In the late 1960s, Henry Mintzberg, a graduate student at MIT, on the basis of his observations, concluded that managers perform 10 different, highly interrelated roles-or sets of behaviors-attributable to their jobs.

1. Figurehead Symbolic head; required to perform a number of routine duties of a legal or social nature

2. Leader Responsible for the motivation and direction of employees

3. Liaison Maintains a network of outside contacts who provide favors and information

4. Monitor Receives wide variety of information; serves as nerve center of internal and external information of the organization

5. Disseminator Transmits information received from outsiders or from other employees to menbers of the organiazation

6. Spokesperson Transmits information t outsiders on organization's plans, policies, actions, and results; serves as expert on organization's industry

7. Entrepreneur Searches organization and its environment for opportunities and initiates projects to bring about change

8. Disturbance handler Responsible for corrective action when organization faces important, unexpected disturbances

9. Resource allocator Makes or approves significant organizational decisions

10. Negatiator Responsible for representing the organization at major negotiations

These roles can be grouped as being primarily (1)interpersonal(Figurehead, Leader, Liaison), (2)informational(Monitor, Disseminator, Spokesperson), (3)decisional(Entrepreneur, Disturbance handler, Resource allocator, Negotiator)