Informational Roles

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The role of a manager is a set of behaviors that are associated with the task of managing. Using these roles, managers accomplish the basic functions of management just discussed: planning and strategizing, organizing, controlling, and leading and developing employees. Mintzberg was one of the first and most enduring writers to describe the role of the manager. He observed what managers did during the day by shadowing them. He grouped the roles into three categories: interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles.To accomplish objectives, managers use this category for generating, receiving, or sharing knowledge with employees and colleagues at higher levels. Managers become sources of information concerning a variety of organizational issues due to their interpersonal contacts. As a manager, you perform the following three roles in information processing:

Monitor

As a manager, you must constantly scan your environment for information, interact with your liaison contacts and subordinates, and receive unsolicited information from a variety of sources.In this role, you look for relevant changes in the environment by regularly finding information about your organization and industry. In addition to monitoring their productivity, you should also monitor their health.
Managers constantly monitor and scan the environment, both internal and external, collecting and studying information about their organization and the outside environment that affects it. Several methods can be used to do this, including reading reports and periodicals, contacting liaison contacts, and hearing gossip, hearsay, and speculation.
As a monitor, you are responsible for discovering information about your organization, such as potentially impactful industry changes. You conduct both internal and external research. The next step is to analyze the information gathered to identify and resolve any potential issues. Besides monitoring the organization’s operations, monitoring responsibilities include identifying opportunities for improvement.
Example: To improve your existing product line, you can use customer feedback. As well as monitoring industry trends, your company needs to keep track of products launched by competitors and regulatory changes it may have to follow. Understanding what is happening in your industry helps you stay competitive and meet business standards.

Disseminator

Managers who disseminate information pass some of their privileged information to subordinates who otherwise would not have access to it. Here you can communicate potentially useful information to your colleagues and your team.
Managers should communicate information regarding changes in policies or other matters to their subordinates, their peers, and other members of the organization. Memoranda, telephone calls, individual meetings, and group meetings can be used for this purpose.
A disseminator receives messages from internal and external sources, which he or she relays to the appropriate individuals. These messages can be transmitted both verbally and in writing. The information here is usually valuable or otherwise important to your organization or may provide guidance on tasks your employees need to complete.
Example: You may have developed a design proposal for a new product after researching industry trends. This proposal would then be presented to upper management for approval and distributed to your employees as well. This allows your employees to familiarize themselves with the project, and you can assign tasks accordingly.

Spokesman

Managers are responsible for providing information and satisfying a variety of groups and individuals within the organization. He advises shareholders on financial results, reassures consumers about the company’s social responsibilities, and assures the government that the organization is following the law.
Organizations are represented by their managers. This role requires you to communicate information about your organization and its goals to people outside your organization. Managers should act as representatives of their units in terms of either communicating relevant information to people outside their units or making demands on their behalf. Whether it be the company’s president addressing a lobby to advocate for an organization’s cause or an engineer suggesting a product modification to a supplier.
The spokesperson is responsible for representing the organization in front of external stakeholders and conveying information, such as goals and policies. It is possible that you will need to represent your team during internal meetings and events if you work for a large corporation. It may be necessary in this situation for you to provide insight into your team’s performance and goals to upper management or other departments.
Example: Attending the annual shareholder’s meeting may be part of your responsibilities as spokesperson. During this meeting, you can talk about quantifiable results or achievements your team achieved that year, such as sales results. In addition, you may discuss the strategic goals that you hope to attain within the next year.

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Smirti

(Founder of Management Notes)
MBA,BBA.

I am Smirti Bam, an enthusiastic edu blogger with a passion for sharing insights into the dynamic world of business and management through this website.

I hold a MBA degree from Presidential Business School, Kathmandu, and a BBA degree with a specialization in Finance from Apex College,

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Informational Roles – Types of Managerial Roles | Principles of Management