Entry-level positions in change management are more common than you may think. Change management is a field that focuses on helping organizations make their processes more efficient and improve communication between stakeholders, which means there are a lot of opportunities for people who want to get into the field.
Here are some of the most common entry-level jobs in change management:
Change Management Analyst: This job involves analyzing current processes within an organization and improving them to make them more efficient. Change Management Analysts typically work with teams from different departments to help implement new or revised processes.
Project Manager: Project Managers manage projects, which can include managing other employees working on the project or managing IT systems used by employees working on the project. They also oversee budgeting and scheduling for projects, as well as assessing risks involved with implementing new or revised processes.
Technical Writer: Technical Writers write documentation for IT systems used by employees within an organization to help them use those systems effectively. Technical Writers often work closely with Product Managers and Developers on documentation because they understand what these roles need from their end users’ perspective and can provide feedback on how best to communicate information clearly while still maintaining technical accuracy.
Change Management Entry Level Jobs
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a non-profit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities of setting the strategy of an organization and coordinating the efforts of its employees (or of volunteers) to accomplish its objectives through the application of available resources, such as financial, natural, technological, and human resources. “Run the business”[1] and “Change the business” are two concepts that are used in management to differentiate between the continued delivery of goods or services and adapting of goods or services to meet the changing needs of customers – see trend. The term “management” may also refer to those people who manage an organization—managers.
Some people study management at colleges or universities; major degrees in management includes the Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA.), Master of Business Administration (MBA.), Master in Management (MSM or MIM) and, for the public sector, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. Individuals who aim to become management specialists or experts, management researchers, or professors may complete the Doctor of Management (DM), the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), or the Ph.D. in Business Administration or Management. In the past few decades, there has been a movement for evidence-based management.[2]
Larger organizations generally have three hierarchical levels of managers,[3] in a pyramid structure:
Senior managers such as members of a board of directors and a chief executive officer (CEO) or a president of an organization sets the strategic goals of the organization and make decisions on how the overall organization will operate. Senior managers are generally executive-level professionals who provide direction to middle management, and directly or indirectly report to them.
Middle managers such as branch managers, regional managers, department managers, and section managers, who provide direction to the front-line managers. They communicate the strategic goals of senior management to the front-line managers.
Line managers such as supervisors and front-line team leaders, oversee the work of regular employees (or volunteers, in some voluntary organizations) and provide direction on their work. Line managers often perform the traditional functions of management. They are usually considered part of the workforce and not a proper part of the organization’s management.
In smaller organizations, a manager may have a much wider scope and may perform several roles or even all of the roles commonly observed in a large organization.
Social scientists study management as an academic discipline, investigating areas such as social organization, organizational adaptation, and organizational leadership.[4]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Definitions
2.1 Theoretical scope
3 Levels
3.1 Top management
3.2 Middle management
3.3 Line management
4 Training
4.1 Requirement
4.2 Undergraduate
4.3 Graduate
4.4 Good practices
4.4.1 Evidence-based management
5 History
5.1 Early writing
5.2 19th century
5.3 20th century
5.4 21st century
6 Nature of work
7 Topics
7.1 Basics
7.2 Basic roles
7.3 Skills
7.4 Implementation of policies and strategies
8 Policies and strategies in the planning process
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Etymology
The English verb “manage” has its roots by the XV century French verb ‘mesnager’, which often referred in equestrian language “to hold in hand the reins of a horse”.[5] Also the Italian term maneggiare (to handle, especially tools or a horse) is possible. In Spanish, manejar can also mean to rule the horses.[6] These three terms derive from the two Latin words manus (hand) and agere (to act).
The French word for housekeeping, ménagerie, derived from ménager (“to keep house”; compare ménage for “household”), also encompasses taking care of domestic animals. Ménagerie is the French translation of Xenophon’s famous book Oeconomicus[7] (Greek: Οἰκονομικός) on household matters and husbandry. The French word mesnagement (or ménagement) influenced the semantic development of the English word management in the 17th and 18th centuries.[8]
Definitions
Views on the definition and scope of management include:
Henri Fayol (1841–1925) stated: “to manage is to forecast and to plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to control.”[9]
Fredmund Malik (1944– ) defines management as “the transformation of resources into utility”.[10]
Management is included[by whom?] as one of the factors of production – along with machines, materials and money.
Ghislain Deslandes defines management as “a vulnerable force, under pressure to achieve results and endowed with the triple power of constraint, imitation and imagination, operating on subjective, interpersonal, institutional and environmental levels”.[11]
Peter Drucker (1909–2005) saw the basic task of management as twofold: marketing and innovation. Nevertheless, innovation is also linked to marketing (product innovation is a central strategic marketing issue).[citation needed] Drucker identifies marketing as a key essence for business success, but management and marketing are generally understood[by whom?] as two different branches of business administration knowledge.
Theoretical scope
Management involves identifying the mission, objective, procedures, rules and manipulation[12]of the human capital of an enterprise to contribute to the success of the enterprise.[13] Scholars have focused on the management of individual,[14] organizational,[15] and inter-organizational relationships. This implies effective communication: an enterprise environment (as opposed to a physical or mechanical mechanism) implies human motivation and implies some sort of successful progress or system outcome.[16] As such, management is not the manipulation of a mechanism (machine or automated program), not the herding of animals, and can occur either in a legal or in an illegal enterprise or environment. From an individual’s perspective, management does not need to be seen solely from an enterprise point of view, because management is an essential[quantify] function in improving one’s life and relationships.[17] Management is therefore everywhere[18] and it has a wider range of application.[clarification needed] Communication and a positive endeavor are two main aspects of it either through enterprise or through independent pursuit.[citation needed] Plans, measurements, motivational psychological tools, goals, and economic measures (profit, etc.) may or may not be necessary components for there to be management. At first, one views management functionally, such as measuring quantity, adjusting plans, and meeting goals[citation needed], but this applies even in situations where planning does not take place. From this perspective, Henri Fayol (1841–1925)[19][page needed]considers management to consist of five functions:
planning (forecasting)
organizing
commanding
coordinating
controlling
In another way of thinking, Mary Parker Follett (1868–1933), allegedly defined management as “the art of getting things done through people”.[20]She described management as a philosophy.[21][need quotation to verify]
Critics[which?], however, find this definition useful but far too narrow. The phrase “management is what managers do” occurs widely,[22]suggesting the difficulty of defining management without circularity, the shifting nature of definitions[citation needed] and the connection of managerial practices with the existence of a managerial cadre or of a class.
One habit of thought regards management as equivalent to “business administration” and thus excludes management in places outside commerce, as for example in charities and in the public sector. More broadly, every organization must “manage” its work, people, processes, technology, etc. to maximize effectiveness.[citation needed] Nonetheless, many people refer to university departments that teach management as “business schools”. Some such institutions (such as the Harvard Business School) use that name, while others (such as the Yale School of Management) employ the broader term “management”.
English-speakers may also use the term “management” or “the management” as a collective word describing the managers of an organization, for example of a corporation.[23] Historically this use of the term often contrasted with the term “labor” – referring to those being managed.[24]
But in the present era[when?] the concept of management is identified[by whom?] in the wide areas[which?] and its frontiers have been pushed[by whom?] to a broader range.[citation needed] Apart from profitable organizations, even non-profit organizations apply management concepts. The concept and its uses are not constrained[by whom?]. Management as a whole is the process of planning, organizing, directing, leading and controlling.[25]
Levels
An organization chart for the United States Coast Guard shows the hierarchy of managerial roles in that organization.
Most organizations have three management levels: first-level, middle-level, and top-level managers. First-line managers are the lowest level of management and manage the work of non-managerial individuals who are directly involved with the production or creation of the organization’s products. First-line managers are often called supervisors, but may also be called line managers, office managers, or even foremen. Middle managers include all levels of management between the first-line level and the top level of the organization. These managers manage the work of first-line managers and may have titles such as department head, project leader, plant manager, or division manager. Top managers are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and establishing the plans and goals that affect the entire organization. These individuals typically have titles such as executive vice president, president, managing director, chief operating officer, chief executive officer, or chairman of the board.
These managers are classified in a hierarchy of authority, and perform different tasks. In many organizations, the number of managers in every level resembles a pyramid. Each level is explained below in specifications of their different responsibilities and likely job titles.[26]
Top management
The top or senior layer of management is a small group which consists of the board of directors (including non-executive directors, executive directors and independent directors), president, vice-president, CEOs and other members of the C-level executives. Different organizations have various members in their C-suite, which may include a chief financial officer, chief technology officer, and so on. They are responsible for controlling and overseeing the operations of the entire organization. They set a “tone at the top” and develop strategic plans, company policies, and make decisions on the overall direction of the organization. In addition, top-level managers play a significant role in the mobilization of outside resources. Senior managers are accountable to the shareholders, the general public and to public bodies that oversee corporations and similar organizations. Some members of the senior management may serve as the public face of the organization, and they may make speeches to introduce new strategies or appear in marketing.
The board of directors is typically primarily composed of non-executives who owe a fiduciary duty to shareholders and are not closely involved in the day-to-day activities of the organization, although this varies depending on the type (e.g., public versus private), size and culture of the organization. These directors are theoretically liable for breaches of that duty and typically insured under directors and officers liability insurance. Fortune 500 directors are estimated to spend 4.4 hours per week on board duties, and median compensation was $212,512 in 2010. The board sets corporate strategy, makes major decisions such as major acquisitions,[27] and hires, evaluates, and fires the top-level manager (chief executive officer or CEO). The CEO typically hires other positions. However, board involvement in the hiring of other positions such as the chief financial officer (CFO) has increased.[28] In 2013, a survey of over 160 CEOs and directors of public and private companies found that the top weaknesses of CEOs were “mentoring skills” and “board engagement”, and 10% of companies never evaluated the CEO.[29] The board may also have certain employees (e.g., internal auditors) report to them or directly hire independent contractors; for example, the board (through the audit committee) typically selects the auditor.
Helpful skills of top management vary by the type of organization but typically include[30] a broad understanding of competition, world economies, and politics. In addition, the CEO is responsible for implementing and determining (within the board’s framework) the broad policies of the organization. Executive management accomplishes the day-to-day details, including: instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules; appointment of middle level executives such as department managers; coordination of departments; media and governmental relations; and shareholder communication.
Middle management
Consist of general managers, branch managers and department managers. They are accountable to the top management for their department’s function. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. Their roles can be emphasized as executing organizational plans in conformance with the company’s policies and the objectives of the top management, they define and discuss information and policies from top management to lower management, and most importantly they inspire and provide guidance to lower-level managers towards better performance.
Middle management is the midway management of a categorized organization, being secondary to the senior management but above the deepest levels of operational members. An operational manager may be well-thought-out by middle management or may be categorized as non-management operate, liable to the policy of the specific organization. The efficiency of the middle level is vital in any organization since they bridge the gap between top level and bottom level staffs.
Their functions include:
Design and implement effective group and inter-group work and information systems.
Define and monitor group-level performance indicators.
Diagnose and resolve problems within and among workgroups.
Design and implement reward systems that support cooperative behavior. They also make decisions and share ideas with top managers.
Line management
Line managers include supervisors, section leaders, forepersons and team leaders. They focus on controlling and directing regular employees. They are usually responsible for assigning employees’ tasks, guiding and supervising employees on day-to-day activities, ensuring the quality and quantity of production and/or service, making recommendations and suggestions to employees on their work, and channeling employee concerns that they cannot resolve to mid-level managers or other administrators. First-level or “front line” managers also act as role models for their employees. In some types of work, front line managers may also do some of the same tasks that employees do, at least some of the time. For example, in some restaurants, the front line managers will also serve customers during a very busy period of the day. In general, line managers are considered part of the workforce and not part of the organization’s proper management despite performing traditional management functions.
Front-line managers typically provide:
Training for new employees
Basic supervision
Motivation
Performance feedback and guidance
Some front-line managers may also provide career planning for employees who aim to rise within the organization.
Training
Colleges and universities around the world offers bachelor’s degrees, graduate degrees, diplomas and certificates in management; generally within their colleges of business, business schools or faculty of management but also in other related departments. In the 2010s era, there has been an increase in online management education and training in the form of electronic educational technology (also called e-learning). Online education has increased the accessibility of management training to people who do not live near a college or university, or who cannot afford to travel to a city where such training is available.
Requirement
While some professions require academic credentials in order to work in the profession (e.g., law, medicine, engineering, which require, respectively the Bachelor of Law, Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Engineering degrees), management and administration positions do not necessarily require the completion of academic degrees. Some well-known senior executives in the US who did not complete a degree include Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. However, many managers and executives have completed some type of business or management training, such as a Bachelor of Commerce or a Master of Business Administration degree. Some major organizations, including companies, non-profit organizations and governments, require applicants to managerial or executive positions to hold at minimum bachelor’s degree in a field related to administration or management, or in the case of business jobs, a Bachelor of Commerce or a similar degree.
Undergraduate
Further information: Business education § Undergraduate education
At the undergraduate level, the most common business programs are the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.). These typically comprise a four-year program designed to give students an overview of the role of managers in planning and directing within an organization. Course topics include accounting, financial management, statistics, marketing, strategy, and other related areas.
There are many other undergraduate degrees that include the study of management, such as Bachelor of Arts degrees with a major in business administration or management and Bachelor of Public Administration (B.P.A), a degree designed for individuals aiming to work as bureaucrats in the government jobs. Many colleges and universities also offer certificates and diplomas in business administration or management, which typically require one to two years of full-time study.