The Managerial Nature of Case Management

Abstract

Case managers have been viewed as engaging in direct practice, community practice, or both. This article offers a third view: Case managers also engage in the practice of management. Employing Mintzberg's seminal research on chief executive behavior, the authors argue that case managers' work is similarly characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation. Case managers perform the 10 roles developed in Mintzberg's original study. These roles are divided into three groups: interpersonal, including figurehead, leader, and liaison; informational, including monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson; and decision-making, including entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. Case managers' tasks associated with each role are presented. Considering their work as managerial in nature will help case managers more effectively assist clients in goal achievement.