Mintzberg's Critique on POSDCORB

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Mintzberg's Critique on POSDCORB
Just like Gulick, Mintzberg also studied the description of managerial functions and asked himself what managers really do. In his analysis, he critically reviewed the description of managerial functions according to Gulick and Urwick (1937), the POSDCORB. Mintzberg has the following criticisms on Gulick's POSDCORB:
1. According to Mintzberg, POSDCORB does not describe the actual managerial functions; rather it just specifies some vague objectives that managers seek to achieve.
2. Besides this, according to Mintzerg there are many managerial functions that do not fit into any of the POSDCORB categories. Thus, POSDCORB fails to explain certain jobs. Examples are networking and informal discussions by managers.
3. Finally, Mintzberg concludes that POSDCORB does not help to understand the concept of managerial work at all. Rather, it hinders the search for a deeper understanding of managerial functions.

Mintzberg suggests a more useful alternative that better describes the essential roles of managers and specifies 10 roles in 3 groups that managers can play:
1. Interpersonal role: The roles that are included in the interpersonal role are the figurehead role, the leader role and the liaison role.
2. Informational Role: The roles that are included in this group are the monitor role, the disseminator role and the spokesman role.
3. Decisional Role: The roles included here are the role of entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator or negotiator.
Because the 10 roles are overlapping and interdependent, a manager should learn how to balance them in order to become an efficient manager.
Sources: Mintzberg, H. (1980) “The nature of managerial work” Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Williams, B.B. (2010) “Incident Command as a Participative-Management Practice: Dispeling the Myth of Authoritarian Command. “International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management Vol. 4 Iss.1 pp. 9-21

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		Ivy Teacher, Netherlands
	2 Mintzberg Critique on Gulick's POSDCORB Functions Mintzberg's critique centers on several key points: Overemphasis on Functions: Mintzberg argued that POSDCORB is an oversimplification as it emphasizes a linear and systematic approach to distinct management functions. He believed that management is not just about executing these distinct functions but involves a more dynamic and complex interplay of activities. Lack of Realism: Mintzberg suggested that the POSDCORB model is overly simplistic and neglects informal aspects. As a result, it does not accurately reflect the reality of managerial work. Managers often juggle multiple roles simultaneously, and their work involves more informal and ad-hoc processes that the model does not capture. Static Nature: The POSDCORB framework is seen as static and rigid and focused on control, whereas Mintzberg emphasized that management requires flexibility and adaptability. He argued that management practices should be more responsive to the changing environment and less constrained by predefined functions. Focus on Administrative Tasks: Mintzberg also critiqued the model for focusing heavily on administrative tasks, neglecting the strategic and interpersonal aspects of management. He proposed that effective management involves a balance of strategic thinking, interpersonal skills, and operational activities.