Business Management

The nature of managerial jobs varies as significantly as the range of administrative services required by organizations. Managers coordinate and direct the many support services that allow organizations to operate efficiently. They perform a broad range of duties: payroll, conference planning and travel, information and data processing, secretarial and reception services, materials scheduling and distribution, printing and reproduction, records management, telecommunications management, personal property procurement, and more. They manage support services for organizations as diverse as insurance companies, computer manufacturers, and government offices. Very often, managers are responsible for production processes in manufacturing and benefit from having a business management degree.

Specific duties for these managers vary by degree of responsibility and authority. First-line managers directly supervise a staff that performs various support services. Mid-level managers, on the other hand, develop departmental plans, set goals and deadlines, implement procedures to improve productivity and customer service, and define the responsibilities of supervisory-level managers. Some mid-level administrative services managers oversee first-line supervisors from various departments, including the clerical staff. Mid-level managers also may be involved in the hiring and dismissal of employees, but they generally have no role in the formulation of personnel policy. Some of these managers advance to upper level positions, such as vice president of administrative services, which are discussed in the Occupational Outlook Handbook statement on top executives.

People interested in becoming managers at any function within business organizations should have good leadership and communication skills and be able to establish effective working relationships with many different people, ranging from other managers, supervisors, and professionals to production workers and other employees who support the efforts of the organization. They should be analytical, detail-oriented, flexible, and decisive. They must be able to coordinate several activities at once, quickly analyze and resolve specific problems, and cope with deadlines. A business management education can provide these skills and give students a fundamental understanding of the world of business.

Find more information on managers at:  www.bls.gov/search/query/results?cx=013738036195919377644%3A6ih0hfrgl50&q=managers

Degree: Associate in Applied Science

• Generalist

Degree: Associate in Arts

• Business Transfer

Certificates of Achievement:

• Entrepreneurship Generalist (see general studies section)
• Financial Planning
• Financial Studies
• Management Specialist
• Not-for-Profit Management (leads to general studies degree)

Career Certificates:

• Business Start-Up (see general studies section)
• Customer Service Management (leads to general studies degree)
• Financial Studies
• General Management
• Not-for-Profit Management (leads to general studies degree)