Understanding Job Titles: How Do You Decide Between Manager and General Manager?

1) What are the major components in determining job titles within the organizational hierarchy/structure?

2) When do you call a department and section? Why is one given the job title of a GM instead of Manager? Job titles are free, so one said. My boss gives job titles based on his liking - a section head is called General Manager and a department head is called a Senior Manager.

3) What can I do to knock sense into him?

Dear Gracelynremy,

I would like to clarify the difference between position and job as follows:

Position: Manager, Executive, etc. (the cadre)
Job: Includes the skills required to fill a position such as Marketing Manager, HR Manager, Marketing Executive, HR Executive, etc.

Department and section:
Department: HR Department, Risk Department
Section: Sub-departments like Recruiting, Compensation, Statutory, etc.; Credit Risks, Audit Risks, etc.

Sit with the Heads of your departments, discuss with them about the segmentation of departments, sections, hierarchy of reporting (to design jobs and positions).

Hope this may be helpful to you.