Management is a fundamental concept in Organizational Behavior because managers influence how employees communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and achieve organizational goals. Through effective planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, managers coordinate people and resources while creating work environments that support productivity and employee development.
In addition to performing management functions, successful managers also fulfill interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles while applying technical, human, and conceptual skills. Understanding these responsibilities helps organizations improve leadership, employee motivation, teamwork, and overall organizational effectiveness.
This article explains the functions, roles, and essential skills of management from an Organizational Behavior perspective.
What is Management and Why Management it is Important in Organizational Behavior
The process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling financial, human, and material resources to enhance effectiveness is referred to as management.
Management provides the direction and coordination needed for organizations to achieve their objectives. Managers influence employee attitudes, workplace culture, communication, motivation, conflict resolution, and decision-making, making them central to Organizational Behavior.
Effective management creates an environment where employees can work collaboratively, adapt to organizational change, and contribute to continuous improvement. By combining sound management practices with an understanding of human behavior, organizations can improve both employee satisfaction and organizational performance.
Core Functions of Management
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Planning | Establish organizational goals and strategies |
| Organizing | Allocate resources and assign responsibilities |
| Leading | Motivate and guide employees |
| Controlling | Monitor performance and take corrective action |
1. Planning
The strategy of the organization is established by managers during planning. In other words, it determines how effectively to allocate and utilize resources to accomplish organizational objectives.
During planning, there is a high degree of risk and uncertainty surrounding managerial decisions. The quality of decision-making is improved, which reduces risk and increases success, through an understanding of organizational behavior.
2. Organizing
Managers build a structure of relationships that directs how members of an organization work together to accomplish organizational objectives in organizing.
On the basis of tasks performed, organizing includes grouping workers into teams, departments, and groups.
Organizational behavior provides guidelines on how to organize workers to ensure effective utilization of their capabilities and to increase coordination and communication.
3. Leading
Employees are encouraged by managers to perform better in the leading function, and managers further coordinate groups and individuals so that all organizational members work toward organizational objectives.
The major concern of organizational behavior is to examine various leadership methods and how to match leadership styles with the characteristics of the organization.
4. Controlling
Managers monitor and evaluate individual, group, and organizational performance to determine whether organizational objectives are being achieved.
Managers are able to understand and accurately diagnose work situations through knowledge of organizational behavior, along with identifying the need for corrective action or striving to maintain and improve performance.
Poor performance may be caused by several factors at the individual or group levels.
Functions vs Roles of Management
| Functions of Management | Roles of Management |
|---|---|
| Describe what managers do | Describe how managers perform their responsibilities |
| Include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling | Include interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles |
| Focus on management processes | Focus on daily managerial behavior |
| Guide organizational activities | Support organizational effectiveness |
Functions of Management in Organizational Behavior
Organizational efficiency is improved by reducing the amount of resources, such as raw materials or labor, required to produce goods or services. Organizations try to utilize and enhance the skills and abilities of the workforce in a better way.
Because well-trained employees make better use of technology, the global competitive challenge facing organizations is to invest in employee skills.
Organizations are under global pressure to find new ways to increase efficiency. The quality of goods and services provided by organizations must also be enhanced due to increased competition.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is one technique borrowed from Japan and is considered an effective approach to improving quality.
The behaviors within the organization are managed through a comprehensive philosophy known as TQM. It involves giving employees responsibility for finding ways to improve quality and perform their jobs more efficiently.
Roles of Management in Organizational Behavior
Managers assume a number of roles in organizations while performing the four functions of management. A role is a set of tasks or behaviors expected from a person based on their position in an organization or group. The ten managerial roles can be categorized into three main areas: interpersonal relationships, information transfer, and decision-making.
1. Interpersonal Roles
Following are the interpersonal roles performed by managers:
- Leadership: Hire, motivate, train, and discipline workers.
- Figurehead: Perform symbolic and ceremonial tasks.
- Liaison: Maintain contact with outsiders who provide information. These may include individuals or groups inside or outside the organization.
2. Informational Roles
Following are the informational roles performed by managers:
- Monitor: Gather information from external institutions and organizations.
- Disseminator: Transmit information to organizational members.
- Spokesperson: Represent the organization to outsiders.
3. Decisional Roles
Following are the decisional roles performed by managers:
- Entrepreneur: Initiate and oversee new projects to improve organizational performance.
- Disturbance Handler: Take corrective actions in response to unexpected issues.
- Resource Allocator: Allocate physical, human, and financial resources.
- Negotiator: Discuss problems and negotiate with other units to gain advantages for their own unit.
Skills of Management in Organizational Behavior
Management skills can be improved by managers through their understanding of organizational behavior. A skill is the ability to act in a way that allows an individual to perform effectively in their role. Three essential management skills were identified by Robert Katz, which are as follows:
1. Technical Skills
The ability to possess specialized knowledge or expertise. Technical skills are required in most jobs and are often developed through experience.
2. Human Skills
Human skills refer to the ability to work with, motivate, and understand other people, both individually and in groups. Many individuals may be technically proficient but lack interpersonal competence.
3. Conceptual Skills
Conceptual skills involve the mental ability to diagnose and analyze complex situations. For example, decision-making requires managers to identify problems, develop alternative solutions, evaluate those alternatives, and select the most effective one.
Essential Management Skills and Their Organizational Benefits
| Management Skill | Organizational Benefit |
|---|---|
| Technical Skills | Better operational performance |
| Human Skills | Improved teamwork and communication |
| Conceptual Skills | Better strategic planning |
| Decision-Making Skills | More effective problem-solving |
| Communication Skills | Stronger employee engagement |
| Leadership Skills | Higher employee motivation |
Example of Management Functions, Roles, and Skills
Suppose a retail company plans to open a new branch.
The manager begins by planning the project’s objectives and budget. During the organizing stage, responsibilities are assigned to marketing, finance, operations, and Human Resources. The manager then leads employees by motivating the team, resolving conflicts, and communicating organizational goals. Finally, through controlling, performance is monitored, budgets are reviewed, and corrective actions are taken where necessary.
Throughout the project, the manager performs interpersonal roles by motivating employees, informational roles by sharing updates with stakeholders, and decisional roles by selecting appropriate business strategies. Technical, human, and conceptual skills work together to ensure the successful completion of the project.
Benefits and Challenges of Effective Management
| Benefits | Challenges |
|---|---|
| Better organizational performance | Managing organizational change |
| Improved employee motivation | Workforce diversity |
| Stronger teamwork | Technological advancements |
| Effective decision-making | Communication barriers |
| Higher productivity | Resource constraints |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the functions of management?
The four primary functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
What are the managerial roles?
Managerial roles include interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles, which describe how managers interact with employees and make organizational decisions.
What are the essential management skills?
The three core management skills are technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills. Communication, leadership, and decision-making skills are also important for effective management.
Why is management important in Organizational Behavior?
Management influences employee motivation, communication, teamwork, leadership, workplace culture, and organizational performance, making it a central concept in Organizational Behavior.
Which management skill is most important?
All management skills are valuable, but the importance of each depends on the manager’s level and responsibilities. Frontline managers often rely more on technical skills, while senior managers depend more on conceptual and strategic thinking.
Conclusion
The functions, roles, and skills of management are essential for achieving organizational objectives and promoting effective Organizational Behavior. Through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, managers coordinate resources and guide employees toward shared goals. At the same time, interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles enable managers to communicate effectively, make informed decisions, and build productive workplace relationships.
Successful managers combine technical expertise, human skills, and conceptual thinking to address organizational challenges, motivate employees, and adapt to changing business environments. By understanding and applying these management principles, organizations can improve leadership effectiveness, employee engagement, teamwork, and long-term organizational success.
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