Careers in Management

AuthorThaddeus Mcewen
Pages95-99

Page 95

Management is a very exciting and rewarding career. A career in management offers status, interesting work, and the satisfaction of working closely with other people. People are considered the most important resource in organizations. If they perform effectively, the organizations will succeed. Managers work closely with people, ranging from top managers to clerical workers, to ensure that organizations achieve their objectives.

A management career also offers the opportunity to make the world a better place. Managers help organizations succeed. When organizations are successful, there is better utilization of resources, less stress among employees, less chaos in society, and a better quality of life for all. Effective managers play an important role in shaping the

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world in which we live. Certo and Certo (2006) emphasized this point when they stated that our society would not be as developed as it is today without effective managers to guide its organizations.

WHAT DO MANAGERS DO?

Management is a people job. The manager coordinates the work of other people to ensure that the unit is run efficiently and profitably. A manager may have direct responsibility for a group of people in one department or a team of people from several different departments. For some managers, it could mean supervising one person.

Managers provide overall direction and leadership for the organization. The manager sets clear objectives for the team and makes sure they know what the focus is, assigns duties to team members, and encourages them to perform those duties. The manager also evaluates the team's actual performance against organizational objectives and decides on promotions and salary increases where appropriate. When team members are not performing satisfactorily, the manger makes the changes necessary to ensure that they reach the company's objectives. Managers use their people skills and business skills, such as marketing and cost controls, to achieve the company's objectives while at the same time making sure to stay within budget.

The manager's job is varied. Managers are involved with planned and unplanned activities. These activities include scheduled and unscheduled meetings, inspection tours, report writing, new product launches, disagreements among employees, customer grievances, and changes in business trends. According to Miller and associates (1996), a manager should be able to shift continually from person to person and from one subject or problem to another. A manager who is also the business owner makes all the daily decisions involved in the business.

Managers make things happen in organizations. They decide what will be done, who will do it, when will it be done, and what resources will be used. They hire and train new employees, and they coordinate their departments' activities with other departments. Managers are the heart of organizations, the force that unites everything in the organization to ensure optimum efficiency and profitability.

TYPES OF MANAGEMENT CAREERS

In large organizations, managers work in a variety of areas, including operations, human resources, finance, and marketing:

Operations managers see that the company's products and/or services meet quality standards and satisfy the needs of customers and clients. They plan production schedules to ensure the most efficient use of plant, manpower, and materials. The operations manager is responsible for production control, inventory control, quality control, plant layout, and site selection. New graduates will start as management trainees. After successfully completing the program they will be promoted to production supervisor, then to plant manager. The top management position is vice president for operations.

Human resources managers provide the organization with competent and productive employees. The duties of the human resources manager include human resource planning, recruiting and selecting employees, training and development, designing compensation and benefits systems, and formulating performance appraisal systems. In small firms one person...

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