Manager and Director

English translation: see explanation

08:59 Jul 13, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Other
English term or phrase: Manager and Director
What is the differenc between Manager of Operation Department and Director of Operation Departmen?

I think director is a higher rank person.
Mitsuko
Local time: 10:26
Selected answer:see explanation
Explanation:
A director is a member of the Board of Directors.
A manager is not
Generally speaking, a Manager would report to another manager or a Director

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Note added at 10 hrs (2008-07-13 19:48:47 GMT)
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Dear Tanya or Tañia (sorry).Yes.But it's not just that. We all have our responsibilities. Mostly Directors have a very responsible role to play in running a company. Yes there are hierarchies but also responsibilities before the law , which are different from those of managers. So, Benefits go with duties. And they remain part of the system of management. Capitalism is very stringent on Company management. Tiring what?!
Selected response from:

Jack Dunwell
France
Local time: 02:26
Grading comment
Thank you very much.
It was helpful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +1Director is the higher position
Demi Ebrite
4 +1see explanation
Jack Dunwell
4Yes Director is a higher ranked invididual
Taña Dalglish


  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
manager and director
Director is the higher position


Language variant: US English

Explanation:
'Director' is generally responsible for a department or program, with a manager or managers reporting to the director. A director often reports to a vice president or president of a department or organization.

A manager is usually responsible for the personnel, operations performed, schedules, etc. A director oversees all of this, but works on planning, improvement of operations, and the financial aspects of a department or program.

As Fourth states, a director can be a member of the board of directors, but not as a general rule.

A person sitting on a board of directors is not generally called a director, but an 'officer' and most often does not work for the company at all. A board of directors has a chairman, and officers.



Example sentence(s):
  • The director of operations announced that we are going to adopt Six Sigma as our manufacturing metric and that the manager of operations will be responsible for all of the training and certification.
Demi Ebrite
United States
Local time: 20:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: These are two different uses of the word "director".[...]//By definition, a member of the board of directors is a director; that's why it's called the board of directors. And, as you say, they are not employees, unlike managers.
39 mins
  -> Thanks for the clarification, Richard. You are right. Yet when sitting on a BOD, I have never known the term 'director' to be used in a title or personal reference; 'board member' is common - a technicality, and perhaps US specific.

agree  LAILA ELBADRY
6 days
  -> Thank you, Laila.
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
manager and director
see explanation


Explanation:
A director is a member of the Board of Directors.
A manager is not
Generally speaking, a Manager would report to another manager or a Director

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 hrs (2008-07-13 19:48:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Dear Tanya or Tañia (sorry).Yes.But it's not just that. We all have our responsibilities. Mostly Directors have a very responsible role to play in running a company. Yes there are hierarchies but also responsibilities before the law , which are different from those of managers. So, Benefits go with duties. And they remain part of the system of management. Capitalism is very stringent on Company management. Tiring what?!

Jack Dunwell
France
Local time: 02:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you very much.
It was helpful.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Liam Hamilton
49 mins
  -> Thank you Liam! Stretching stuff!

neutral  Richard Benham: [...]//Any board member is by definition a director.//Just what it says. Typical company directors sit on many boards, do not work for the companies concerned, and show up to meetings once a month. And please be civil.
8 hrs
  -> Richard! you seem to have a very strange view of Directors! Most are hardworking and fulltime and are always part of the management structure. As you wd know yourself, they have legal responsibilities.
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26 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
manager and director
Yes Director is a higher ranked invididual


Explanation:
Simply put, a director, for example in a PLC, is usually one person comprising a Board of Directors, headed by the Chairman of the Board, whereas a Manager is an appointed individual reporting to the Director/Board of Directors.

An organogram would show the hierchical structure where you have a Board of Directors composed of Directors who are in charge of various job areas within a company, each headed by a Manager of the respective management area.

This article very nicely details the major differences.
http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles...
Leadership vs. Management

Disciplines > Leadership > Leadership vs. Management
Managers have subordinates | Leaders have followers | See also

What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do.

Many people, by the way, are both. They have management jobs, but they realize that you cannot buy hearts, especially to follow them down a difficult path, and so act as leaders too.
Managers have subordinates
By definition, managers have subordinates - unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority.
Authoritarian, transactional style
Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so.
Work focus
Managers are paid to get things done (they are subordinates too), often within tight constraints of time and money. They thus naturally pass on this work focus to their subordinates.

And it goes on….

Good luck!

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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-07-13 18:20:00 GMT)
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To Fourth: I am afraid I do not understand your last remark re jackboot diplomacy! I believe you should be commenting on my answer vs. Richard´s response. Am I wrong in believing that while I have been long winded, both our proposed answers say the same thing. - Directors on a Board ... and I did say it was simplistic!

Richard´s responses appear to be a question of terminology differing in different countries. Director vs. Manager with virtually every company having their own titles for positions.


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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-07-13 18:23:51 GMT)
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Red? Fourth? Sorry, but I am still lost!!!

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Note added at 9 hrs (2008-07-13 18:43:27 GMT)
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Fourth: By red, you mean long-winded? You & I express ourselves differently and precisely why I used the link as an example (citing differences between Directors vs. Managers) but as far as I can see, we are both still saying the same thing.

Yes, it is a simple question, not requiring too much. So where are we off the page here? We both say yes to Director (forget issue of terminology here), so???? That was the asker´s question, was it not? not whether part-time, full-time, half-time or any other time!!


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Note added at 11 hrs (2008-07-13 20:06:50 GMT)
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Fourth: I am enjoying our exchange. I saw your note. I understand all you have said. I haven´t said anything in my entry that contradicts your view and I agree with you. WE ARE STILL SAYING THE SAME THING, FOURTH!

Let us not mix a "chicken" and "egg" situation here and become embroiled in a question of terminology, country to country, who uses what, when, where and why! There is one overriding issue and that is a Director higher than Manager! I say yes, I believe you say yes, so where is the problem? Luck to you in your work!
After this I am done as I have clearly been misunderstood and shall withdraw my answer!!

Taña Dalglish
Jamaica
Local time: 20:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Richard Benham: I don't really see that you can compare managers and directors in that sense. Managers are generally paid more: directors are part-time by definitioin (except MD). The "director" here is obviously NOT a board member, though.
8 hrs
  -> Your logic befuddles me. I merely used a PLC as an example (simplistic terms); Clearly a question of being unable to think outside the box! Then put yr. own answer & views. There is 1 issue only here: is a Director higher than a Man.?. not terminol.!

neutral  Jack Dunwell: Richard speaks total rot of course/quite simply that I don't believe in jackboot diplomacy,R/Tanya, sorry, I never use red, I don't believe in it/this is a very straightforward q not requiring much input,T, What do you think?Tanya. directors are part of t
8 hrs
  -> Why the neutral if Richard´s response is "rot". Have I spoken "rot? Are you not defeating the spirit of the forum? Directors what? There is 1 issue and 1 issue only Dir. higher than Man.? Part of management structure? Yes! & never said otherwise!
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