This study systematically assessed the various roles essential to managers in different functional areas of organizations. A sample of 352 production, sales, and staff managers from both large and small organizations in a variety of industries was asked to rate the various roles required by their positions. The analysis of variance results indicates that 6 of the 10 roles are influenced by functional area. A quadratic discriminant analysis was utilized to identify a role profile for managers in the different functional areas. Implications for management development are discussed.
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