A French industrialist, Henry Fayol, wrote in 1916 a classic definition of the managers role. He said that to manage is ‘to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, to coordinate and to control.’ This definition is still accepted by many people today, though some writers on management have modified Fayol’s description. Instead of talking about command, they say a manager must motivate or direct and lead other workers.
An interesting view on managers is supplied by an American writer, Mr. Peter Drucker. He has spelled out what managers do. In his opinion, managers perform five basic operations. Firstly, managers set objectives. They decide what these should be and how the organization can achieve them. For this task, they need analytical ability. Secondly, managers organise. They must decide how the resources of the company are to be used, how the work is to be classified and divided. Furthermore, they must select people for the jobs to be done. For this, they not only need analytical ability but also understanding of human beings. Their third task is to motivate and communicate effectively. They must be able to get people to work as a team, and to be as productive as possible. To do this, they will be communicating effectively with all levels of the organization – their superiors, colleagues, and subordinates. To succeed in this task, managers need social skills. The fourth activity is measurement. Having set targets and standards, managers have to measure the performance of the organization, and of its staff, in relation to those targets. Measuring requires analytical ability. Finally, Peter Drucker says that managers develop people, including themselves. They help to make people more productive, and to grow as human beings.
In Peter Drucker’s view, successful managers are not necessarily people who are liked or who get on well with others. They are people who command the respect of workers, and who set high standards. Good managers need not be geniuses but must bring character to the job. They are people of integrity, who will look for that quality in others.
Understanding the main points: 1.Why do some people disagree with Henry Fayol’s definition of the role of the management? 2. In Peter Drucker’s opinion, which of the following things should a manager be?
exceptionally intelligent; keen to improve people’s lives; interested in other people; popular; able to give clear orders; honest; admired by others; able to examine carefully and make judgments
Ex.2.Read the extract below and complete the commentary.
The person who chairs board meetings is the … or … . The position is often combined with that of … …, who may be responsible for the day-to-day running of the company. This responsibility is made specific in the titles … …, … … …, or CEO. Some companies also have a … … … in addition to or instead of a CEO. (chairman, chairwoman, managing director, chief operating officer, chief executive, chief executive officer).
A manager is someone in a position of responsibility in an organization. An executive is usually a manager at a quite a high level. Executives are also execs, an informal expression. People at the head of an organization are senior executives or senior managers, top executives or top managers.
In the US, the head of a company may have the title president. Again, the responsibilities of this post vary from company to company, and the post may be combined with another. In the US, a senior manager in charge of a function may have the title vice-president and may be on the board. One vice-president may have responsibility for running the company, or maybe not, as the last example below indicates only too well.
Executive directors on board are high-level managers of the company. Other directors are non-executive directors, perhaps bringing their knowledge and experience to several company boards.
Ex.3. Complete the following sentences using suitable words or phrases from the box below.
