A Sociological View of Managerial Behavior

Many Sociology students I have met over the years are not overly fond of studying managers or management. They think managers are not properly aware of or worried about social problems, and they do not see themselves as ever wanting to become one themselves. Managing is something other people do. You probably share this view. However, given the bureaucratic organization of work in the twenty-first century, advancing a career implies eventually becoming a manager. Substantial increases in salaries are almost always tied to supervising people. This is true for the for-profit sector, nonprofit organizations, and government positions. Many jobs also include managerial functions without offering the title or the pay associated with them. Even in temporary and part-time jobs, many experienced employees are asked to do managing functions, including planning and training, without getting paid or recognized for them. Most workers are under the direct supervision of a manager, and that person will have a disproportionate effect on your personal career. Even those who avoid a bureaucratic structure altogether by becoming self-employed will have to manage themselves and their own productivity. There is no escape.

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  1. Sociology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA Martha A. Martinez
  1. Martha A. Martinez
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Martinez, M.A. (2023). A Sociological View of Managerial Behavior. In: The Employable Sociologist. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41323-0_10

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