CH4: General Management Flashcards
What are the four primary management tasks?
Planning, Organising, Leading, and Controlling.
Why is planning considered the first task of management?
It sets goals and strategies, aligning the organisation’s activities for efficient goal achievement.
What are the three levels of planning and who is responsible for each?
Strategic – Top management
Functional – Middle management
Operational – Lower/middle management
What are Porter’s three generic strategies?
Cost leadership
Differentiation
Focus strategy
What is a turnaround strategy?
A strategic plan to reverse declining performance as soon as possible.
What is the purpose of functional strategies?
To align departmental plans with business and corporate-level strategies and maintain competitive advantage.
What are the seven steps of the planning process?
Awareness of opportunities
Define mission and vision
Develop planning premises
Identify alternative plans
Evaluate alternatives
Select plan
Convert plan to budget
Why is budgeting important in the planning process?
It converts objectives into financial terms, allowing resource allocation and performance tracking.
What is the goal of the organising function?
To structure tasks, resources, and people to implement plans efficiently and achieve objectives.
What is multi-skilling, and why is it important?
Teaching staff to perform multiple tasks; it improves efficiency, reduces dependency, and supports leaner structures.
What is the systems approach in organising?
Viewing the organisation as interconnected units that work together toward shared goals.
How does organising link to the planning function?
It provides the structure and resource allocation necessary to implement the plan.
What does ‘unity of command’ mean?
Each employee should report to only one supervisor to avoid confusion and conflicting instructions.
What is ‘span of control’?
The number of subordinates that can be effectively supervised by a manager.
Define ‘division of labour.’
Breaking down work into specialised tasks to increase focus, efficiency, and expertise.
What is the role of coordination in an organisation?
To integrate tasks and ensure departments and teams are aligned with organisational goals.
What is the difference between responsibility and authority?
Responsibility: Obligation to perform tasks.
Authority: Right to make decisions and command resources.
They must be balanced and clearly defined.
What is departmentalisation?
Grouping related activities into units based on focus:
Functional (internal)
Product, customer, or geographic (external)
Why is organising critical to management?
It provides structure, assigns accountability, facilitates coordination, and enables efficient execution of plans.
What is leadership in a business context?
The process by which a person influences others to achieve organisational goals willingly and enthusiastically.
What are the 5 types of power a leader can hold?
Legitimate – from formal position
Reward – ability to offer incentives
Coercive – power to punish
Referent – based on charisma/respect
Expert – from skills/knowledge
Why is referent power considered personal power?
Because it’s based on admiration and trust, not formal authority.
How can a leader manage themselves effectively?
Through:
Effective communication
Ethical behaviour
Initiative and time management
Objective focus and lifelong learning.
Why is continuous learning essential for leaders?
It helps them adapt to change, improve performance, and guide teams effectively in a dynamic environment.
What’s the key difference between leadership and management?
Management: Plans and controls resources to ensure predictable results.
Leadership: Inspires and motivates people toward a shared vision and change.
Can someone be a manager without being a leader?
Yes, but they may struggle to motivate teams or drive innovation. The best managers are also effective leaders.
What is the purpose of the control function in management?
To ensure all organisational activities are carried out as planned, goals are achieved, and deviations are corrected.
Name the 3 types of control and their focus points.
Pre-control – Inputs (e.g. raw materials)
Concurrent control – Processes (e.g. manufacturing)
Post-control – Outputs (e.g. product quality)
What are the four steps in the control process?
Set performance standards
Measure performance
Evaluate performance
Take corrective action
Why is benchmarking used in controlling?
To compare organisational performance with industry best practices and identify improvement areas.
What are the three types of managerial decisions?
Routine (low risk)
Adaptive (medium risk, improvement-focused)
Innovative (high risk, creative solutions)
What is the first step in the rational decision-making process?
Define and diagnose the problem.
Why is follow-up important in decision-making?
It ensures the decision was effective and allows for adjustments if needed.
What does the shift to digital management involve?
Adopting digital tools for all business functions
Hiring leaders with digital expertise
Upskilling employees for the digital era
Why is digital leadership important today?
To guide organisations through digital transformation and build a workforce capable of operating in the digital economy.
What are the four primary management tasks?
Planning, Organising, Leading, and Controlling (POLC).
Why are the primary management tasks considered interdependent?
Because they influence and support one another—planning guides actions, organising allocates resources, leading motivates execution, and controlling ensures alignment.
How do supportive tasks like decision-making and environmental analysis relate to core management functions?
They enhance the effectiveness of the core functions by enabling informed planning, adaptable structures, proactive leadership, and accurate performance evaluation.
What is the ultimate goal of integrating management functions?
To transform resources into competitive goods and services efficiently and effectively in a changing environment.
