AMERICAN MANAGEMENT STYLE

This article deals with the problem of management in the USA. The meaning of the term «management» is defined and the most important and popular scientific approaches of Ukrainian and American scientists to the perception of the content of this term are discussed. It is underlined that management is a kind of professional activity and an independent science, beginning from the XIX-th century. American management style can be described as individualistic in approach, in so far as managers are accountable for decisions made within their areas of responsibility. Although important decisions might be discussed in open forum, the ultimate responsibility for the consequences of the decision lies with the boss – support or seeming consequences will evaporate when things go wrong. Therefore, American managers are more likely to disregard the opinions of subordinates than managers in other, more consensus or compromise- oriented cultures. This can obviously lead to frustrations, which can sometimes seem to boil over in meeting situations. Titles can be very confusing within American organizations with a bewildering array of enormously important-sounding job descriptors on offer (Executive Vice-President etc.). Titles, in any case, tend to be a poor reflection of the relative importance of an individual within a company. Importance is linked to power, which could be determined by a number of factors such as head-count responsibility, profitability of sector or strategic importance to the organization at that point in time. A distinction is often made between such terms as «leader», «manager», «head» and management style (around organization and process) and leadership style (more strategic and inspirational.) Great leadership is expected at the top of an organization rather than competent management but it can be difficult to define what 'great. Different kinds of American management are analyzed .Considerable attention is paid to the highlighting of the main professional skills and personal features of modern managers in the field of their professional activity. The importance of American experience in the development of modern paradigm of management has been found out.