Mintzberg – ten roles of managers

Henry Mintzberg is a management theorist and researcher who identified ten roles that managers play in organizations. These roles can be grouped into three categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional.

The interpersonal roles include:

• Figurehead: The manager serves as a symbol of authority and represents the organization to external stakeholders.
• Leader: The manager is responsible for motivating and directing employees to achieve organizational goals.
• Liaison: The manager communicates and builds relationships with people inside and outside the organization.

The informational roles include:

• Monitor: The manager gathers and analyzes information from inside and outside the organization.
• Disseminator: The manager communicates information to others within the organization.
• Spokesperson: The manager communicates information about the organization to external stakeholders.

The decisional roles include:

• Entrepreneur: The manager seeks out new opportunities and takes risks to promote change within the organization.
• Disturbance handler: The manager resolves conflicts and handles crises.
• Resource allocator: The manager makes decisions about the allocation of resources within the organization.
• Negotiator: The manager negotiates with people inside and outside the organization.

Mintzberg’s ten roles of management describe the various roles and responsibilities that managers may have within an organization. Understanding these roles can help managers to better understand their responsibilities and how to effectively fulfill them.