and quality control. General managers are responsible for the work of several different groups performing a variety of functions. Company presidents and division heads are general managers. Key tasks of general managers include shaping the work environment and crafting a strategic vision.
B. Administrators
An administrator is a manager who works in a public or nonprofit organization (including educational institutions) rather than in a business firm.
C. Entrepreneurs and Small-Business Owners
Entrepreneurs are people who begin a new business based on an innovative idea for a product or service. Entrepreneurs are therefore risk-takers and have an adventuresome spirit. Michael H. Morris says that entrepreneurship is defined by three dimensions: innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness. Each of these dimensions can occur in different degrees. A small-business owner operates a small business that is not necessarily entrepreneurial (innovative).
D. Team Leaders
A team leader coordinates the work of a small group of people, while acting as a facilitator and catalyst. Team leaders are found at many organizational levels, and are
also referred to as project managers, process managers, and task-force leaders. All of the managerial jobs describe above vary considerably on the demands placed on the job holder, such as some CEO jobs more demanding and stressful than others.
Continue to the next page.
