10 Managerial Roles identified by Mintzberg

Henry Mintzberg developed a thesis based on his research about the nature of managerial work analyzing the actual work habits and time management of CEOs. In his research, he had come up with the identification of the following 10 separate roles in managerial work:

1. FIGUREHEAD
the manager performs ceremonial and symbolic duties as head of the organization;
2. LEADER
fosters a proper work atmosphere and motivates and develops subordinates;
3. LIAISON
develops and maintains a network of external contacts to gather information;
4. MONITOR
gathers internal and external information relevant to the organisation;
5. DISSEMINATOR
transmits factual and value based information to subordinates;
6. SPOKESPERSON
communicates to the outside world on performance and policies.
7. ENTREPRENEUR
designs and initiates change in the organisation;
8. DISTURBANCE HANDLER
deals with unexpected events and operational breakdowns;
9. RESOURCE ALLOCATOR
controls and authorises the use of organisational resources;
10. NEGOTIATOR
participates in negotiation activities with other organisations and individuals.

Mintzberg then separated these roles into three subcategories which are the following:
- interpersonal contact
- information processing
- decision making
The FIGUREHEAD, LEADER, and LIAISON roles are under the interpersonal category. These roles, which are primarily concerned with interpersonal relationships, ensure that information is provided.

The MONITOR, DISSEMINATOR, and SPOKESPERSON are under the information processing type. Informational roles link all managerial work together. These are primarily concerned with the information aspects.

On the other hand, the ENTREPRENEUR, DISTURBANCE HANDLER, RESOURCE ALLOCATOR, and NEGOTIATOR falls under the decision making category. These roles make significnt use of the information.

As we can see, each role above is defined as an organized collection of behaviors belonging to an identifiable position or function.


"Since leadership permeates all activities, the leader role is among the most important of all roles at all levels of management."

Sources/References:
Chris van Overveen - Senior Consultant Trimitra Consultants
ProvenModels - Ten Managerial Roles - Henry Mintzberg