Complete Study Summary
Robbins & Coulter — 15th Edition
Chapters 1 · 3 · 4 · 6 · 15 · 16 + Intro to Strategy
,Chapter 1
Managers and You in the Workplace
Chapter 1
1.1 Who Is a Manager?
A manager is someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so that
organizational goals can be accomplished. Managers are not so much concerned with their own
tasks, but with enabling others to perform their work well.
Levels of Management
Level Description Examples
Top Managers Responsible for strategic goals and CEO, CFO, President
direction of the entire organization
Middle Managers Manage other managers; translate Department Manager,
strategy into actionable plans Regional Manager
First-Line Managers Directly manage non-managerial Team Leader, Supervisor,
employees Foreman
Non-managerial Carry out the actual work of the Staff, Specialists, Operators
Employees organization
The Organization
An organization is a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some specific purpose. Every
organization has three common characteristics: a distinct purpose, a deliberate structure, and
people.
1.2 Why Are Managers Important?
• Organizations need management skills and capabilities more than ever in uncertain and
complex times.
• Managers are essential to getting things done — they mobilize resources and direct people.
• Managers matter: they directly influence employee productivity and loyalty.
The quality of the employee–manager relationship is the single largest variable in productivity and
loyalty. Disengaged managers cost organizations more than $300 billion per year in employee
turnover.
1.3 Functions, Roles, and Skills
The Four Management Functions
Function Definition Key Activities
Planning Defining goals, establishing Set goals, determine strategy
, Function Definition Key Activities
strategies, and developing plans
Organizing Determining what needs to be done, Design structure, assign tasks
how and by whom
Leading Motivating, leading and managing Motivate, communicate, lead
people
Controlling Monitoring activities to ensure plans Measure performance, take
are accomplished corrective action
Mintzberg's 10 Managerial Roles
Category Role Description
Interpersonal Figurehead Symbolic head; ceremonial duties
Interpersonal Leader Motivating and managing employees
Interpersonal Liaison Maintaining external contacts
Informational Monitor Seeking and receiving information
Informational Disseminator Transmitting information internally
Informational Spokesperson Transmitting information externally
Decisional Entrepreneur Seeking opportunities and initiating change
Decisional Disturbance Handler Managing unexpected disruptions
Decisional Resource Allocator Distributing organizational resources
Decisional Negotiator Negotiating with various parties
Katz's Management Skills
Skill Definition Importance by Level
Technical Job-specific knowledge and Most important for lower-level
techniques managers
Human Ability to work effectively with others Equally important at all levels
Conceptual Ability to think and articulate ideas; Most important for top managers
analyze complex situations
1.4 Factors Redefining the Manager's Role
• Technology: digitalization, automation and AI fundamentally change how work is organized.
• Disruptive innovation: new products/services that radically change industry rules.
• Social media: opportunities and risks for customer communication and reputation
management.
• Ethics: managers play a key role in creating an ethical culture.
• Political uncertainty: Brexit, USMCA and other shifts affect businesses directly.
• Customer focus: without customers, most organizations would cease to exist.