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Finding a job 10 Managerial Roles According to Mintzberg

10 Managerial Roles According to

Mintzberg
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated March 5, 2021
Published January 5, 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and
subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help
guide your career journey.

When you take on a managerial position, you take on a variety of roles. Not only do you
manage people, but you also oversee the processes, relationships and resources that
ensure work runs smoothly. Through his research on managers, business and
management expert Henry Mintzberg was able to divide those diverse responsibilities
into 10 roles within three categories. In this article, we define and list the managerial
roles developed in the Mintzberg theory and demonstrate what they look like in the
workplace.

Related: What Are the Responsibilities of a Manager?

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What is a managerial role?

As a manager, you hold a position that requires you to perform and handle a variety of
responsibilities regularly. While all these tasks fall under management duties, they can
fall into specific categories based on their purposes.

To simplify the complexities of management positions, Mintzberg, an academic and

author focused on business and management practices, developed 10 managerial roles
that he divided into three categories. The categories of the Mintzberg theory are:

Interpersonal roles: This category covers behaviors and responsibilities related to

interactions with employees and other stakeholders. Through these interactions, the
manager can achieve organizational goals. The managerial roles included in this
category are figurehead, leader and liaison.

Informational roles: This category represents situations when a manager generates,

receives or shares knowledge with employees and higher-level colleagues to
accomplish objectives. The managerial roles included in this category are monitor,
disseminator and spokesperson.

Decisional roles: This category describes a manager's responsibility to use the

information they gain to form business and strategic decisions. The managerial roles
included in this category are entrepreneur, disturbance-handler, resource-allocator and
negotiator.

Related: Management Skills: Definition and Examples

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Mintzberg's 10 managerial roles

The following defines and provides examples of the different roles managers hold in the
workplace, according to Mintzberg:

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Figurehead
This role refers to your responsibility as a manager to perform tasks related to social,
symbolic or legal matters. In these situations, you are not making decisions but serving
as a representative of the organization. As a figurehead, you also aim to inspire your
team to complete goals and tasks.

An example of responsibility in the figurehead role is when you attend a social lunch or
event with a client. You are there to promote your company or team and project a
positive, professional image.

Leader
The leader managerial role refers to your duty as a manager to oversee the performance
of your staff. Overall, you aim to manage the team and the responsibilities of each
member to ensure you reach objectives effectively. Some of your duties in this role
include providing guidance, developing and motivating staff and performing evaluations.

For example, your team may have a specific sales goal it aims to reach one month. As a
leader, you would communicate your expectations to team members and ensure they
understand them. Throughout the month, you would check in with them regularly to
monitor their progress and may provide resources or delegate tasks as needed to help
them achieve the goal.

Liaison
In the liaison role, you create and maintain internal and external relationships. You serve
as a connection between different groups of people to ensure work runs smoothly. As a
liaison, you can transfer knowledge or information to members across your
organization's chain of command or communicate between stakeholders and employees
to ensure projects remain on task. In some situations, you may bring members of your
external network into the company to help achieve organizational goals more efficiently.

For example, as a manager, you would communicate regularly with your employees but
also interact with your clients. In your client conversations, you can gain insights on what
their needs are, then relay that information to your employees. Now that they have an
understanding of the client's expectations, you can ensure that they work to fulfill those
needs and deliver a successful result.

Related: The Importance of Networking in Business (Tips Included)

Monitor
In the monitor role, you seek information related to your organization, such as

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potentially impactful industry changes. Your research includes both internal and external
sources. Once you gather all the relevant information, you will analyze it to identify and
solve potential problems. Monitoring responsibilities also include assessing the current
operations of the organization and identifying potential opportunities for improvement.

For example, you may use customer feedback to determine how you can improve your
existing product line. You also need to monitor industry trends, such as products
launched by competitors and regulatory changes that your company may need to follow.
When you understand what is occurring in your industry, it ensures your company meets
business standards and remains competitive.

Disseminator
As a disseminator, you receive messages from internal and external sources that you
convey to the appropriate individuals. You can transmit this information in both verbal
and written formats. Usually, this situation refers to valuable or otherwise important
information that will benefit your organization or provides guidance on tasks your
employees need to complete.

For example, after researching industry trends, you may have developed a proposal for a
new product design. You would then submit this proposal to upper management for
approval and also provide it to your employees. Providing the proposal to your
employees allows them to familiarize themselves with the project and enables you to
determine how to delegate tasks.

Spokesperson
In the spokesperson role, you represent your organization and convey information, such
as goals or policies, to external stakeholders. If you work within a large organization, you
may need to serve as the spokesperson of your team and represent it during internal
meetings or events. In this situation, you may need to provide insights related to your
team's performance and goals to upper management or other departments.

For example, your spokesperson's responsibilities may require you to attend the annual
shareholder's meeting. At this meeting, you may inform the attendees about the
quantifiable results or achievements your team achieved that year, such as sales
numbers. You may also discuss the strategic business goals you aim to achieve within
the next year.
Career Guide
Entrepreneur
The entrepreneur role involves responsibilities related to organizing and running
business processes. These responsibilities may include solving problems and developing
and implementing new ideas or strategies. As an entrepreneur, your ideas or decisions
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often promote innovative solutions that move the organization forward. If you notice
slow sales on one of your organization's key offerings, for example, you may decide to
develop a new marketing strategy using social media to solve the issue.

Disturbance handler
When your organization or team faces unexpected challenges, you take the role of a
disturbance handler to help manage the issue. These challenges can be both external or
internal—whether a client backs out of a contract or you discover a conflict between
colleagues. In these situations, your employees will expect you to take charge to solve
the issue and maintain productivity.

For example, managers often receive training in conflict resolution skills. If a conflict
arises between two members of your team, you must handle the situation objectively
while ensuring to collaborate on a solution that benefits all parties. You often must act
quickly to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly and receive as little
interruption as possible.

Resource allocator
In the resource allocator role, you are responsible for managing and distributing
resources. You make the decisions on how those materials will best be used or applied
throughout the organization or team. These resources will vary, from funding to
equipment to staff members. For example, if you control the organization's budget, you
will determine how to divide funding amongst your departments based on their needs
or goals.

Negotiator
In the negotiator role, you participate in or direct negotiation situations. These
negotiations may occur with external parties, where you will represent the interests of
your organization. You may also host negotiations with internal parties, such as other
departments or your team members. Successful negotiations will require you to gain
buy-in by appealing to the interests and needs of the other party.

For example, you may enter a negotiation with an employee over their salary. If you
cannot meet their monetary request, you may negotiate a lower number but provide
additional benefits such as more vacation days to make the offer more attractive.

Related: Negotiation Skills: Definition and Examples

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