Management is the process of directing and guiding employees to achieve the goals of the organization. Management is a process that brings together physical, financial, human and information resources in order to produce the goods or services necessary for the organization to achieve its goals.
While some authors define management as doing business through others, they say manager is a person who does business through others. Perhaps this is the shortest, simplest, and most widely agreed upon definition of management and manager.
In sole proprietorships and most family businesses, the manager and entrepreneur are often the same person. An entrepreneur is a person who establishes or becomes a partner in businesses to produce economic goods or services in order to meet the needs of others. An entrepreneur undertakes a significant risk by establishing a business. This is the risk of losing the capital invested in establishing a business in case of failure. However, in return for this risk, the entrepreneur has a higher expectation of material or moral gain than the risk. Whereas, a manager is a person who is expected to lead people by motivating them, planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and supervising in order to achieve the goals of the business on behalf of the entrepreneur or the shareholders. In other words, it is the person who manages the business on behalf of the entrepreneur. The risk of profit and loss that may arise from the activities of the manager on behalf of the entrepreneur belongs to the entrepreneur. That is, the risk is borne by the entrepreneur.
There are managers with different titles, different powers and responsibilities in businesses. If we list them according to management levels, it is possible to classify them in three levels as top managers, middle managers and lower level managers. Among the top managers of the enterprise, there are the chairman of the board of directors, the members of the board of directors, the chief executive officer and the general manager, while there are mostly department managers or regional managers at the middle level, and foremen or group leaders at the lower level. The authorities and responsibilities undertaken by these managers are quite different from each other, but complement each other.
Top Managers
In line with the mission and vision of the business, it makes long-term plans, evaluates the performance of the main departments, selects the personnel to be trained as managers, leads them and evaluates their qualifications.
Middle Level Managers
It makes medium-term plans based on the long-term plans of the top management, determines the policies of the departments, reviews the product or sales reports on a daily or weekly basis, and guides the managers working under them to solve their product, personnel or other problems.
Prepares short-term detailed business plans based on mid-range management’s mid-term plans, directs daily operations, sets specific tasks for employees, and establishes close relationships with employees. It supports the work of middle-level managers.
