Manager vs. Executive (2024)

Manager and executive are words that most of us are familiar with, and we believe we understand what they mean. Many of the roles and responsibilities of a manager and those of an executive overlap. When comparing the roles and responsibilities of a bank manager and an executive in an organisation, it is often unclear whether the two tiles are synonymous and can be used interchangeably. However, there are subtle differences between the two titles that will be highlighted in this article to help readers who are unsure.

Executive

All organisations, for profit or nonprofit, have a set of executives who are responsible for putting policies and programmes in place that have been approved by top management. These executives are part of the administration, and their role is to oversee the implementation of management decisions. When one examines the operation of a government in a country, it is clear that the executive arm is responsible for running the administration or carrying out the day-to-day operations of the government's departments. All management plans and programmes are brought to fruition by the executive.

Manager

If you are a sports fan, you must understand the significance of a manager in a football team, whether it is a national team or a professional club. In fact, a football manager's salary and influence are higher than those of the players, reflecting the importance placed on the role and responsibility of this title. The term manager is derived from management, which is all about managing men, and this is what a manager specialises in.

If the organisation is small, a single manager may coordinate the activities of all employees and departments; however, in large organisations, different layers of managerial positions may exist. A manager has more responsibilities than a regular employee, regardless of the size of the company, and is thus paid more than regular employees. A department manager is generally responsible for the performance of the employees under him and is accountable to top management for the output of his department.

What is the different between an Executive and a Manager?

A manager is the person in charge of an organization's activities for a group of employees. He must act as a motivator and mentor to the employees while guiding them to achieve the organization's goals. A manager may have supervisors to assist him in his duties, but the overall responsibility for the performance of the workers under him rests with the manager. Different departments in a company have different names for managers, such as production manager, accounts manager, sales manager, and so on. A manager is at the bottom of the managerial ladder and must work his way up to a more prominent position in management. Celebrities now hire managers to oversee their careers.

An executive, on the other hand, is someone who is in charge of putting a company's top management's plans and policies into action. He is responsible for ensuring that the company's day-to-day operations run smoothly and without hiccups. In short, an executive is responsible for overseeing the organization's administration function. An executive holds a higher position in an organisation than a manager.