[Solution] Types of Managers
Created at:
Author: Sarah Bennett
Managers are generally classified by their level in the organization and by the area of their work.
Managers by Level and Area
Managers by Level
Managers can be grouped broadly by level:
- Top managers are the executives who manage the overall organization. Example job titles are chief executive officer (CEO), chief experience officer (CXO), and chief strategy officer (CSO).
- Middle managers implement the policies and plans of top managers and supervise lower-level managers. Example job titles are director, manager, and product owner.
- First-line managers supervise operating employees. Example job titles are supervisor, coordinator, and lead.
Managers by Area
In midsized and large organizations, managers usually work in a particular field, specializing in an area of management. Here are some examples:
- Marketing managers are responsible for getting customers or clients to use the organization's products or services. They lead activities such as market research, website traffic analysis, and new product discovery.
- Financial managers are responsible for the organization's financial resources. They lead activities such as accounting and investing.
- Operations managers are responsible for the systems that generate the organization's products and services. They lead activities such as production, inventory, and quality.
- Human resource managers are responsible for the people in the organization. They lead activities such as hiring and training employees, managing employee performance, and rewarding employees with pay and benefits.
Select the term that best completes the following sentence.
The chief impact officer, who is responsible for transforming the organization by developing strategy, is most likely a .
View Explanation
Because this position deals with formulating strategy and has a large impact on the entire organization, it is a top manager position. Another indicator of the position's high level is the title: the words chief and officer often indicate a senior leadership role. The person in this job may directly or indirectly supervise middle managers who carry out the plans to transform the organization.
Below are brief excerpts from several management job descriptions. Imagine that you are hiring for each of the management positions described. You would like to include specific language in each job description that will help well-qualified candidates find the job posting that is the best fit for their area of expertise.
Complete the table by filling in the type of manager that matches the description.
This position has primary responsibility for workforce planning, including hiring and developing the talent the company needs to be competitive.
The successful candidate will have several years of experience managing the sales of products both on digital platforms and in brick-and-mortar stores.
This position requires you to have previous experience managing an organization's cash reserves to earn a high yield.
View Explanation
Because this job is responsible for workforce planning, hiring, and employee development, it is a human resource (HR) manager job. HR managers work in a variety of ways to manage the organization's people.
Because this job is responsible for managing the sales of products, it is a marketing manager job. Marketing managers work in a variety of ways to get more customers to purchase the organization's product or service.
Because this job is responsible for managing cash reserves, it is a financial manager job. Financial managers work in a variety of ways to manage the organization's financial resources.
