Management Functions and Roles

Managers set and achieve goals by using human, financial, material, and information resources. To do this, they plan, organize, staff, direct, and control — in other words, they undertake the five basic functions of management.

The five management functions are inseparable and often simultaneous elements of a continuous, interactive process. Implementing plans, for example, requires acquiring human resources (staffing) and structuring work groups (organizing). Subordinates must be guided to complete the plan (directing), and the plan's progress must be monitored (controlling).

To plan, organize, staff, direct, and control- a manager must fill various roles at different times. A role is a set of expectations for a manager's behavior. As managers perform their duties and interact with various members of the organization, they must wear different hats. Their role requirements are influenced by their formal job descriptions, which grant certain authority and status.

Exercise 11. Find English equivalents to the following words and expressions in the above-given text:

определять и достигать целей; персонал; одновременный; находящийся во взаимосвязи (интерактивный); подчиненный; структурные рабочие группы; выполнять; исполнять различные роли; неразделимый; основные функции менеджмента, выполнять свои обязанности; поведение менеджера;

Exercise 12. Work in group:

a) ask your group-mates to explain the meaning of the following words and expressions:

manager's functions; manager's roles; ''to wear different hats''; staffing; to set and achieve goals; subordinate; a set of expectations; directing;

b) discuss the peculiarities of manager’s job.

Exercise 13. Get ready to speak about:

а) manager; b) management; c) manager's job.

UNIT II

TEXT II. The History and Theory of Management

To understand management today, you must look at its history. The formal academic discipline of management is relatively new, and it has expanded rapidly since being introduced in higher education in the 1920s. Management theories and schools of thought represent differing viewpoints and strategies for managing people, making decisions, and solving problems.

People ignorant of the past are destined to repeat it. Knowing what has gone before allows us to avoid mistakes and capitalize on successes.

A theory is an explanation that helps organize information and knowledge. A theory gives us reasons for doing things one way and not another. A manager who believes that mathematical formulas will help to determine a course of action will use them. The manager who believes that a solution lies in finding the right person with applicable experience will seek such a person. By knowing both theory and history, managers in every field can avoid past mistakes and forecast.

Management began when early humans banded into clans and tribes. Community survival depended upon hunting and gathering, devising shelter, and defending against marauders. People soon found that some members were better at some tasks than others. They learned also that by focusing on one function — by specializing — individuals could improve their performance. The groups that planned, organized, and controlled job assignments and other factors were the groups that thrived.

The development of agriculture allowed humankind to turn from life in small bands to life in large permanent settlements. Institutions relating to religion, commerce, and government appeared. Special groups appeared: farmers grew the food, craftsmen made goods that merchants traded, soldiers attacked neighboring settlements and defended against them, and shamans and priests led different ceremonies. Coordinating all these activities was the job of the administrators.

Graphic records - Babylonian clay tablets, Egyptian tomb paintings, the Bible, then, the stone circles at Stonehendge, massive pyramids at Giza and the 1,500-mile Great Wall of China—vividly tell us how early civilizations managed. All these examples required a high order of planning, organizing, and controlling.

Text: “The history and theory of Management.”

I. General understanding of the text:

1. Management was firstly introduced in higher education:

a) in 1920-s; b) in 1880-s; c) 1950-s;

2. What does the notion of theory mean?

a) the volume of scientific researches; b) an explanation that helps to organize

information and knowledge; c) an experience collected by humankind;

3. Finish the following sentence correctly.

Management began when …

a) … the first Celtic tribes landed the British Islands;

b)… the early humans banded into clans and tribes;

c)… the humankind faced the problems of economic division;

4. What kinds of institutions do you know? Give some examples from the text.

5. Can you enumerate the facts from the world history which show the development of economics as a science?

II. Answer the questions to the text:

1. Is it possible to understand management today without looking at its history?

2. When was the formal academic discipline of management introduced in higher education?

3. What do management theories and schools of thought represent for managing people?

4. How can a manager avoid mistakes and capitalize on success?

5. Does a theory help to organize information and knowledge?

6. Do managers use mathematical formulas in order to determine a course of action?

7. Is it important for a manager to find the right person with applicable experience?

8. When did begin management ?

9. What did community depend upon in ancient centuries?

10. Why did the ancient groups thrive?

11. What did allow humankind to turn from life in small bands to life in large permanent settlements?

12. What special groups do you know?

13. What was the job of administrator ?

14. What are the examples of early management?

15. What are the basic features of management?

III. Which of the following statements are true/false:

1. To understand management today you mustn’t look at its history.

2. A theory is not an explanation that helps to organize information and knowledge.

3. Mathematical formulas help managers to determine a course of actions.

4. Managers can’t aroid mistakes by knowing both theory and history.

5. People learned that by specializing – individuals could improve their performance.

6. Coordinating activities of all special groups was not the job of the administrators.

7. There are many examples which can vividly tell us how early civilizations managed.

IV. Give definition to the following:

a) a theory; b) applicable experience; c) forecast; d) administrator

V. Find from the text the equivalents of the following word expressions:

oфициальная академическая дисциплина; относительно (сравнительно новый); теории менеджментa и школы научнoй мысли; точка зрения; принятие решений; решение проблем; невежественный; избегать ошибок; добиваться успехов; подходящий (нужный) человек; человечество; выживание общества; племя (клан); процветать; соседние поселения; священник; управляющий (администратор), Египетские надгробные рисунки, массивные пирамиды;

VI. Try to give your own vision of the following:

1. “A glimpse of phenomenon of management through history”;

2. “The differences between such notions as «leadership» and «management»;

3. “Manager” and “administrator” – make a comparison between them.

(2) What Is Leadership?

Some writers have given the impression that leadership is a synonym for management. This assumption is not correct. Leaders are found not only in the managerial hierarchy but also in informal work groups. The difference between leadership and management has been stated as follows:

Leadership is a part of management but not all of it.

Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiasti­cally.

It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it toward goals.

Managers are not always effective leaders. An important feature of leadership is that

leadership is a process whereby one individual exerts influence over others.

Unquestionably, the manager has the legitimate power to influence deci­sions as granted

by the organization. However, influence should be viewed as a mutual exercise. In order to influence, one must be influenced to some degree. That is, the leader must be influenced by followers.

The greater the total influence leaders and followers have in the organization, the better seems to be the performance of the total system.

Text: What is leadership?

I. Read the following words and give Russian equivalents to them:

impression, leadership, assumption, hierarchy, informal, to state, power, to persuade, to seek, objective, enthusiastically, human factor, to bind, to motivate, to influence, follower.

II. Give synonyms to:

informal, objective, goal, influence, leadership, individual,

management, power, total, organization, grant, leader

III Form all the nouns from the following verbs:

Example:- to follow - follower

to lead; to manage; to differ; to follow; to write;

to perform; to found; to organize; to make;

Translate all these words info Russian and write one sentence with each word.