Levels of Management

Differences can be identified between these kinds of information at the various levels of the organization.

At top management level of the organization, information tends to be ill structured, ad-hoc, informal, external, uncertain, and concerned with the future.

At middle management level information is more structured, formal, internal, regular,certain and concerned with the near future.

At operational management level information is repetitive, programmable, and largely internal and has a very short time- horizon.

The purposes of information therefore changes according to the level at which it is aimed. paradoxically, the higher up organization a manager is the less he will rely on formal information, and yet still needs to be informed (at summary level) of all the organization's activities.

On the other hand, the lower the manager is in the hierarchy, the more he needs to rely on precise and up to date information for his activities; yet he only needs a very limited set of the total information for his own particular activity.

Operational Management:

Requires day to day personnel performance information, machine performance and information on material usage.

At the middle management level:

This can be combined and summarized into exception reports personnel equipment or materials above or below accepted levels and comparisons against budget.

At top management level:

Middle management information can be combined and summarized, and also perhaps at the stage projections or forecasts produced.

Types of Functional Managers

• Finance manager (Chief financial officer)
• Production manager
• Marketing manager
• Human resources manager IT Manager (Chief information officer)

Board of Directors

These are a set of individuals who are appointed by shareholders to run the business organization on their behalf. The board of directors will usually consist of executive (working) and non-executive (non-working) directors. Their functions include formulation of long term strategies, decision making, appraisal of senior managers and other similar tasks"

Managing Director (Chief Executive)

This !s the individual who is responsible for the overall operations of the business. Usually occupying a seat on the board he/she is responsible for overlooking all functional areas while at the same time communicating operational performance to the board.

Production Manager

This is the individual who is responsible for planning production runs, appraising factory staff, measuring production performance, instructing purchasing managers, improving machinery and technology, etc. His/her function requires a detail understanding of technical systems and that which is associated with the real work environment.

Finance Manager

This is the individual who is responsible for raising suitable debt and equity finance, allocating financing to other operations, investing surplus funds appropriately, overlooking the preparation of financial statements, budget preparation, etc. His/her function requires a detail understanding of financial management and probably accounting skills as well.

Marketing Manager

This is the individual who is responsible for planning promotions, advertising campaigns, making pricing and distribution decisions, brand management, labeling, etc. He/she should be a good communicator, have a broad understanding of customer views and also be able to manage their requirements effectively.

Human Resources Manager

This is the individual who is responsible for identifying labor requirement, selection, recruitment, appraisal and training of the general employees of an organization. He/she should be a good communicator, have a broad understanding of employee views and be able to negotiate and motivate most employees.

IT Manager (Chief Information Officer)

This is the individual who is responsible for managing all IS related activities within an organization. His/her functions includes;

• Formulating long term IS strategies.
• Appraising IS systems.
• Selecting, recruiting and training IS staff.
• Servicing the information requirement of all aspects of the organization (most important)
• Ensuring timely upgrade of hardware and software systems.
• Training general staff in using IS facilities.
• Overlooking organizational computer and communication systems.
• Making recommendations on IS related activities to the board of directors