The Managerial

Competencies

QSB2413 Management Science

Framework

Management / Organization

Management Levels of 6 core Managerial

Functions Management Competencies

1. Communication
1. Planning 2. Planning and
1. Top
2. Organizing Administration
2. Middle
3. Leading 3. Teamwork
3. First Line
4. Controlling 4. Strategic Action
5. Multicultural
6. Self Management
 Organization
• Organization is a group of people with
formally assigned roles who work together to
achieve the stated goals to the group.
 Organization
1. Who would ensure that each of the people
actually knew what to do?
2. Who would ensure that they work together?
3. Who would decide what the goals should be?
 Organization
• The answer is “The Manager”.
 Management
• Management expert Peter Drucker says that
management “ … is the responsibility for
contribution.”
• Manager is someone who is responsible for
making sure that the company achieves its
goal.
 Management
• Management is the process of designing and
maintaining an environment in which
individuals, working together in groups,
accomplish efficiently selected aims/goals.
• Mary Parker Forllett, described management
as “the art of getting things done through
people”.
 Manager
• A manager is a person who plans, organizes,
leads and controls the work of others so that
the organization achieves its goals.
 Management Functions
• The successful manager must actively perform
basic managerial functions.
• One of the earliest classifications of
managerial functions was made by Fayol, who
suggested that planning, organizing,
coordinating, commanding and controlling
were the primary functions.
 Management Function
• Some others theories identify additional
management functions, such as staffing,
communicating or decision making.
• BUT now generally, there is an agreement that
the basic managerial functions are:
(P) Planning
(O) Organizing
(L) Leading
(C) Controlling
 Planning
• Planning is setting goals and deciding on courses
of action (tasks to be performed), developing
rules and procedures (ensure the performance),
developing plans and forecasting (resources
needed).
• Planning involves tasks that must be performed
to attain organizational goals, outlining how the
tasks must be performed and indicating when
they should be performed.
 Planning
• Determining organizational goals and means
to reach them.
• Managers plan for reasons below:
1. Establish an overall direction for the
organization’s future.
2. Identify and commit resources to
achieve goals.
3. Decide which tasks must be done to
reach those goals.
 Planning
• Planning encompasses four elements:
1. Evaluating environmental forces (e.g. economy) and
organizational resources (e.g. financial of the
company)
2. Establishing a set of organizational goals.
3. Developing strategies and plans to achieve the
stated goals
4. Formulating a decision-making process
Work Planning in Construction
 Scaffolding

Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure

used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction,
maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man made
structures.

**Planning must be done even for scaffolding.

 Organizing

• Organizing is identifying jobs to be done,

hiring people (staffing) to do them,
establishing departments, delegating or
pushing authority down to subordinates,
establishing a chain of command (channel of
authority and communication) and
coordinating the work of subordinates.
 Organizing
• Organizing is the managerial function of
making sure there are availability of resources
to carry out a plan.
• Managers must bring together individuals and
tasks to make effective use of people and
resources.
 Organizing
• Three elements which are essential to
organizing are:
1. Developing the structure of the organization
2. Acquiring and training human resources
3. Establishing communication patterns and
networks
 Organizing Process
• Determining the method of grouping of these
activities and resources is called the
organizing process.
• Organizational Structure (O.S.) clarifies the
subgroups in the business, the people
assigned to these groups, and their
interrelationship.
• Organizational Chart is a visual diagram of a
business O.S.
Organizational Chart – Protext Construction (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Sources: http://www.protexttunnel.com/
 Leading
• Leading means influencing other people to
get the job done, maintaining morale, molding
company culture and managing conflicts and
communication.
 Leading
• Managers must be able to make employees
participate in achieving an organization’s
goals.
• Three components make up the leading
function:
1. Motivating employees
2. Influencing employees
3. Forming effective groups
 Leading

• Leading (influencing) means guiding the

activities of the organization members in
appropriate directions.
• Getting others to perform the necessary tasks
by motivating them to achieve the
organization’s goals.
 Controlling
• Controlling is setting standards (e.g. quality),
comparing actual performance with the
standards and then taking corrective action as
required.
• Controlling means monitoring employees
activities, determining whether the
organization is on target toward its goals and
making correction as necessary (Richard Daft).
 Controlling
• Three basic components that constitute the
control function are:
1. Elements of a control system
2. Evaluating and rewarding employee
performance
3. Controlling financial, informational and
physical resources
 Controlling
• In order to achieve organization goals, a
simple controlling is needed which includes:
1. Gather information that measures
recent performance
2. Compare present performance to pre-
established standards
3. Determine modifications to meet pre-
establish standards
Levels of Management
 Levels of Management
• A part of an organization that maintains
responsibility for the productivity and the work
performance of employees.
• There are generally three levels of management
within an organization including top-level,
middle-level and first level.
• Each level possesses certain job responsibilities
within their position to ensure the effective
overall operation of the organization.
Levels of Management
 Levels of Management
• The number of managers at each level is such
that the hierarchy resembles a pyramid with
more first level managers, a smaller amount of
middle managers and less top-level managers
within one organization.
 Top Managers
• Responsible for providing the overall direction
of an organization. (Mission)
• Develop goals and strategies for entire
organization. (How to achieve?)
• Spend most of their time planning and
leading. (Strategic planning to achieve goals)
• Communicating with key stakeholders –
stockholders, unions and government
agencies.
 Top Managers
• Setting company policies.
• Use of multicultural and strategic action
competencies to lead firm is crucial.
• These individuals are holding titles such as
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial
Officer (CFO), Chief Operational Officer (COO),
President and Vice President.
 Middle Managers
• Responsible for setting objectives that are
consistent with top management’s goals and
translating them into specific goals and plans
for first-line managers to implement.
• Responsible for coordinating activities of first-
line managers.
• Establish target dates for products / services
to be delivered and decide how to market
goods.
 Middle Managers
• Need to coordinate with others for resources.
• Rely on communication, teamwork, planning
and administration competencies to achieve
goals.
• Middle managers’ job titles include General
Manager, Plant Manager, Regional Manager
and Divisional Manager.
 First-line Managers
• Directly responsible for production of goods
or services.
• Employees who report to first-line managers
are responsible in organization’s work.
• Spend a little time with top managers in large
organizations.
• Technical expertise is important.
 First-line Managers
• Rely on planning and administration, self-
management, teamwork and communication
competencies to get work done.
• These managers have job titles such as Office
Manager, Shirt supervisor, Department
Manager, Foreman and Store Manager.
What are the skills needed for a
manager?
 Management Skills
• The skills required to be a successful manager
are broken down into three categories:-
(1) Conceptual Skills
(2) Human Skills
(3) Technical Skills
Management Levels and Skills
 Skills needed by managers
• Not everyone can be a manager.
• Certain skills or abilities to translate
knowledge into action that results in desired
performance, are required to help employees
become more productive.
• Technical Skills – This skill requires the ability
to use a special proficiency expertise to
perform particular tasks.
 Skills needed

• Human Skills – This skill demonstrates the

ability to work well in cooperation with
others.
• Conceptual Skills – This skill calls for the
ability to think analytically. Analytical skills
enable managers to break down problems
into smaller parts, to see the relations among
the parts and to recognize the implications of
any problems for others.
 Managerial Competencies
• What it takes to be a great manager?
• The ability to meet organizational objectives,
use available resources efficiently, maintain
high levels of employee performance and
professionalism and provide excellent service
to customers.
 (1) Communication Competency
• Ability to effectively transfer and exchange
information that leads to understanding between
yourself and others.
• Informal communication – used to build social
networks and good interpersonal relations.
• Formal communication – used to announce
major events/decisions/ activities and keep
individuals up to date.
• Negotiation – used to settle disputes, obtain
resources and exercise influence.
 (2) Planning and
Administration Competency
• Deciding what tasks need to be done, determining
how they can be done, allocating resources to
enable them to be done and monitoring progress
to ensure that they are done.
• Information gathering, analysis and problem
solving from employees and customers.
• Planning and organizing projects with agreed upon
completion dates.
• Time management.
• Budgeting and financial management.
 (3) Teamwork Competency
• Accomplishing tasks through small groups of
people who are collectively responsible and
whose job requires coordination.
• Designing teams properly involves having people
participate in setting goals.
• Creating a supportive team environment and
getting people committed to the team’s goals.
• Managing team dynamics involves settling
conflicts, sharing team success and assign tasks
that use team members’ strengths.
 (4) Strategic Action Competency
• Understanding the overall mission and values
of the organization and ensuring that
employees’ actions match with them.
• Understanding how departments or divisions
of the organization are interrelated.
• Taking key strategic actions to position the
firm for success, especially in relation to
concern of stakeholders.
 (5) Multicultural Competency

• Understanding, appreciating and responding to

diverse political, cultural and economic issues
across and within nations.
• Cultural knowledge and understanding of the
events in at least a few other cultures.
• Cultural openness and sensitivity to know
others think, act and feel.
• Respectful of social etiquette variations.
• Accepting of language differences.
(6) Self-Management Competency
• Developing yourself and taking responsibility.
• Integrity and ethical conduct.
• Personal drive and resilience.
• Balancing work and life issues.
• Self-awareness and personal development
activities.
 Discussion
• What is the main job for Top Management in
operating a construction company?
• What should the Directors do daily?
• What skills do they need in maintaining the
standard and performance of the company?
 Discussion
• “Double sales in the next two years.”
(Top Managers)
• “hire two new salespeople and introduce
three new products.”
(Middle Managers)
• Execute / implement to achieve goals.
(First-line Managers)