The Nature of Managerial Work(mintzberg)(3)

The Manager’s Working Roles A role is defined as an organized set of behaviors belonging to an identifiable office or position (Sarbin and Allen, 1968). Thus, actors, managers, and others play roles that are predetermined, although individuals may interpret them in different ways.

2) Activity is characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. There is great variety on a daily basis focusing on distinct issues. Meetings dealing with one complex issue or a multitude of issues. To some extent the manager tolerates interruption because he does not wish to interrupt the flow of current information. The manager is encouraged by the realities of his work to develop a particular personality, to overload himself with work, to do things abruptly, to avoid wasting time, to participate only when the value of participation is tangible, to avoid too great of an involvement with any issue – in essence, very proficient at working superficially. 3) There is a preference for live action. Managers gravitate towards the more active elements of his work activities that are current, specific, well defined, and non-routine. Managers desire to have the most current information, and instant communication and feedback. 4) Managers are attracted to the verbal media. They prefer face to face meetings and telephone conversations. 3-types of activities took place at scheduled meetings: a) ceremony, b) strategy-making, and c) negotiation. 5) Managers are between the organization and a network of contacts. The manager maintains communication relationships with 3 groups: superiors, outsiders, and subordinates. To gain access to outside information, these managers developed a network of informers, a sort of self-designed external information system which included peers, friends, and co-directors). 6) Managers have a blend of rights and duties – a) the manager is able to make a set of initial decisions that define his long-term commitments. He has the power to develop his own information channels, but does not control the day to day information that flows to him, and b) the manager exerts his own will by controlling or using the activities he must engage in to benefit or position himself.