What is the primary responsibility of a top manager within an organization?

The primary responsibility of a top manager within an organization is to make long-term decisions regarding the overall direction of the company. Top managers, such as CEOs and other executives, focus on setting strategic goals, defining the vision for the future, and ensuring the organization adapts to changes in its environment. By establishing long-term objectives, they are responsible for the high-level planning that guides the operational efforts of the company. This involves analyzing market trends, assessing risks, and making decisions that impact the organization as a whole.

In contrast, determining daily operational tasks is typically the role of middle managers who oversee first-line managers and ensure that day-to-day operations align with the overall strategy established by top management. While supervising first-line managers and implementing policies from middle managers are responsibilities that fall under the purview of middle and first-line management, they do not encapsulate the primary role of top management, which is strategic vision and direction-setting.