Business foundations SAC 1b Flashcards

1
Q

What are management styles?

A

how a manager goes about accomplishing particular objectives

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2
Q

Management styles: autocratic manager

A
  • manager makes all the decisions and tells employees what tasks to perform
  • communication is one way
  • prefers to have full control
  • no employee input or consultation
  • centralised
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3
Q

Management styles: autocratic manager pros and cons

A

pros

  • decisions are made quickly, no need to consult
  • clear communication to employees
  • employees know exactly what needs to be done
  • decisions are made by an experienced manager

cons

  • no opportunity for employee input, low employee morale
  • very task focused, lack of employee creativity
  • smaller pool of ideas
  • assumption being that the decision made is the correct one
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4
Q

Management styles: autocratic manager best used

A
  • time of business crisis with some being a significant factor
  • when employees lack skills and knowledge
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5
Q

Management styles: persuasive manager

A
  • manager makes all decisions
  • control is centralised
  • no employee input
  • one-way communication
  • manager explains to the employees why the decision has been made
  • more information is given about the decision, the what and why
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6
Q

Management styles: persuasive manager pros and cons

A

pros

  • decisions are made quickly when times an issue
  • clear communication to employees
  • decisions may be more accepted by employees as they are more informed
  • persuading that the decision is right and the work employees do matters will motivate, yield productivity

cons

  • small poll of ideas
  • lack of room for employee creativity and innovation
  • employees may not support reasons for decision
  • no employee input which can lead to low moral and motivation
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7
Q

Management styles: persuasive manager best used

A
  • when employees lack skills and experience

- when time lacks

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8
Q

Management styles: consultative manager

A
  • seeks opinions and feedback from employees
  • centralised as final decision making rests with manager
  • medium level of staff participation
  • two way communication is used
  • manager listens to their views
  • style is task orientated, focused on the end result
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9
Q

Management styles: consultative manager pros and cons

A

pros

  • larger pool of ideas
  • increased motivation of employees as views are listed to

cons

  • time consuming
  • employees may feel undervalued if their idea is over looked
  • some employees may not want to be consulted, may not take it seriously
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10
Q

Management styles: consultative manager best used

A
  • when manager has to solve complex issues
  • when time isn’t urgent
  • employees have experience
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11
Q

Management styles: participative manager

A
  • managers and employees join together
  • decision making is decentralised, manager empowers employees to make decisions
  • communication is two way
  • high level of employee empowerment
  • everyone takes ownership in final decision
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12
Q

Management styles: participative manager pros and cons

A

pros

  • employees can provide feedback and feel valued which will lead to higher moral, likely to be productive
  • empowers employees to use their creativity
  • encourages employees to stay with the business, improve employee retention and reduce staff turnover

cons

  • can be time consuming
  • potential for conflict about best and what decision
  • some employees may not want to be involved, there for do not seriously contribute
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13
Q

Management styles: participative manager best used

A
  • when the issue directly impacts employees
  • the employees are highly skilled and experienced
  • when time isn’t urgent
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14
Q

Management styles: laissez faire manager

A
  • manager allows majority of decision making to be done by employees
  • control is decentralised
  • high level of employee empowerment
  • communication is two way
  • employees plan and develop their own decisions
  • manager still has responsibility of approving decisions
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15
Q

Management styles: laissez faire manager pros and cons

A

pros

  • employee moral and motivation is improved
  • improved communication
  • encourages teamwork, creativity and innovation

cons

  • employees not monitored, loss of management control
  • misuse of business resources, waste/higher costs
  • employees may abuse the privilege and be less productive
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16
Q

Management styles: laissez faire manager best used

A
  • where a high level of creativity is important
  • employees are highly skilled and experienced
  • more time is availiable
17
Q

What is a situational management approach

A
  • selected by applying a range of variables to assist in selecting the most appropriate management style
  • not a management style, its an approach
  • managers alter their management style depending on the situation
  • management style will greatly depend on areas such as:
    • manager preference
    • time
    • experience
    • nature of the task
18
Q

What are management skills?

A

competencies managers use to help them achieve required objectives

19
Q

Management skills: communication

A
  • exchange/ transfer of information
  • ability to listen to feedback/information
  • managers will communicate both internally and externally
  • can be verbal or non-verbal
  • if communication is effective it must be two-way
20
Q

Management skills: delegating

A
  • authority and responsibility is transferred from manager to an employee
  • free up time for the manager
  • manager remains accountable for employee work
  • can help build trust
  • improves skills and experience of employees
21
Q

Management skills: planning

A
  • involves prior thinking that goes into considering how to best achieve a business objective
  • fail to plan = plan to fail
  • gives the business direction and reduces uncertainty
  • three levels: strategic, tactical, operational
  • planning can be used by:
    • set objectives
    • SWOT
    • find alternaties
    • implement
    • monitor
22
Q

Management skills: leading

A
  • ability of a manager to influence, guide and motivate employees towards achieving business objectives
  • leading motivates employees to work towards that direction
  • good leadership leads to improved morale and achievement of objectives
  • good leaders are:
    • has a clear vision
    • coordinating and balancing conflicting interests
    • encourage
    • provide support
    • lead by example
    • mentor
23
Q

Management skills: decision making

A
  • ability to select the most appropriate course of action
  • can be completed by the manager along or as a group
  • can be straight forward to complex
  • managers need to assess the risk associated with each decision
  • common process:
    • identify problem/objective
    • gather information
    • develop alternatives
    • analyse alternatives
    • choose and implement
    • evaluate
24
Q

Management skills: interpersonal

A
  • used by a manager to communicate/interact with others
  • develop positive relationships
  • generally refers to an employees ability to get along with others while getting their job done
  • allows the manager to communicate accurately and honestly yet maintain strong relationships
  • helps build strong culture where relationships are valued
25
Q

What is corporate culture?

A
  • shared values, ideas, expectations and beliefs of individuals with in the business
  • a business where employees share the same values creates a positive environment where employees spend more time together and collaborate more
26
Q

What can a companies corporate culture be identified from?

A
  • the way people dress
  • the language employees use
  • how employees treat each other
  • the slogans and logos used
  • the companies policies
  • the rituals and the way they celebrate events
27
Q

What is official corporate culture?

A
  • what they business intend the culture to be
  • values and beliefs the company is trying to convey to they public
  • can be seen in official documents e.g. mission statement, stated values and policies
28
Q

What is real corporate culture?

A
  • actual values and beliefs present in the company
  • unwritten or informal rules and values that the people within the business have
  • can be seen in areas such as overriding management style, way staff dress, how employees treat each other and the customers
29
Q

Strategies for developing corporate culture

A
  • lead by example
  • bring in customer service training
  • establish social gathers and team bonding events
  • establish policies to enforce the expected values
  • reward employees who demonstrate the correct values
  • training inline with desired culture