| There are probably as many definitions of management as there are books on the subject. Many of the definitions are relatively concise and simplistic. Over a century ago, Frederick Taylor defined management as knowing exactly what you want people to do and then seeing that they do it in the best acceptable way.; Management however is a complex process, one, which is perhaps best understood from a resource-based perspective. All organisations, irrespective of their size and nature, have four kinds of inputs, or resources, from their environment; human, financial, physical and information. Human resources include managerial talent and labour. Financial resources are the capital used by the organisation to finance both ongoing and long-term operations. Physical resources include raw materials, office and production facilities and equipment. Information resources are usable data needed to make effective decisions.; Managers are responsible for combining and co-ordinating these various resources to achieve the organisation's goals. But how do managers combine and co-ordinate the various kinds of resources? Do they do so by carrying out the four basic managerial functions or activities of planning and decision making, organising, leading and controlling. Furthermore do managers design their organisation structures in relation to their managerial style?; This dissertation sets out to discuss managerial work from three different perspectives. Primarily it assesses the managerial work from an ownership point of view and in doing so it assesses the difference between owner managers and non-owner managers. Secondly it looks at the managerial prerogative from a hierarchical point of view to identify the differences in managerial powers through different hierarchical structures. Thirdly it seeks to identify whether managerial work is a profession or a skill. In doing so it looks into managerial work from the eyes of the professional, technical and lay managers.; The study is concentrated among Maltese Managers working in the private service industry. |
