Management

Major/Career Profile

General Description

Every type of organization requires leadership and management. Specially trained personnel are needed to fill the increasing demand for effective leaders and organizers. Managers must understand all aspects of business and its environment. The ability to get along well with others and the ability to accomplish the task with the least amount of effort and conflict are necessary skills of the manager.

Managers operate in two areas--line or staff. Line managers are those actually involved in producing goods or providing services to customers. Line positions may include operations, marketing and finance. Staff functions are personnel, purchasing, information systems, and other functions that assist the production of goods and services to customers.

A bachelor's degree is generally required for management trainee positions and graduate degrees are increasingly common among larger organizations. However, a person does not become a "manager" automatically. Management is a level to which some people attain and others do not. Persons who do not become managers may remain at a supervisory or professional level within an area of specialization, e.g., sales or electronic data processing. Managers are generalists, and as such, they are able to put their expertise to use across functional and organizational lines and find work as educational and hospital administrators, restaurant managers and owners, and as directors of agencies and departments in government.

Career Options

Graduates with this major find work as: Management Trainee, Retail Manager, Buyer, Bank Manager, Credit Manager, Property Manager, Hotel Manager, Restaurant Manager, Office Manager, Project Manager, Sales Representative, Insurance Office Manager, Assessor, Industrial Traffic Manager, City Manager, and Community Services Director. Some of these careers require additional education or experience. Various entry-level trainee positions in business and industry are available for graduates regardless of academic discipline.

Typical Employers

Retail and wholesale companies, accounting firms, advertising/public relations agencies, banks, colleges and universities, computer industry, finance companies, hospitals and clinics, insurance companies, market research firms, real estate development companies, social service agencies, travel/transportation industry, and utility companies.

Salary and Employment Outlook

Employment projections indicate that jobs in the field of management are expected to nearly triple in growth across all industries between 2001 and 2010. Growth is primarily attributed to the continuing complexity of business, a rise in the demand for information technology and rapid technological innovations such as the impact of e-business.

Salaries will vary by position, size and type of company, geographic location, experience and level of education. Visit the Career Development Center for current local and national salary information.

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