The second obligation is the management of the organizations relations with its environment such as negotiating major agreements, ceremonial activities and informs the organizations external stakeholders about the organization’s activities.
The third set of duties relates to the development of the organization’s strategy. Strategy could be seen as an intervening force between the organization and its environment Formulating strategy entail many aspects as will be discussed more in further chapters. However, the managers of the strategic apex should develop an understanding for its environment and try to adapt the strategy to its strengths and needs. Yet, the process of strategy is rather complex and is not as cut and dried as it seems. What should be said is that he strategic apex typically has the most important role in the strategy process. In general the strategic apex takes the widest and most abstract, perspective of the organization. Work at this level is normally characterized by a minimum of repetition and standardization, considerable prudence, and relatively long decision making cycles. Mutual adjustment is a favoured mechanism for coordination among managers of the strategic apex itself (Mintzberg, 1983).
The strategic apex is united to the operating core by the chain of middle line managers with recognized authority. This chain runs from the senior managers to the first-line supervisors, who have direct authority over the operators, direct supervision. Like the top manager, the middle manager is required to do more than simply engage in direct supervision. He also has boundary conditions to manage. Each middle line manager must maintain liaison contacts with other managers, analysts, support staffers, and outsiders whose work is mutually dependent with that of his own unit. The middle line manager, like the top manager, is concerned with formulating the strategy for his unit, although this strategy is, of course, significantly affected by the overall strategy. But managerial jobs shift in nature as they fall in the chain of authority. They become less abstract and comprehensive and more focused on the work flow itself (Mintzberg, 1983).
In the techno structure the analysts is found who serve the organization by affecting the work of others. The analysts are separated from the direct operative work flow but they may design it, plan it, change it, or train the people to do it, but they do not do it themselves consequently, the techno structure is only effective when it can use its analytical techniques to make the work of others in the organization more efficient. In a fully developed organization, the techno structure might perform at all levels of the hierarchy. At the lowest level of the manufacturing firm, analysts standardize the operating work flow by scheduling production, carrying out time and method studies of the operators work, and instituting systems of quality control. At middle levels they try to standardize the intellectual work of the organization. At the strategic apex, they design strategic planning systems and develop financial system
