Mintzberg’s managerial roles
Mintzberg’s managerial roles describe ten connected roles grouped into three categories. Interpersonal roles are figurehead, leader and liaison; informational roles are monitor, disseminator and spokesperson; decisional roles are entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. They describe the varied activities managers undertake, rather than ten separate jobs or a sequence followed once per day. Their relative importance varies with the role and circumstances.
Worked example
A manager meets a partner organisation as liaison, reviews performance information as monitor, shares it with staff as disseminator and reallocates the project budget as resource allocator. One working day can involve several categories.
Common mistake
There are three broad categories and ten roles. The four decisional roles are not the whole model.
Where it appears in your exams
| Qualification | Exam | Relationship | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCA | BT | Direct | September 2026–June 2027 |
| FIA | FBT | Direct | September 2026–June 2027 |