THE CONCEPT OF A MANAGER, THE ESSENCE OF PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION

Аннотация

This article explores the concept of a manager, delving into the essence and classification of their personal and professional characteristics. It outlines the multifaceted roles and responsibilities of managers within organizations, emphasizing their importance in decision-making, team leadership, and strategic planning. The article categorizes managers into hierarchical levels (lower, middle, and upper) and discusses their functions, leadership styles, and the evolving nature of managerial roles in modern organizations. Additionally, it examines various leadership styles—authoritarian, democratic, and liberal—highlighting theirimpact onorganizational efficiency and employee relations. Keywords:manager, management, leadership styles, organizational hierarchy, decision- making, team leadership, strategicplanning, authoritarian, democratic, liberal A manager is an individual engaged in managerial activities, authorized to make decisions regarding specific aspects of an organization’s operations within market conditions. Managers occupy various roles within an organization (e.g., director, team leader, organizer of specific tasks, head, or administrator), address diverse issues, and perform multiple functions. An organization cannot function effectively without managers, as they fulfill the followingresponsibilities: -Establishconnections between individual operationswithin theorganization; -Ensure theorganization fulfillsitsprimary objectives; -Lead theorganization ordepartmental team; - Act as influential leaders, leveraging their reputation, high professional skills, and positive emotionstomanage subordinates effectively; -Develop the organization’s strategicplans; -Bearresponsibility for theoutcomes oftheorganization’s activities; -Safeguard the interestsof individualsor entitiesassociated with theorganization; - Serve as the primary liaison with the organization’s external environment (e.g., authorities, partners); - Form teams, guide their development, and uphold high ethical standards while providing proper guidancetoteam members; - Generate new ideas, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and strive to understand the essence ofproblems; - Analyze and evaluate completed tasks, identify measures to improve employee conditions, andimplementthem; -Represent theorganization at various events. The roles and situations managers handle are diverse, yet three primary functions can bedistinguished. First, managers define the organization’s core objectives, allocate resources, and implement operational adjustments, remaining accountable for the consequences of their page950 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue05,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai decisions. Thus, a manager must not only choose the most favorable course of action but also decisively lead their team in a specific direction. Second, managers collect and disseminate information about internal and external environments, explaining the organization’s goals to stakeholders. The effectiveness of a manager’s work depends heavily on the amount of information they possess. Third, managers shape internal and external relationships, motivate team members to achieve goals, coordinate their actions, and act as the organization’s representative. They mustbe individualswhom employees are willingto follow. Based on their roles and tasks within the organization, managers’ responsibilities may align to varying degrees with their capabilities. Traditionally, managers are classified into threehierarchical levels: lower, middle, and upper. Lower-level managers (supervisors) directly oversee workers and other non- managerial staff. Their work is characterized by frequent transitions between tasks, with very short timeframes for decision implementation. Middle-level managers coordinate and supervise the work of lower-level managers, typically managing large organizational units and acting as a buffer between upper and lower management. Upper-level managers are responsible for making decisions that affect the entire organization. Their work involves higher risks and lacks clear endpoints. There are significantly fewer upper-level managers compared to other levels, and their work is highly valued, often commanding higher compensation. In Western organizations, thefollowing distinctions are made: - “Top management” – the highest level of management (e.g., CEO and other board members); - “Middle management” – mid-level management (e.g., heads of departments or independent units); - “Lower management” – lower-level management (e.g., heads of subdivisions or similar units). Historically, in the United States, considered the birthplace of modern management, rational managers with engineering and economic skills and structured management approaches were predominant. However, a new type of manager has emerged, increasingly focusing on human factors in