Let’s begin by briefly defining the terms manager and organization—the place
where managers work. Then let’s look at the manager’s job; specifically, what
do managers do?
Managers get things done through other people. They make decisions,
allocate resources, and direct the activities of others to attain goals. Managers
do their work in an organization, which is a consciously coordinated social
unit, composed of two or more people, that functions on a relatively continuous
basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. By this definition, manufacturing
and service firms are organizations, and so are schools, hospitals,
churches, military units, retail stores, police departments, and local, state,
and federal government agencies. The people who oversee the activities of