What are management levels?

Management levels are the hierarchy of all the designations of people present in a construction company or construction project. For the proper execution of the project, all the components of a management hierarchy must work properly as per their responsibility. The main objective of creating management levels is that the whole work should be distributed in parts to the respective departments of specialization in that part.

The hierarchy of construction project management includes the managerial and non-managerial departments. The managerial department includes the following:

• Top level management
• Middle level management
• Lower level management

The non-managerial department includes the laborers and machine operators.

Top level management

The top management is the first-level management of the organizational structure of the construction project. The first-level managers of a general construction project include the project manager and all the senior engineers of all the departments in the project. The top management is the highest administrative level in any project management.

Project manager

A project manager is a top-level authority in any project. The objective of a project manager is to carry out the execution of a project from start to end. The responsibility of a project manager includes looking after each department, managing them, and making sure that all the departments are working properly and the project is completed fluently.

Senior engineers

Senior engineers are the subordinates to the project managers. The senior engineers are also a part of the top-level management system of a project. The objectives of senior engineers include the design and development of the project, finalizing the designs, and reporting the progress to the construction manager.

Middle level management

The mid-level managers of a general construction project include junior engineers, superintendent engineers, field engineers, architects, and designers. The middle-level managers work as a backbone of the organizational structure of the construction project. The middle-level managers are one of the most important components of the organizational structure of the management system of a construction project.

Junior engineers

The junior engineers possess technical skills and conceptual skills. The junior engineers possess specialized knowledge related to a certain field in construction such as infrastructures, bridges, water and wastewater, highways, and so on. The objective of a junior engineer is to maintain the flow of construction of a project, look after the site, and take regular updates from the site.

Superintendent engineers

The superintendent engineers work along with the junior engineers and field engineers on site. The objective of the superintendent engineer is to regulate the flow of materials, equipment, and deliveries. The superintendent engineer is also responsible for coordinating the on-site construction activities.

Field engineers

A field engineer is an entry-level position in any project. The responsibility of a field engineer includes doing all the paperwork and making sure the people on site are working properly.

Architects and designers

Architects and designers are responsible for the planning and designing of a project.

Low level management

The lower-level management is the lowest authority of the organizational structure of the construction project. The lower-level managers include the tradesman and head mason sub-units.

Tradesman

A tradesman is a skilled person in manual works, which includes carpenters, plumbers, and ironworkers. Carpenters are skilled professionals in woodworks. A carpenter has the responsibility of executing all the wooden works of a project by estimating the quantity of wood required, the cost of wood required, and meeting the client’s requirements. Plumbers are skilled professionals in installing and maintaining the systems used for potable water and sewage purpose. A plumber has the responsibility to install all the plumbing networks and sewage networks in a project. The ironworkers are the skilled professional who are responsible for assembling the structural framework as per the drawings. They are also responsible for assembling the pre-engineered buildings, towers, bridges, and all other components related to metal works.

Head mason

Head mason is responsible for regulating and looking after the laborers. It is the responsibility of a head mason that all the workers work properly and complete their daily respective roles.

Non-managerial department

The nonmanagerial department includes the laborers and machine operators. The laborers are the unskilled people who work under the site supervisor and head mason. The laborers are responsible for performing all the construction activities. The machine operators are also unskilled people. The responsibilities a of machine operator are to operate all the machinery used in construction like backhoe, bulldozer, roller, and so on and perform the tasks as prescribed by head mason or supervisor.

Management levels in a construction company

The hierarchy of a construction company includes the following departments:

• Chief executive officer: The CEO is the top management authority in any construction company. The CEO is responsible to deal with clients and answer to the owner and directors of the company. The CEO is responsible to take the organization-wide decision along with the board of directors.
• Managing director: The managing director is the leader of employees in the company. The managing director supervises and is also responsible for the management of all the projects undertaken by the company.
• Project director: The project director works as the guide to the project team. The project director hires the technical officers and works to complete the projects in a given time by providing proper guidance to the project team.
• Quality manager: The quality manager is responsible for testing data, maintaining records, and controlling the quality.
• Financial team: The financial team is responsible for maintaining proper cash flow throughout the execution of the project.
• Designing team: The responsibility of the designing team is to create designs as per the client's requirement, carry out the structural analysis of the design, and forward the drawings to the execution team.
• Legal manager: The responsibility of a legal manager is to study the government norms, look after the project and make sure that the project is going on as per the rules and regulations of the government.
• Project supervisor and project coordinator: The responsibility of the project supervisor is to look after the daily site work, make sure that the workers are working properly and the project is being executed fluently. The responsibility of the project coordinator is to coordinate with the working staff and management authorities.

Context and Applications

The management level is useful for students undergoing the following courses-

• Bachelors in Technology (Civil)
• Masters in Technology (Civil)
• Bachelors in Technology (Construction Management)
• Masters in Technology (Construction Management)

Practice Problems

1. Which of the following is categorized under the top management level of a construction project?

1. Project Manager
2. Junior Engineer
3. Designer
4. Architect

Answer: Option a

Explanation: The project manager is categorized under the top management level of a construction project.

2. Which of the following is the top management authority in a construction company?

1. Legal manager
2. Line managers
3. Chief Executive Officer
4. Project supervisor

Answer: Option c

Explanation: Chief Executive Officer is the top management authority in any construction company.

3. Who is responsible for testing data, maintaining records, and controlling the quality of a construction company?

1. Project coordinators
2. Legal managers
3. Quality managers
4. Operations managers

Answer: Option c

Explanation: The quality managers are responsible for testing data, maintaining records, and controlling the quality.

4. Which of the following is not categorized under the middle management level of a construction project?

1. Head mason
2. Junior engineer
3. Designer
4. Architect

Answer: Option a

Explanation: Head mason is not categorized under the middle management level of a construction project.

5. Who are the subordinates of the project managers?

1. Senior engineers
2. Junior engineers
3. Field engineers
4. Designers

Answer: Option a

Explanation: Senior engineers are the subordinates of the project managers.