In a company, there are different levels at which employees function. Different levels of management are created for the effective and efficient functioning of the company. The topic is- Associate Manager Vs Manager.
Management is universally necessary for all organizations no matter what an organizational structure is. Management is the force that holds everything in a business enterprise together and that sets everything in motion. To maintain cooperative working in any organization, an agency called management is required. This agency comprises managers which is the reason why the activities of management are collectively called management.
Managers make decisions on who will do what, once they will roll in the hay and what resources they’re going to use. It is the responsibility of managers to make sure that the success of an organization is solely based upon the effective utilization of human and other resources to achieve organizational objectives. The manager lays down the goals of his group and directs the activities of the group members for effective utilization of materials, machines, technology, capital, etc. for the achievement of organizational goals.
Every organization needs different heads who can manage and coordinate the employees belonging to that particular group. This is the reason why different levels of hierarchy are created. Every leader belonging to every hierarchy manages the work which falls under his category.
But having the same number and type of hierarchical order is not necessary as it can vary from organization to organization. In general, we call them hierarchical management. It is a form of structure in which authorities are allotted as per roles and ranks which further take care of employees working under them and also being accountable to their supervisors.
In general, most organizations have three levels of management- top-level management, middle-level management, and lower-level management. A person who controls the functioning, organizing, implementation, and execution of the various departments in a company is known as a manager. A manager is the one who does all the planning necessary for the functioning of the organization.
Just like there are different departments in an organization respective of their functions and workload, there are also managers for every department at the management levels. The duties and responsibilities of every manager working at different levels vary as per the size, culture, industry, and stage of development of the company.
There are different types of managers depending upon the management and its levels. Here, is a detailed comparison of two types of managers which are generally considered as one but they do differ a lot.
Manager vs Associate Manager
- Manager
As discussed above, there are different levels of management- upper management, middle management, and lower-level management. Every level comprises some or the other type of jobs that the employee performs. A person who ensures the stable functioning of the organization and also supervises the people working under him is known as a manager.
There are three levels under which the job of a manager is classified-
- Top Managers – People who work in this department ensure a plan of action and blueprint of the functions which the company has to follow.
- Functional Managers – functional managers make sure that the company works efficiently and so do different departments of the company like human resources, marketing, etc.
- Supervisory Managers – Coordinating with the sublevels of the organization, team members, or the supervisory managers make sure that every part of the company
- Line Managers – This line of managers ensures that the real outcome of the company in terms of products or services is up to the mark.
Managers have five main functions to perform in the favor of the company–
- Planning– this is the primary function performed by the managers in the process of management. It includes laying out a specific objective or goal which is to be achieved. When a plan is successfully laid out, the manager can convey and spread the goals to be accomplished through the specific plan
- Organizing– This function comes after planning which allows the manager of different departments to categorize what activities and resources are required to complete the plan. It also involves assigning respective work to the employees
- Staffing– this function requires the managers to allot duties and tasks to the employees by enlisting, choosing, training, and various other methods. Managers for the human resource department work in this field to make sure that there is maximum utilization of the workforce
- Directing– After a manager is completely equipped with all elements required for proper functioning, the manager ensures the execution of a plan. The carrying out of the plan is achieved by directing people towards the tasks and making sure that everything is following the plan.
- Controlling– This is the last step and the function performed by managers is the function of controlling which ensures that all the goals are achieved or if any corrective actions are to be taken for any defective outcome.
- Associate Manager
An associate manager is a sub role that falls under the different levels of management and the category of manager. It is a position slightly lower than that of a manager. A Manager is a broader term that includes all the types of managers like marketing manager, sales manager, human resource manager, and many more. An associate manager is a few tiers below the position of a manager in the levels of management. An associate manager works under the supervision of a manager.
These managers work for the company by overseeing all the tasks performed by various departments and according to the requirement, they also appoint new staff and give them proper training required for a particular post or job.
The Associate Managers have a good understanding of how to motivate the team members and to keep a healthy working environment. They also act as a communication cord between their supervisor and the employees of their particular group. The post of an associate job is indeed a challenging one and requires patience. Associate managers generally deal in the clerical affair and recruit new staff as per the need. It also provides the new employees with ample training and makes them eligible for the post.
Functions of an Associate manager–
- An associate manager commands his subordinates and ensures effective and efficient working of the allotted task.
- An associate manager has to organize and sort the performance of the people working under him and also give the proper report of the work being done to his supervisor. The associate managers are accountable to the company for any activity that is taking place under their guidance.
- An associate manager recruits people and trains them to the best of their ability. It is the job of an associate manager to select the best from the lot and appoint the new worker for a specific role.
- Since the associate manager works to ensure proper training and guidance, it is also responsible for the need of his subordinates and thus makes certain that all the problems and queries are solved at once.
- Another duty that comes along with the position of an associate manager is to promote and confirm the timely growth of the department of an associate manager. This will further enhance the functioning of the company as a whole.
