Spark NZ: Management Functions, Mintzberg's Management Roles and Finance Manager Skills

This report discusses Spark NZ, its functional departments, management functions, Mintzberg's management roles and skills required for a finance manager at Spark NZ.

Running head: SPARK NZ
SPARK NZ
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SPARK NZ
Table of Contents
Answer to Question 1 (Part a)...........................................................................................2
Answer to Question 1 (Part b)...........................................................................................3
Answer to Question 2 (Part a)...........................................................................................4
Answer to Question 2(Part b)............................................................................................5
References.........................................................................................................................6

2SPARK NZ
Answer to Question 1 (Part a)
The organization which has been chosen for the purpose of the report is Spark
NZ. The Spark New Zealand is Telecommunications Company based in New Zealand
and provides various products as well as services like the fixed line, telephone services,
mobile networks, internet service provider and other Information and Communications
Technology provider to different New Zealand Businesses (Sparknz.co.nz, 2018). The
company became a publically traded company back in the year 1990. The company has
its headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand and trades under the New Zealand stock
market. As per the statistics, the company has 6000 employees as of 2017 and a
revenue of 353 crore as of 2015.
The different functional departments as present in the company have been given
as follows:
 Production/ Service: The production as well as the service department of Spark
NZ is largely concerned with ensuring that they are able to provide the right
service to the right audience.
 Research and development: The research and development department of Spark
NZ seeks to ensure that they come up with various services that will then assist
the different customers and ensure that they will be able to successfully innovate
(Schaper et al., 2015).
 Human resource management: The human resource department at Spark NZ is
concerned with hiring, recruitment and the performance management programs
to the company.
 Technical department: The technical organization looks after the network and
overall management systems of the organization.
 Accounting and Finance: The accounts and finance department looks out for the
financials of the firm and assesses whether the organization is making a profit or
not (Robson, 2015).
 Marketing: Helps in product designing along with the promotion for Spark NZ
 Quality check and Sustainability: Seeks to ensure that the firm performs well with
respect to quality and that it engages in adequate sustainable practices.

3SPARK NZ
Management functions
1. Planning: This function refers to the function of planning for the future of the
organization to decide upon the action plan. Eg. The annual budget can be taken
to be as a planning process.
2. Leading: Leading can be described as the procedure of deciding upon the
management who will guide the firm and help them to attain its objectives. For
instance, Simon Moutter is the leader at Spark NZ and his aim is to ensure the
overall welfare of the firm (Robson, 2015).
3. Organizing: Organizing means seeing to it that everything is in place and that the
duties and goals have been assigned adequately or not. For instance, assigning
duties to the different managers.
4. Control: Refers to the act of monitoring and evaluation. The annual report at the
end of the year can be stated to be a control mechanism.
Answer to Question 1 (Part b)
The management guidance under Simon Moutter has gone a long way in
assisting the company to achieve new heights. The management makes a continuous
effort in order to ensure that the firm performs well. This has proven to have bought
positive results for the firm whereby there has been a continued growth due to the
prosperity in mobile and cloud security (Sparknz.co.nz, 2018). With a revenue of 29
million and a positive movement, the management can be praised for their continuous
efforts. Moreover, the individual revenues with respect to the Operating revenue and
other sources of income have also increased. Hence, this can be a reflection of the fact
that the management process and functions have been working well for the firm.

4SPARK NZ
Figure 1: The financials of Spark NZ 2017
(Source: Sparknz.co.nz, 2018).
Answer to Question 2 (Part a)
The Mintzberg`s Management roles can be rightfully defined as the set of roles
which an ideal manager is supposed to play in an organization at large ( Kumar, 2015).
The manner in which the managers of Spark NZ fulfill these roles have been given as
follows:
1. Interpersonal Roles
 Liaison: As a liaison, the managers at NZ, successful interface with people both
within and outside the organization.
 Leader: As a manager in Spark NZ, they are required to lead the different people
and achieve a specific goal.
 Figurehead: As a figurehead, the managers at Spark NZ, act as the head of the
firm and tend to support the different individuals at the time of a crisis.
2. Informational Roles
 Monitor: The managers in Spark NZ, monitor and track the changes which take
place in a firm (Fayol, 2016).

5SPARK NZ
 Spokesperson: The managers also act as a spokesperson and represent the firm
at large.
 Disseminator: The role of the manager at the Spark NZ is also to act as a
disseminator to spread relevant information in the organization.
3. Decision Roles
 Entrepreneur: As an entrepreneur, the manager has to come up with an idea for
a business in order to innovative the business (Fayol, 2016).
 Disturbance Handler: The manager also acts as a disturbance handler and
manages tension.
 Resource Allocator: Moreover, the act as a resource allocator and look out to
manage the different resources of the firm at Spark NZ (Fayol, 2016).
 Negotiator: Lastly, as a negotiator the management at Spark NZ, it manages the
different negotiation deals within the firm and outside the firm.
Answer to Question 2(Part b)
Role: Finance Manager AT Spark NZ
Skills required:
A. Analytical: The finance manager is required to have adequate analytical skills
which will help them to manage the financial sheets.
B. Communication: They need to have appropriate communication skills to ensure
that they report the statements in the right format (Kaplan & Atkinson, 2015).
C. Technical: They need to possess adequate technical skills so as to ensure they
are able to correctly calculate the standing of the firm.
D. Decision making: Moreover they need to have adequate decision making skills
so as to make correct strategies and moves.

6SPARK NZ
References
Fayol, H. (2016). General and industrial management. Ravenio Books.
Kaplan, R. S., & Atkinson, A. A. (2015). Advanced management accounting. PHI
Learning.
Kumar, P. (2015). An Analytical study on Mintzberg’s Framework: Managerial
Roles. International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies
(IJRMBS), 2, 12-18.
Robson, W. (2015). Strategic management and information systems. Pearson Higher
Ed.
Schaper, M. T., Volery, T., Weber, P. C., & Gibson, B. (2014). Entrepreneurship and
small business.
Sparknz.co.nz (2018). Annual Report [online]. Available at: https://www.spark.co.nz/?
gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1253139&ds_rl=1255825&ds_rl=1255828&ds_rl=1255825&
gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh6v4irGy3gIVSQYqCh1_5wLrEAAYASAAEgIQkPD_BwE&g
clsrc=aw.ds (Retrieved on: 02 Nov. 2018).
Sparknz.co.nz (2018). iPhone XR- Available Now! [Online]. Available at:
http://investors.sparknz.co.nz/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/gXbeer80tkeL4n
EaF-kwFA/H1%20FY18%20Results%20Summary%20FINAL.pdf (Retrieved on:
02 Nov. 2018).