Chapter 1: Managers and Management Flashcards
What is an organisation?
It is the arrangement of people brought together to accomplish a specific purpose.
What four characteristics do all organisations share?
. Goals
. People
. Structure
. Operations systems
Explain the following characteristic that all organisations share: Goals
A distinctive purpose is a characteristic shared by all organisations and is typically expressed as a goal (or set of goals).
Explain the following characteristic that all organisations share: People
The distinct purpose of an organisation is met via the people in an organisation. This is because the people make decisions and engage in work activities which, in turn, make an organisations goals a reality.
Explain the following characteristic that all organisations share: Structure
“The structure is the setting within which managers manage”. It not only helps to set boundaries for employees (limits their behaviour), but also defines what they’re supposed to do (as jobs descriptions might be created).
Explain the following characteristic that all organisations share: Operations systems
This involves transforming (through various processes, procedures and work activities) inputs (such as: people, capital, technology and materials) into outputs (finished goods and services).
What are non-managerial employees?
People who work directly on a job or task and have no responsibility for overseeing the work of others.
Eg. Associates and team members.
What are managers?
Individuals in an organisation who direct and oversee the activities of others. This is in order to achieve the organisations goals.
A managers job isn’t about personal achievement - but instead about helping others do their work.
What titles do managers have?
. Top managers
. Middle managers
. First-line managers
. Team leaders
What are top managers?
These are individuals who are responsible for making decisions about the direction/future of the organisation. They also establish policies as well as philosophies that impact all organisational members.
Eg. Titles such as Vice President, president, managing director, chief operating officer, chief executive officer or chair person of the board.
What are middle managers?
These are individuals who are found between the lowest and top levels of the organisation. They often manage other managers and maybe some non-managerial employees. Furthermore, they are typically responsible for translating goals set by top managers into specific details that lower-level managers will ensure are carried out.
Titles include department or agency head, project leader, unit chief, district manager, division manager or store manager.
What are first-line managers?
They are supervisors responsible for directing the day-to-day activities of non-managerial employees.
First-line managers are often called supervisors, shift managers, office managers, department managers or unit coordinators.
What are team leaders?
They are individuals who are responsible for managing and facilitating the activities of the work team. They are a special category of lower-level managers that have become more common as organisations have moved to using employee work teams to do work.
Team leaders will typically report to a first-line manager.
What is scientific management?
This is the use of scientific methods to define the “one best way” for a job to be done.
Frederick Winslow Taylor is known as “father” of scientific management.
What is management?
This is the process of getting things done efficiently and effectively. This can be done through and with other people.
The PROCESS refers to a set of ongoing and interrelated activities. When it comes to management, it refers to the primary activities or functions that managers perform.
What is efficiency?
This refers to doing things right or getting the most output from the least amount of inputs. Because managers deal with scarce inputs - including resources such as people, money and equipment - they’re concerned with the efficient use of those resources.
Managers want to minimise resource usage and thus resource costs.
⬇️ inputs and same outputs = ⬆️ efficiency
same inputs and ⬆️outputs = ⬆️ efficiency
What is effectiveness?
This refers to doing the right thing, or completing activities so that organisational goals are attained.
Explain the difference between efficiency and effectiveness.
Efficiency is concerned with the means of getting things done, whilst effectiveness is concerned with the ends, or attainment of organisational goals.
What is good management concerned with?
It is concerned with attaining goals (effectiveness) and doing so as efficiently as possible.
How does poor management happen?
Poor management is most often due to both inefficiency and ineffectiveness or due to effectiveness achieved without regard for efficiency.
Explain why there is need for balance between efficiency and effectiveness.
Focusing on just effectiveness can waste time, energy and other resources.
Although focusing solely on effectiveness can result in producing a more sophisticated and longer lasting product, it is likely to lead to high labour and input costs. These in turn result in a business having to charger higher prices and potentially go broke.
Conversely, if a business is focused exclusively on efficiency it may produce products (eg. deal with calls quickly) quickly, however it will provide poor quality and make customers unhappy.
What are the three approaches developed by management researchers to describe what managers do?
. Functions
. Roles
. Skills
Explain the functions approach?
According to this approach managers perform certain activities or functions as they direct and oversee others’ work.
This approach as first propose by Henri Fayol (French industrialist in the 20th century) .
What did Henri Fayol suggest?
That managers perform 5 management activities: . Plan . Organise . Command . Coordinate . Control
What are the 4 management function today?
Henri Fayols 5 suggested management functions have been condensed to: . Planning . Organising . Leading . Controlling
POLC
Explain the following management function: planning
This includes defining goals, establishing strategy and developing plans to coordinate activities.
Planning ensues that the work to be done is kept in proper focus and that organisational members keep their attention on what is most important.
Explain the following management function: organising
Managers are also responsible for arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organisations goals. This function is calls organising.
This includes determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made.
Explain the following management function: leading
This includes motivating employees, directing the activities of others, selecting the most effective communication channel and resolving conflicts.
