The manager and the concept of management fit for the knowledge age
Right after World War II, a manager was defined as 'someone who takes responsibility for the work their subordinates carry out.' In other words, a manager was a boss, and to manage was to exercise position and power. This is still the definition most people have in mind when they talk about managers or management.
But in the early 1950s, the definition of a manager shifted to 'a person who takes responsibility for the performance of other people'... (p.22)
Management and manager. Terms not so old, that appeared alongside the rise of large corporations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These days, management has become a concept that is important not only for profit-seeking companies, but for all organizations and individuals.
To manage something properly, it is important to have a correct definition of what a 'manager' is. The idea of the manager has changed with the times.
Right after World War II, a manager was thought of as 'someone who takes responsibility for the work their subordinates carry out.' The emphasis sat on 'subordinates' and 'work.' It was the idea of someone who, as a boss, exercises their position and power.
Then in the early 1950s, the manager was considered 'a person who takes responsibility for the performance of other people.' This definition is focused on 'performance.'
Once we entered the knowledge society, the manager is defined as 'responsible for the application and performance of knowledge.' That is, today's management is 'the process of concretizing knowledge into action.' Related to this, Peter Drucker defined the manager as 'someone who, with their own knowledge and judgment, tries to achieve their own or their organization's purpose.'
It might be worth checking whether I now clearly recognize a concept of management that fits the knowledge age.
▶ Yeh Byung-il's Economic Notes — Twitter: @yehbyungil / Facebook: www.facebook.com/yehbyungil
