The roles of people at different levels of the organisation OCR Diploma

 In most organisations there varying levels of management – all with different roles and responsibilities.  Some aspects of management are common to all managers.

Hierarchies  Organisations which have many levels are known as hierarchies.  They are likely to be quite large organisations eg the local authority or hospital.  Havering college also has several levels in their management structure.

Hierarchies in business  A hierarchical structure can be shown as a pyramid shape, simply because there is usually one person at the top and far more at each lower level.  The titles allocated to each will vary.  Page 224

 At college  Principal  Deputy principal  Vice principal  Directors  Area Heads  Curriculum Managers/Advanced Practitioners

Why have a hierarchy?  As an organisation grows and develops, and more people are employed, then it becomes impossible for one manager to control everyone for whom he or she is responsible. In management terms, this is called  SPAN OF CONTROL  If the span becomes too wide, then the manager cannot cope.

In a large business  In a large organisation, rules, policies and procedures apply.  There will be separate departments to carry out the various functions involved in running a business organisation  Accounts, Production, Advertising, HR,  Admin, IT

Main features of a hierarchy  The organisation will have a tall structure with several levels.  There will be more than one level of manager, sometimes several.  Managers will have a relatively narrow span of control.  Jobs will carried out by specialised staff.

 Staff will be allocated to a specific area – functional area, division or department.  The business operates on a more formal basis.  There will be more rules and regulations to ensure everyone is treated fairly and legal responsibilities are met.  More systems and procedures.

Flat structures  Can have 2 or 3 levels but …  A business with a flat structure is likely to  Be relatively small  Operate informally  Have good communications  be good at responding quickly to new ideas or specific customer requests.  Be flexible

Small businesses  In a small business, individual staff may just ask their manager if they  want the day off  Want to leave early  Want to swap hours for the day etc  You may be involved with receiving visitors, ordering stationery, sending out invoices as well as general admin duties.

Top of the tree  All organisations have someone at the very top.  The traditional title is Managing Director.  An alternative title is Chief Executive.  The term ‘managing director’ comes from the joint role of managing the company and being a member of the board of directors.

Managing director  Planning and supervising long term aims and short-term targets.  Eg strategic plans, corporate objectives.  Acting as a link between Board of Directors and governing body or Chairman (up).  Acting as a link between Board of Directors and organisation as a whole (down).

 Checking achievement of strategic plans and corporate objectives.  Monitoring the financial contribution of departments.

Board of directors  Deciding on the mission of the business.  Agreeing strategic plans and corporate objectives.  Ensuring sufficient financial resources.  Monitoring financial stability of business.  Agreeing how profits should be distributed to shareholders.

 Ensuring the company operates within the law.  Monitoring overall results.

Levels of management  Senior managers  eg director, divisional manager, regional manager or department head. Havering Director.  Set long-term plans covering the whole organisation - up to 5 years

Middle managers  Job titles eg deputy manager or branch manager. Havering – Area Head  Involved in planning for own area or department – 1-3 years.

Supervisors and Team Leaders  First level management. Titles include – supervisor, section leader or team leader. Havering – Curriculum Manager.  Involved in achieving current plans – up to one year and the day-to-day operations.