Clarifying Job Activities of Managers

Clarifying the job activities of managers is even more important than dividing the job activities of nonmanagers because managers affect large portions of resources within the management system. Responsibility gaps, for instance, usually have a more significant impact on the management system when they relate to managers than when they relate to nonmanagers.

One process used to clarify management job activities “enables each manager to actively participate with his or her superiors, peers, and subordinates in systematically describing the managerial job to be done and then clarifying the role each manager plays in relationship to his or her work group and to the organization.”10 The purpose of this interaction is to eliminate overlaps or gaps in perceived management responsibilities and to ensure that managers are performing only those activities that lead to the attainment of management system objectives. Although this process is typically used to clarify the responsibilities of managers, it can also be effective in clarifying nonmanagers’ responsibilities.

Management Responsibility Guide

A specific tool developed to implement this interaction process is the management responsibility guide, a version of which is used in most organizations. This guide helps management to describe the various responsibility relationships that exist in the organization and to summarize how the responsibilities of various managers relate to one another.

The seven main organizational responsibility relationships covered by the management responsibility guide are listed in Table 9.1. Once it is decided which of these relationships exist within the organization, the relationships among these responsibilities can be defined.

Table 9.1 Seven Responsibility Relationships among Managers, as Used in the Management Responsibility Guide

  1. General Responsibility—The individual who guides and directs the execution of the function through the person accepting operating responsibility

  2. Operating Responsibility—The individual who is directly responsible for the execution of the function

  3. Specific Responsibility—The individual who is responsible for executing a specific or limited portion of the function

  4. Must Be Consulted—The individual whose area is affected by a decision and who must be called on to render advice or relate information before any decision is made or approval is granted (This individual does not, however, make the decision or grant approval.)

  5. May Be Consulted—The individual who may be called on to relate information, render advice, or make recommendations before the action is taken

  6. Must Be Notified—The individual who must be notified of any action that has been taken

  7. Must Approve—The individual (other than persons holding general and operating responsibility) who must approve or disapprove the decision

MyManagementLab : Watch It, Oxfam America

If your instructor has assigned this activity, go to mymanagementlab.com to watch a video and answer the questions about how an international relief and development organization divides management responsibilities.

Responsible Managers

Managers can be described as responsible if they perform the activities they are obligated to perform.11 Because managers have more impact on an organization than nonmanagers do, responsible managers are a prerequisite for management system success. Several studies have shown that responsible management behavior is highly valued by top executives because the responsible manager guides many other individuals within the organization in performing their duties appropriately.

The degree of responsibility that a manager possesses can be determined by appraising the manager on the following four dimensions:

  1. Attitude toward and conduct with subordinates

  2. Behavior with upper management

  3. Behavior with other groups

  4. Personal attitudes and values

Table 9.2 summarizes what each of these dimensions entails.

Table 9.2 Four Key Dimensions of Responsible Management Behavior

Alternate View
Attitude Toward and Conduct with Subordinates Behavior with Upper Management Behavior with Other Groups Personal Attitudes and Values
Responsible managers— Responsible managers— Responsible managers— Responsible managers—

  1. Take complete charge of their work groups

  2. Pass praise and credit along to subordinates

  3. Stay close to problems and activities

  4. Take actions to maintain productivity and are willing to terminate poor performers if necessary

  1. Accept criticism for mistakes and buffer their groups from excessive criticism

  2. Ensure that their groups meet managementexpectations and objectives

  1. Make sure that any gaps between their areas and those of other managers are securely filled

  1. Identify with the group

  2. Put organizational goals ahead of personal desires or activities

  3. Perform tasks that offer no immediate reward but help subordinates, the company, or both

  4. Conserve corporate resources as if the resources were their own
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