Management Levels

Each organization can be represented as 1) … or a pyramid. Each story corresponds to one of the three general levels of management: top managers; middle managers; and first-line managers. At the basic level of this pyramid there are operating employees.

A top manageris an upper –level executive who guides and 2) …. Tор managers constitute a small group. They are generally responsible for the organization's planning and developing its mission. They also 3) …. It takes years of hard work as well as talent and good luck, to reach the ranks of top managers. They are president, vice president, chief execu­tive officer, and member of the Board.

A middle manageris a manager who 4) … handed down from the top level of the organization. Middle managers 5) …, and they coordinate and supervise the activities of first-line managers. Titles at the middle-manage­ment level include division manager, department head, plant manager, and operations manager.

A first-line manageris a manager who 6) … of operating employees. First-line managers spend most of their time working with employees, answering questions, and solving day-to-day problems. Most first-line man­agers are 7) … who, owing to their hard work and potential, were promoted into management. Many of today's middle and top managers began their careers on this first management level. Common titles for first-line managers include office manager, supervisor, foreman and project manager.

Operating employees are not managers. They are qualified and non-qualified persons working for the organization. For their labour or services they get salaries or wages. They 8) … of the organization.

c) Read the text again and answer the questions that follow (1-5):

1. What are the levels of management?

2. What are the common titles associated with top management?

3. What are common titles associated with middle manage­ment?

4. What are the common titles associated with first-line management?

5. Who is at the bottom of the management level?

4. Suggest the Russian equivalents:

to get salaries for the labour or services; a three-story structure; to constitute a small group; to supervise the activities; to spend most of the time; to get wages; to solve day-to-day problems; titles for first-line managers; develop tactical plans; to represent the work force; an upper-level executive; to be promoted into management; to reach the ranks of top managers; qualified and non-qualified persons; to be handed down from the top level of the orga­nization; to de­termine the firm's strategy and its major policies; to spend most of the time working with employees.