ASSIGNMENT I

BW 184101 – INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

AN ESSAY ANALYSIS ON THE USE OF KATZ MANAGERIAL SKILLS IN SUPPLY-
CHAIN MANAGER.

Written By:
AUDIFA VALENIA SYAHIDA (5031211077)

Guide Lecturer :
1. Dr. oec. HSG. Syarifah Hanoum, S.T, M.T
2. Mushonnifun Faiz Sugihartanto, S.T, M.Sc. CPLM

MANAGEMENT BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF CREATIVE DESIGN AND DIGITAL BUSINESSES
INSTITUT TEKNOLOGI SEPULUH NOPEMBER
SURABAYA
Abstract: Managerial skill nowadays has been affected by so many concerning situations,
including the pandemic in itself. Although, there are certain factors why people who worked in
managerial structure are tend to survive. This all led to their ability and skills that make them
standout. Without, having a one particular skill that stand out, a person cannot work
outstandingly and an organization mission cannot be achieved quickly. Katz’s managerial skill
define how a person can be placed in the concerning area so that their organization achievement
can be maximize. This essay is made to asses, whether or not this Katz managerial skill can be
applicable to the life’s of the manager.
Keywords: Managerial skills, Katz’s managerial, pandemic

Overtime managerial work is a work that conducts learning to manage the organization, people,
and business to gain certain benefits or goals to organize the organization. .Managerial works
are defined by so many researchers. "So described, management is a universal human activity in
domestic, social and political settings, as well as in organizations” (Boddy 2017, p. 11). Some
other definitions also stated, "Management is the profession of achieving results or obtaining
results.” (Kaehler & Grundei, 2019). In managerial works, it is not only conducting theoretical
studies but also its practicality. In this contemporary era, managerial works are familiar works
that everyone knows. However, not so many people know about the reality of these works.
People did not know what kind of skills they needed and were required to hire people as a
manager. Because, managing people probably not only need leadership skills.

Working as a manager is not an easy task. Because to be a manager requires skills, and at any
level, there are special tasks more than just managing people or a company. To make it easy,
R.L Kat’z described managerial skills as an ability that should be obtained as a manager at some
levels. He explained, the key to hiring an employee is not executive traits or personality
characteristics, but more like what the executive can accomplish. Katz described a skill as the
ability e to perform some specific or specialized task that need tools. He also stated that skills
initially have these three components: (1) the existence of a domain-specific knowledge base,
(2) a method for accessing this knowledge base, and (3) the ability to enact a set of behaviors or
cognitions using the retrieved knowledge to perform the given task (Peterson & Van Fleet,
2004). From that, he proposed the three categories of skills which are technical, human, and
conceptual. The first is technical skill is the ability to use hardware or tools, i.e computer
programming. Technical skills a hard skills that are not all humans can be used. In managerial
works, technical skills consist a blessing especially for those who worked in lower managerial
works (Hysong, 2008) The reason why the manager should have technical skills is that this skill
allows them to direct or evaluate precisely about the works operations, especially for the
organization which is still at early stages (Hysong, 2008).

The next is human skills. Human skills are the works that required the ability to connect or
solve problems on people. Katz defines human skills as a skill that alongside with interaction of
people (Katz, 1970). This work required team works, conflicts, and discussion. Human skills are
the key to an organization’s success since people are the key to why organizations can operate.
“An organization's success can be attributed to its ability to hold on to people who are deemed
significant in their business operations”, (Gallardo, 2020). Because nowadays company creates
effectiveness of works by gathering teamwork. Communicating properly established a more
vibrant and calm environment of work. Human skills can be found in any kind of management
level.
The last is conceptual skills. (Peterson & Van Fleet, 2004) Conceptual skills is the ability to see
organization as a whole, meanwhile Grundei, stated that the conceptual skill are vision and
mission of an organization and an ability to concept ideas. Conceptual skill always coordinated
with the top manager or people who hold the power of a company. To test whether or not these
three categories are applicable in managerial works. It must be researched in two different ways.
The first is an interview and the second is google forms that are used to analyze the managerial
works from the interviewer itself.

My source person is Mr. Ahmad Muzaki Mufidz. He is a supply chain at PT. Pratamindo Mitra
Rezeki in Surabaya. So PT. Pratamindo is a company that is based on importing healthcare tools
and it was developed in 2006. PT. Pratamindo is focused on logistics and exchanging healthcare
tools and facilitates healthcare infrastructure such as hospitals, clinics, etc. Mr. Ahmad Muzaki
Mufidz has been working for four years in this company. However, he already can operate and
distribute products, that is why his director believes in him to takeover works as a supply-chain
manager. The supply-chain manager is a manager that worked to maintain vendors, production,
and logistics Supply-chain manager is included as the first-line manager. In Katz's typology of
skills, it has been stated that first-line managers is mostly used technical skills. Toward his
technical skills, knowing his background work environment is in an important company, Mr.
Ahmad said that his works need extra accuracy. Because important, especially healthcare tools
need to have more selective systems so that it can pass the law or regulation in Indonesia. As
supply-chain manager, he works more likely maintaining logistics, operations of products and
employees below him, and also obey to middle manager. He said that work by distributing
things might be easy in people's vision, but it is not since it also required more calculation than
the middle manager works he stated that in this work, he needs more accuracy and velocity.
Because of accuracy in his works, he needs to maintain how many numbers of products he has
sent to the customer, and velocity is also needed since delivery systems especially in healthcare
are something important. Since the healthcare environment, time management is highly strict
than the other industries, because it was a crucial industry. So, instead he like to direct and
supervise his crews works in order to achieve the company goals.He said that time management
in his jobs is highly strict “ We have to fulfill our top manager and our customer demands at the
same time, so that is why sometimes we are overworked”.He also said that sometimes he need
to trained them to logistics in some different times. That is why he stated that most of their
works are super tiring. However, he said that he can overcome his struggle because he always
has a team who is always beside him, he stated that he likes to discuss with his teammates. He
believes that by building discussion and creating a peaceful and interactive environment, the
works feel easier. He believes that we should do our job with a full heart and be happy so that it
can feel easier and we get more passionate to work with it. “We do our work happily,
sometimes we joke together so that we can make it more fun and unstressful”. In this case, Mr.
Ahmad also practices human skills, especially in building dynamic team organizations and
connecting each other members.
The use of conceptual skills is his ability to work toward marketing, He said that in this
pandemic, he needs to be visionary by watching the markets carefully. Since important needs to
required what kind of product that is needed more in the Indonesian markets, so that the
situation like loss of profits would not happen. He explained as first-line managers, eventually
his works are most likely to conduct more practically, he also needs to promote a new product
that has been imported by the company. To understand his company needs, he usually did
analysis on market area. Most of his analysis are based on the qualitative analysis by situation
and customer feedback. Especially, in this recent pandemic, he also states that it is way much
harder to define society's demands. But overall the society always demands more facilitation for
COVID-19. This affects the cycle of other products, some products demand need to be covered
since healthcare institutions prioritize the ending up of COVID-19. “Even if our products and
our work cycle are more busy and profitable in this recent times, we also experienced several
struggles, I have to promote other product so that the COVID 19 product won't be that
dominant”. He explained more another struggle in this pandemic is to be competitive with other
vendors. “Other vendors also have their way to attract their customer, so that we have to give
extra service so the customer can be loyal to us”.He stated that the extra service in his company
is included as, gift. The gift can be whatever the customer wants, for example, TV or tableware.
Although in this pandemic the company has so many calls from the customer about restocking
drugs, PCR, and other stuff, he succesfully gain potential market by promoting other product, in
example the blood defining product. He hopes that after this pandemic, their company would
likely gain more attention and can expand their branch in all places in Indonesia, since they had
been succesfully made name in some regions and have a loyal customer.

In conclusion of the skills and abilities that Mr. Ahmad used, he is used mostly technical skills
to supervise the operation of delivery, entries of product, and an employee works under the
division of delivery and supply chain. He likes maintaining things mostly, especially for the
import products.He also manages his crewmates and direct them to have more effective work
time .The supply-chain manager also needs more calculation, which Mr. Ahmad said provides a
high-level skill of accuracy. In the essay, it stated that distributing things, might need accuracy
so that the products will be achieved in the right hand, so does with the logistics. However, Mr.
Ahmad also used human skills, by communicating with his teammates by discussing or joking
with each other, to create a dynamic situation in the work environment so that it will not be
stressful. He also used a few conceptual skills, to target the markets. However, he is should
obey the director or suggest to the director if he wanted to suggest possibility customer. We can
conclude that as managers, humans can use these three types of typology. However, several
types might be dominant than the others, regarding which area they worked at. As a result, Mr.
Ahmad's technical skills probably hold at least 85% of his works, 10% human skills, and 5%
conceptual skills. So basically, Kat's typological skills are applicable in any kind of level
managerial works.Although, some significant skills are more dominant regarding the purpose of
the jobs in itself. In this modern era, these three typologies should be combined harmoniously to
create more efficient works skills to be survived in the hustle life.
 References
 Kaehler, B., & Grundei, J. (2019) The Concept of Management in Search of a New Definition.
H.R Governance A Theoretical Introduction 10(3), 9-10 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326209797_The_Concept_of_Management_In_Searc
h_of_a_New_Definition
 Hysong, S. (2006) The Role of Technical skill in Perceptions of Managerial Performance 13(4),
275-278 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235321192_The_role_of_technical_skill_in_perceptio
ns_of_managerial_performance
 Gallardo, A. (2020) The Significance of High Human Skills in the Succes of an Organization,
495-498from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339214652_Significance_of_High_Human_Skills_in_
the_Success_of_an_Organization
 Peterson, T. O., & Van Fleet, D. D. (2004). The ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz: An updated
typology of management skills. Management Decision, 42(10), 1297–1308.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740410568980
 Document:
Questionnaire For Interview:
PART I

How much of your job involves : Very Much Moderate Little Very
Much Amount Little
Defining organizational goals and deciding how best to
5 4 3 2 1
achieve them?
Arranging work to accomplish the organizational goals? 5 4 3 2 1
(iii) Motivating members of the organization to work in the best
5 4 3 2 1
interests of the organization?
(iv) Monitoring and correcting ongoing activities to facilitate
5 4 3 2 1
achieving organizational goals?

Can you provide an example of what you do for each of these functions?
Defining organizational goals and deciding how best to achieve them
To expand healthcare products and to facilitate clinics. By distributing and marketing about healthcare
products

Arranging work to accomplish the organizational goals

-Listing the product demand
-Evaluate employee below me

(iii) Motivating members of the organization to work in the best interests of the organization
If one of them are lazy I have to remind them. That our task need to be done fastly.

(iv) Monitoring and correcting ongoing activities to facilitate achieving organizational goals
Monthly evaluation, usually collecting critics and suggestion from customer and above manager.
2. How much of your job involves you using : Very Much Moderat Little Very
Much e Little
Amount
Technical skills: skills that involve technical/detail knowledge and skills
5 4 3 2 1
in a specific field?
interpersonal skills: ability to work with other people and groups? 5 4 3 2 1
Conceptual skills: The ability to think conceptually about something
5 4 3 2 1
abstract and complex situation?

Can you provide an example of what you do for each of these skills?
Technical skills: skills that involve technical/detail knowledge and skills in a specific field?
Operating tools, and calculating distribution

Interpersonal skills: ability to work with other people and groups?

Create better harmony by discussion and jokes around, make people around me comfortable

Conceptual skills: The ability to think conceptually about something abstract and complex situation?
Whenever there are sudden problem that is need efficiency we usually discussed right away to solved it. Usually a
minor problem, if its a major problem we discussed it with our boss.

In your job how much do you: Very MuchModerate Little Very

Much Amount Little
Perform routine activities of a legal or social nature? 5 4 3 2 1
Take responsibility for motivating members of the organization to work
5 4 3 2 1
in the best interests of the organization?
(iii) Maintain a self-developed network of outside contacts and informers who
5 4 3 2 1
provide information and ‘favours’?
(iv) Seek and receive a wide variety of special information to develop a
5 4 3 2 1
thorough understanding of the organization and its environment?
(v) Transmit the information you receive to members of the organization? 5 4 3 2 1
(vi) Transmit information about the organization to people outside your
5 4 3 2 1
organization?
(vii) Search the organization and its environment for new opportunities and
5 4 3 2 1
initiate action?
(viii) Take responsibility for corrective action when the organization faces
5 4 3 2 1
important or unexpected disturbances?
(ix) Take responsibility for allocating organizational resources? 5 4 3 2 1
(x) Take responsibility for representing the organization in negotiations? 5 4 3 2 1
 Can you provide an example of what you do for each of these roles?
Perform routine activities of a legal or social nature? Do socialization for some customer or ventures.
Take responsibility for motivating members of the When they are tired we usually help them to work more
organization to work in the best interests of the or remind them
organization?
(iii) Maintain a self-developed network of outside contacts Because we are importir we usually know by society
and informers who provide information and ‘favours’? demands, we sometimes contacted by some clinics if they
need more products.

(iv) Seek and receive a wide variety of special information to We have a reminder activity and monthly evaluation by
develop a thorough understanding of the organization the above departments so it is necessarily to be up to
and its environment? dated
(v) Transmit the information you receive to members of the By giving them explanation and keeps updating about
organization? their understanding so that we minimize difficulties
(vi) Transmit information about the organization to people Help marketing by giving contacts to some healthcare
outside your organization? infrastructure.
(vii) Search the organization and its environment for new We rarely did that. We only did the action if its allowed
opportunities and initiate action? by the director
(viii) Take responsibility for corrective action when the Yes if its a minor problem we usually have sudden
organization faces important or unexpected solvancy. In example if we accidentaly swapped stocks,
disturbances? we should confirmed to the teams and exchange it quickly
(ix) Take responsibility for allocating organizational Yes, by distributing our products (import products)
resources?
(x) Take responsibility for representing the organization in We rarely did that, mostly its from the head of department
negotiations? or people above us

4. In which level of management are you? (please tick one only)

Top manager
Middle Manager
First Line Manager
Job Title :Supply Chain Manager

PART II
a. Explain how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the organization where you work!
The logistics and delivery raising, however some products are covered up with covid 19
product, so the logistics is biased toward several demand.
b. Explain how your job and role as a manager (in terms of planning, organizing,
motivation/leadership, monitoring and control) are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic!
Give an example!
We are overworked since we worked at the health industry, however its been blessing for us in
term of income, I usually need to monitored my employee 2x more and need to control more of
logistics

c. If your job as a manager is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, how will you handle it?
Give a specific example of how you carry out your function as a manager during this
COVID-19 pandemic!

Get adapted by the company system, up to date about the situation and always maintain a good
communication with teammates.
 PART III: Contextual information

1. Are you:
(please tick one)
 Male
 Female

2. Is the workplace where you are currently a manager part of: (Tick one box only)
 Local/domestic organizations
 Government-owned organizations/agencies
 Multinational organization
 Local/central government-owned business organizations

3. Is the organization in which you are currently a manager in the: (Tick one box only)
 􏰀  public sector
 􏰁  private sector

4. Is the organization in which you are currently a manager in the: (Tick one box only)
 Service Sector
 Manufacturing Sector
 Non-profit Organization (NGO)

5. Is the organization in which you are currently a manager: (Tick one box only
 Micro (0–4 people)
 small (5–1 people)
 medium (20–99 people)
 large (more than100 people)
6. Is there anything else you would like to say about your job?
Every job has it own difficulty, so just appreciate all jobs and structure. And dont discriminate
other, beside we have to be more open toward environment.
Documentation