business functions

Question 1

two different approaches to HR?

Answer 1

hard vs soft approach= hard emphasises the resources aspect and soft emphasises the human aspect

Question 2

what is the harvard 4 c’s model of HRM?

Answer 2

commitment, competence, congruence and cost-effectiveness

Question 3

guidance for managing an IT function?

Answer 3

monitoring, planning, structure, staffing and skills

Question 4

What is a marketing orientated business?

Answer 4

one which accepts the needs of potential customers as the basis of its operations = success based on developing and marketing products which satisfy those needs

Question 5

sales orientation?

Answer 5

i.e. pressure selling= purpose is to sell more of the product or service which they already have available

Question 6

production orientation?

Answer 6

business is preoccupied with making as many units as possible

Question 7

product orientation?

Answer 7

the company falls in love with its product- often seen with high-tech industries

Question 8

customer

Answer 8

the person who purchases and pays for a good or service

Question 9

consumer

Answer 9

the ultimate user of the good or service

Question 10

what goods are sold in consumer markets?

Answer 10

FMCG’s and consumer durables

Question 11

what are industrial markets?

Answer 11

B2B e.g. oil

Question 12

what is marketing segmentation?

Answer 12

division of the market into homogenous groups of potential customers that may be treated similarly for marketing purposes

Question 13

markeitng mix?

Answer 13

set of controllable marketing variables that a firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market- kotler

Question 14

what are the 4 p’s of marketing mix?

Answer 14

product, price, promotion, place

Question 15

what are the 4 types of promotion?

Answer 15

sales promotion, advertising, public relations, personal selling

Question 16

pull promotion?

Answer 16

persauding the ultimate consumer to buy

Question 17

push promotion?

Answer 17

ensuring products/services are available to consumers by encouraging intermediaries eg. sainsburys, to stock items

Question 18

what are the three extra p’s for services marketing mix?

Answer 18

people, processes, physical evidence

Question 19

what variables does operations management balance?

Answer 19

demand, resources, capacity(i.e of machines and people), inventory levels, performance of the process which creates the goods or services

Question 20

what are the 4 factors of procurement mix>

Answer 20

quantity, quality, price, ‘lead time’

Question 21

What is the technostructure of a company?

Answer 21

specialists in functional areas such as IT or HR

Question 22

What is the strateig apex?

Answer 22

MD

Question 23

middle line?

Answer 23

middle line of managers

Question 24

fayols 14 principles of organisational structure?

Answer 24

division of work 
scalar chain 
correspondence of authority and responsibility 
appropriate centralisation 
unity of command
unity of direction
initiative
subordination
discipline
order
stability
equity
renumeration
esprit de corps

Question 25

simple strucutre

Answer 25

simple dynamic
small, young, simple tasks
strategic apex
direct supervision

Question 26

machine bureacracy/functional

Answer 26

simple static
large, old,regulation
technostructure
standardisation of work

Question 27

professional bureaucracy

Answer 27

complex, static
professional,simple systems
operating core
standardisation of skills

Question 28

divisionalised

Answer 28

simple, static, diverse
very large, old, divisible tasks
middle line
standardisation of outputs

Question 29

adhocracy/innovation

Answer 29

complex dynamic
young complex tasks
operating core
mutual adjustment

Question 30

what is the matrix structure?

Answer 30

formalises vertical and lateral lines of communication
may be temporary i.e a one off contract
managers are appointed for projects or customers and liase with managers from each function
LOOKS LIKE A GRID

Question 31

who is the matrix structure suitable for?

Answer 31

r and d departmenrs
educational establishments where lectureres report to both subject and course heads
complex/high tech industries

Question 32

what is centralisation?

Answer 32

when decision making is concentrated in one place i.e the strategic apex

Question 33

what is distributed ledger technology (blockchain)

Answer 33

data shared across organisations network and also could be shared across organisations which have a shared interest

Question 34

what is span of control?

Answer 34

the number of people (subordinates) reporting to one person

Question 35

what determines the shape of an organisation?

Answer 35

management hierarchy

Question 36

scalar chain

Answer 36

chain of command from the most senior role to the most junior role

Question 37

tall business

Answer 37

narrow pans of control, large number of levels in management hierarchy

Question 38

flat business

Answer 38

small number of hierarchical levels= wide spans of control

Question 39

mechanistic business?

Answer 39

stable, efficient and suitable for slow changing environemnts

Question 40

organic businesses

Answer 40

flexible, adaptive and suitable for fast changing or dynamic environments

Question 41

what sort of structure is bureaucracy?

Answer 41

mechanistic