Do you think that a manager's role is universal?

Different manager perform at different levels and require different skills. Sometime considering the factors such as the size of the business and the level of management .their job is not the same because when considering the size of the firm some managers control big business whereas they have more job to do & to plan for the business, such managers have more subordinates to control and give delegations....while the manager in a small firm is vice versa .but manager assume multiple role, role is an organize set of behavior, however we can call  managers role is universal because irrespective of the company size the managers in all level shall follow  the five business function such as Planning ,organizing ,leading ,staffing & controlling ,the tool is common therefore managers roles is universal .

In generally I would say YES, because the managers skills and knowledge should be in a wide range, but actually it depend on how big the company is and on the duty/duties and responsibility of the manager.

Yes it is. A good manager can fit in any environment but need to have the capability to learn specific issues related to the business/ environment he's getting into.

Many articles and books already have been written offering answers as to why certain managers are successful and why others seem to fail. While it may be somewhat difficult to find a truly good manager, it is far easier to identify the attributes that separate good managers from average or bad ones.

In spite of what many people believe, a significant problem in any business is a lack of qualified management personnel. People are the key factor in the success of any business, and success starts with an effective and competent management team. According to Chuck Franklin, a Baltimore, MD, business consultant at the professional employer organization (PEO) Administaff, there seems to be such a shortage of good managers that organizations tend to accept mediocre performance rather than deal with the unpleasant task of terminating the bad managers.

On one hand, good managers can direct “human capital” to help separate their organizations from the competition. On the other, bad managers can drag down an organization. Ask management gurus about talent development, and they will tell you managers frequently are not good mentors and coaches. Admin­istaff, which provides training and employee development as part of its human capital management services platform, says organizations spend insufficient time and resources trying to turn bad managers into effective managers. In many cases, no matter how much organizations attempt to “mold” their managers, dominant personality traits will not allow enough long-lasting change to take place. Once again, you are most likely to succeed in a role you are “wired” to perform.

Every day managers make decisions that affect their people. The path to decision-making obviously can be complicated. Even if your intentions are pure, there is always the chance that a decision will be wrong or even harmful to your subordinates, to your organization, or to both. As you might expect, tried and true practices exist that may help you when it comes to making game­winning decisions.

First, to make a sound decision you will need to gather information from all those involved, and take into consideration whom your decision will affect. Do not make the mistake of not gathering enough information before making your decision. Most members of your team want to be involved in decisions that affect their working environment. Even if you think you can make the decision by yourself, you will get more buy-in as a result of involving as many members of your team as possible in the decision-making process.

Second, when you hit bumps in the road or you are feeling indecisive, use your network of trusted advisors to help arrive at the right decision, as well as draw on past experience for insight on the best way to navigate your way past the bumps. That is, identify similar situations you have handled in the past, and what you did to fix them. What kinds of options were available, and would they work in the current situation?

Third, never make assumptions about a situation. After all, you are familiar with what “assume” means, right (“to make a ‘beast of burden’ out of you and me”)? Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the situation at hand so you can gather all the correct and appropriate information to make an air-tight decision.

Fourth, learn to draw on the expertise in your organization. If you have a mentor, seek him or her out. Ask questions of your team members from your own department, and of co-workers outside of your department.

Involve those below you in the decision-making process by asking for their input. Even if the ultimate decision is in the hands of management, it only makes sense that involving other members of the team will help build a stronger company. Besides, you just never know when a staff member might come up with a great idea that everyone else has overlooked.

A word of caution: a red flag should go up if you have to frequently backtrack after you make decisions. Are you gathering information too quickly? Should you have waited until you have more of the facts? If you are making decisions too quickly, you have wasted a lot of your time and effort.

If you are feeling pressure to make a hasty decision, ask for more time. Manage expectations: provide the person putting pressure on you with a reasonable time and date by which can make your decision.

Finally, perhaps the best management tip of all is one that extends well beyond the boundaries of being a manager: do not make decisions driven by emotion. As you have heard hundreds of times, it is never a wise choice to make a decision when you are angry or upset.

The timing to make a decision is not right until you have presence of mind and feel some serenity in your emotional state… something you really understand if you are a parent! Having a level-head is the way you can determine if the decision you made is the best one or simply the one that felt right at the moment.

If you have a child in the age range of8 to12 years, you might know a cartoon called “The Last Airbender,” which became a movie in the summer of2010. Even if you are not familiar with the story, you still can heed the wise words of one of the main characters. The character, a kind man known simply as “Uncle,” lovingly coaches his young and impetuous nephew to exercise patience and self-control. Who could not benefit from having some of those virtues to spare?

When managers do not make timely decisions, they miss deadlines, waste their organization’s money, and irritate co-workers who are counting on them. Collaborative decision-making often will produce the best results.

In the words of the late Milton M. Hill, president of Alexander’s Mobility Services until his untimely passing in1996, “If you have made a poor decision, put the decision behind you, and get on down the road.” Do not let a bad decision today affect any future efforts to make sound decisions and implement the best solutions.

When it is time to identify a candidate for a management role, look for certain attributes that good managers tend to exhibit. Online Business Advisor (http://onlinebusadv.com) offers the following list of common attributes among good managers, culled from the self-study training manual, “Managing People for High Performance.” They do caution that their list is not a complete one, but “seems to form a good foundation in terms of identifying what attributes are common among good managers.”

• They care.
• They have a good sense of humor.
• They have strong people skills.
• They possess strong communication skills—both verbal and written.
• They have a sense of fairness in dealing with people and issues.
• They exhibit consistency in behavior.
• They are able to control emotions and keep them out of decision-making and interactions with others.
• They believe that employees are more important to his or her and the company’s success than he or she is.
• They are honest.
• They are willing to seek input from employees and build  consensus.
• They are open-minded.
• They are flexible.
• They have well controlled egos.
• They are self-confident and secure.
• They are good listeners.
• They possess the ability to be direct when needed without being abusive or offensive.
• They have a sincere interest in people and their well being.
• They have good perceptive/intuitive abilities.
• They possess a good understanding of what makes people tick.
• They are mature.
• They allow others to get credit for positive outcomes and they want their people to succeed.
• They understand that hiring good people is critical to their success and they do not micromanage.
• They are willing to admit to their own shortcomings and mistakes and do not feel a persistent need to be right.

Decision-making in the workplace is clearly a necessary skill for managers, yet, according to professional trainer Jerry Gildea of Baltimore, it often is neglected as part of a manager’s professional development. Organizations often may train managers on how to review and assess employee performance regularly, but ignore or neglect decision-making skills altogether.

Do:

1. Ensure that decisions are not made in a vacuum. Although you, the manager, are ultimately responsible for the outcome of a decision, other people are affected by it. If there is someone with a vested interest in your decision, make sure you have a dialogue with that person. This will help him or her prepare for the effects of it, so he or she is not taken off-guard.
2. Take all factors into account. This is similar to the prior suggestion, but it is less about consulting people and more about considering all factors that are relevant to the situation. If it will affect workloads or office morale in any way, you need to think about that.
3. Be willing to admit you were wrong. If the decision you made was not the right one, do what Dale Carnegie advocates: “if you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.” This demonstrates strength of character, and helps your team relate to you better.

Don’t:

1. Don’t waffle in your decision if you truly believe in it. You may be able to change it if it seems most appropriate, but stand by your decision if you feel it is the right choice. By waffling, you may be sending the signals that others may be able to manipulate you into doing things their way.
2. Don’t make hasty decisions. If an employee makes an egregious error on a project, do not automatically discipline or fire the employee without considering the factors involved in the error.Should someone else also have noticed the problem? Often mistakes are made by one person with the knowledge of others.
3. Don’t make any decisions outside of your organization’s stated mission. This means that you should not take any new projects on that are outside the scope of the organization. As exciting as they may be, they need approval first. If you think it is something the company should consider, consult the top management first.

Ultimately, the main qualities of effective managers are those who are willing to make tough decisions and stand by them. However, effective managers must demonstrate a willingness to admit mistakes, and to show their human side if becomes apparent that the decision was not the most appropriate.

In general management role and duties are set standards but also skills and experiences play an important role in management. A successful manager should fit in any organization but sometimes it is necessary to have a background about that organization's environment: Policies - Processes - Employees ..etc

I do agree with the answer been added by EXPERTS........Thanks.