1.2 Administrative Levels and Skills

Quoted from the Stoner Administration book, we have the following: "Henri Fayol, famous theorist of Administration, identified three types of basic skills related to the performance of Managers at different levels: technical, humanistic and conceptual. It should be noted that every Manager needs to have all three. Technical ability is adeptness to use the procedures, techniques and knowledge of a specialized field. Humanistic ability is the adeptness to work with, understand and motivate others, either individually or in groups. Conceptual ability is the expertise to coordinate and integrate all activities and interests of an Organization. This implies understanding the Organization as a whole, understanding how one of its parts depends on others and anticipating how a change in one of the parts will affect the whole. "

Fayol and Katz suggest that, "Although the three skills are essential for a Manager, their relative importance will depend, above all, on the rank of the Manager in the Organization. Technical ability is more important at lower levels. Humanistic ability, although Important for managers at all levels, it is paramount for middle managers; their ability to awaken technical skills in their subordinates is more important than their personal technical efficiency. Finally, the importance of conceptual ability increases as one moves up the strata of an Administrative system. It is very important that the upper and higher levels understand the range of relationships and the place of the Organization in time. It is at these levels that the Administrator must have a clear understanding of the general overview. "

Also quoted from Stoner, "The Functional Manager is only responsible for one area, for example, production, marketing, or finance. And the General Manager runs a complex unit, for example, a company, a subsidiary, or an operations division. This manager is responsible for all the activities of that unit, for example, its production, marketing and finances. "

Finally, it is important to remember that everyone in a business decision-making position must apply planning, organization, coordination, direction and control to lead the organization to achieve its objectives.

2021, September