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.
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.
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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.
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:
Attitude toward and conduct with subordinates
Behavior with upper management
Behavior with other groups
Personal attitudes and values
Table 9.2 summarizes what each of these dimensions entails.
Attitude Toward and Conduct with Subordinates | Behavior with Upper Management | Behavior with Other Groups | Personal Attitudes and Values |
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Responsible managers— | Responsible managers— | Responsible managers— | Responsible managers— |
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