Description of a job
A general manager directs and coordinates the operations of a small business or a department in a company. Medium-sized and large companies are divided into production, sales, promotion, purchasing, and other departments, and a general manager is typically in charge of each of these divisions. In a small company the general manager may be responsible for all operations. General managers usually report to the chief operating officer or to a vice president. They may report to the chief executive officer.
Each company has its own corporate ladder. Some companies give the title of general manager to those in charge of separate operating units. A department store chain might call the person in charge of each store a general manager. Sometimes the person in charge of a subsidiary company has that title. At some big, high-tech companies more than one general manager may be assigned to the same division. Despite these differences, the functions of all general managers are essentially the same.
General managers take direction from their top executives. They must first understand the executives’ overall plan for the company. Then they set specific goals for their own departments to fit in with the plan. The general manager of production, for instance, might have to increase certain product lines and phase out others. General managers must describe their goals clearly to their support staff. The supervisory managers see that the goals are met. Read the rest of this entry »