The Canadian academic, Henry Mintzberg who had trained as a mechanical engineer, wrote his PhD thesis at the MIT Sloan School of Management analysing the actual work habits and time management of chief executive officers. In 1973, Mintzberg's thesis on the nature of managerial work was adopted as a study and published for a wider audience.Mintzberg's empirical research involved observing and analysing the activities of the CEOs of five private and semi-public organisations.

Previous management behaviour studies had concentrated on team and subordinate behaviour or organisational structure rather than on the day-to-day reality of managerial behaviour.

Mintzberg then identified ten separate roles in managerial work, each role defined as an organised collection of behaviours belonging to an identifiable function or position. He separated these roles into three subcategories: interpersonal contact , information processing and decision making .

Mintzberg's 10 Managerial Roles

• INTERPERSONAL
  Figurehead
  Performs ceremonial and symbolic duties such as greeting visitors, signing legal documents
  Leader
  Direct and motivate subordinates, training, counseling, and communicating with subordinates
  Liaison
  Maintain information links both inside and outside organizaion; use mail, phone calls, meetings

• INFORMATIONAL
  Monitor
  Seek and receive information, scan periodicals and reports, maintain personal contacts
  Disseminator
  Forward information to other organization members; send memos and reports, make phone calls
  Spokesperson
  Transmit information to outsiders through speeches, reports, memos

• DECISIONAL
  Entrepreneur
  Initiate improvement projects, identify new ideas, delegate idea responsibility to others
  Disturbance Handler
  Take corrective action during disputes or crises; resolve conflicts among subordinates; adapt to environmental crises
  Resource Allocator
  Decide who gets resources, scheduling, budgeting, setting priorities
  Negotiator
  Represent department during negotiation of union contracts, sales, purchases, budgets; represent departmental interests