Skills and Levels of Management

3.1 Katz's Three Managerial Skills (1955)

Robert L. Katz identified three categories of skills essential for managers:

Skill	Definition	Most Important At
Technical	Proficiency in a specific activity — knowledge of methods, processes, techniques	Lower level managers (foremen, supervisors)
Human/Interpersonal	Ability to work effectively with others — motivate, communicate, lead, resolve conflicts	All levels equally
Conceptual	Ability to see the enterprise as a whole — understand how parts fit together, anticipate change	Top-level management

Implication for training: Lower-level managers need technical training; upper-level managers need broad exposure, strategic thinking, and environmental scanning.

3.2 Three Levels of Management

Top Management
(Board of Directors, CEO, Managing Director, VP)
- Strategic planning and policy formulation
- Long-term decisions (5–10 years)
- External environmental scanning

Middle Management
(Divisional Managers, Department Heads, General Managers)
- Interpret and implement top management policies
- Coordinate different departments
- Bridge between top and lower levels

Lower/First-Line/Operational Management
(Supervisors, Foremen, Team Leaders, Section Officers)
- Direct supervision of workers/employees
- Day-to-day operations management
- Implement operational plans

3.3 Managerial Roles (Mintzberg, 1973)

Henry Mintzberg identified 10 managerial roles in 3 categories:

Category	Roles
Interpersonal	Figurehead, Leader, Liaison
Informational	Monitor, Disseminator, Spokesperson
Decisional	Entrepreneur, Disturbance Handler, Resource Allocator, Negotiator

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