BASIC LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT SENIORITY

Three basic levels of managers exist. They are first-line, middle and top, who all perform the four key management functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling, but with great variations in how much of each of these tasks each level does.

First-line Managers

First-line managers or supervisors are the lowest in the management hierarchy. They are responsible for directly overseeing the work of non-managerial employees, who do the actual work of the organisation, and thus spend a lot of time leading and controlling. A lot of the planning of first-line managers is likely to be focused on a single day, week, month or a few months.

First-line managers need to possess a lot of technical competence as they have to closely monitor, advise and even give practical examples to the employees they supervise.

To have technical capacity means possessing both knowledge and practical abilities in such areas as salesmanship, accounting and machine operation.

First-line managers typically carry titles like foreman, supervisor, head-driver and office manager.

Each first-line manager reports to a middle manager and is actually directly in charge of one of normally a number ofsub-sectionssuperintended over by the middle manager. So, a first-line manager is likely to be found doing such work as supervising technicians in a workshop.

First-line managers interact a lot with other first-line managers, and middle managers, to ensure co-ordinated production of goods and services.

Middle Managers

Middle managers, who frequently are department heads, report to top management. They are the link between first-line managers and top management.

Middle managers convert broad objectives, policies and programmes created by top management to narrower, department-level goals, philosophies and activities.

Middle managers co-ordinate the work of the first-line managersworking under them.

Common titles of middle managers include marketing manager, production manager and finance manager.

Many individuals in middle management positions earlier served as first-line managers. In middle management, though, their involvement in technical activities is less.

Middle managers are instrumental in advising top management on such issues as the best goods and services to deal in and the most appropriate production methods.Staff training and development is another critical responsibility of middle managers.

Leading, organising and medium-and-short-term planning are common middle management activities. 

Top Managers

Top managers are responsible for the stewardship of the organization as a whole. They make general but far-reaching, long-term plans intended to, among other things, ensure institutional survival, create competitive advantage and grow the organisation.

Top managers normally include the board chairman, chief executive officer, president vice-president and directors of divisions. The plans, goals and policies they formulate become operational points of focus for the middle managers.

The typical work-day of a top manager hardly ends. Many matters requiring total concentration are done long after stipulated working time - and deep into the evening – at the office or at home.

Organisational success or failure ultimately rests on the heads of top management. They not only map out key directions but also find the resources for them. A large proportion of their time goes into planning.

Management levels. Bottom up: First-line management, Middle
Management and Top Management. The number of managers decreases at
each higher level

Management styles

Despite the existence of the above general hierarchy, personal style often determines exactly how a middle or top manager does their job.

Some middle managers, for example, while respecting the part played by their first-line managers, like to have as much direct communication as possible with the non-managerial staff, partly as a way of being in greater touch with reality.

Rupert Chimfwembe, 19 January, 2016.