1 Strategic (top-level managers)

2 Tactical ( middle-level managers)

3 Operational ( low-level managers)

Strategic managers make decisions involving the long-term, or strategic goals of companies. Top-level managers spend most of their time planning and organizing. They need summarized information that covers past and present operations as well as future projects. Information from internal sources gives them views of the internal situation in the company. External information permits them to evaluate industry trends, world economic trends, government regulations and other outside activities.

Tactical managers are concerned with short terms, tactical decisions directed toward accomplishing the organizational goals. Middle level managers work on budgets, schedules and performance evaluations and need detailed information. They require mainly internal information but also use some external information. Today many countries reduce the number of tactical managers and cut costs through computerization.

Operational managers are involved with day-today operations of business. They are responsible for seeing that the tactical decisions of middle-level managers are implemented by personnel at the operations level. For them the information must be detailed, current and focused.

The size of management can range from one person in a small firm to hundreds or thousands of managers in multinational companies.

4 Mark the following statements true or false.

1 Managers must know the objectives of their firm very well.

2 Managers take responsibility for the resources they have now and those that they may have.

3 Even ancient people needed management.

4 Some basic aspects of management had been worked out by 1900.

5 The first MBA certificates were given to students in Great Britain

6 Modern management needs IT experts.

7 Management includes five functions.

8 Money is a number one resource for a manager today.

9 The success of the company business depends on its top

management primarily.

10 The customers at the supermarkets talk to tactical managers if they have problems.

5 Answer the questions.

1 Where did the word manager come from?

2 What is the responsibility list of a manager?

3 When did people start using some management ideas?

4 What was the contribution of the political economy to the development of management ?

5 When did the science of management appear?

6 What are the trends of modern management?

7 What does staffing mean?

8 Why is motivation so important?

9 Why are strategic managers highly paid?

10 Why do companies have fewer tactical managers today?

III check and improve your vocabulary skills

1 Guess the words by their definitions:

1 purpose, object aimed at

2 personnel

3 to get new people to a company(2)

4 just at the right time

5 having the purpose of strategy

6 tools, things needed to do something

7 list of times for doing things

8 wealth, supplies of goods, raw materials

9 to perform, finish successfully

10 general direction, tendency

(timely, to recruit/hire, objective, trend strategic, schedule, resources, staff, to accomplish, equipment )