5. MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS

Question 1

The Challenge for Management:?

Answer 1

• Large organisations are a challenge for management.

> They are complex structures that have many different work activities within them.
They require a number of levels of management and these have to be coordinated.

• Within large organisations, managers take responsibility for different specialised areas of activity.

Question 2

Management ?

Answer 2

Management is regarded as the process of coordinating and integrating work activities
…so that they are completed efficiently and effectively

In a traditional organisation, it is possible to classify managers into levels

• Senior: (or executive) Managers who spend a large proportion of their time planning and setting objectives.
• Middle: Managers translate these objectives into specific projects for their subordinates (front-line managers) and monitor the progress of these projects.
• Front-line: Managers (supervisors) are the lowest level of management. The majority if their time is spent leading, supervising and controlling their subordinates (workers).

Question 3

Executive Management FUNCTIONS?

Answer 3

• Operations
• Human Resources
• Finance
• Marketing
• Research and Development

Question 4

Basic Roles of Management?

Answer 4

• Planning: Involves establishing the general direction and objectives of the organisation.
• Organising: Relates to developing a systematic approach to coordinate the human, material, financial and informational resources of the organisation in order to achieve organisational objectives.
• Leading: Refers to how a manager, by their behaviour and style, direct, influence and motivate their subordinates to work towards achieving organisational objectives.
• Controlling: Involves the necessary monitoring and evaluation to ensure that organisational objectives are being met.

Question 5

Management resources used to achieve the organisation’s objectives?

Answer 5

Management uses resources to achieve the organisation’s objectives:

• Human: The people/employees of the organisation (generally regarded as the most important resource of any organisation).
• Material: The raw material, equipment, buildings and machinery.
• Financial: The capital and ongoing finances required to establish and operate the business activity.
• Informational: The vast amount of data, information and intellectual property available to the organisation.