What Is a Manager

A number of different terms are used for “manager”, including “director”, “administrator” and “president”. The term “manager” is used more frequently in profit-making organizations, while the others are used more widely in government and non-profit organizations such as universities, hospitals and social work agencies.

What, then, is a manager?

When used collectively the term ''management" refers to those people who are responsible for making and carrying out decisions within the system.

An individual manager is a person who directly supervises people in an organization.

Some basic characteristics seem to apply to managers in all types of organizations. They include hard work on a variety of activities, preference for active tasks, direct personal relationships.

Almost everything a manager does involves decisions. The reason for making a decision is that a problem exists. In decision-making there is always some uncertainty and risk.

Managing is a hard job. There is a lot to be done and relatively little time to do it. The engineer can finish a design on a particular day, and the lawyer can win or lose a case at a certain time. But the manager's job is like "Old Man River" - it just keeps going.

Economics