Chapter 1 - Defining Management

Question 1

Define Management

Answer 1

The activity of getting other people to transform resources so that the results add value to the organisation in terms of reaching it’s organisational goals

Question 2

Cons of Management

Answer 2

Time consuming
Expensive
Managers may only make decisions which benefit them

Question 3

Pros of Management

Answer 3

Co-ordinates large number of people so more can be achieved

Increases efficiency and reduces waste

Question 4

How can managerial effectiveness be shown?

Answer 4

In terms of money

Value added per employee - the less employees needed to reach goals the more effective the manager

Question 5

Varieties of managers

Answer 5

Position with regards to ownership
Level in organisation
Relationship in operations

Question 6

‘Position with regards to ownership’

Answer 6

“Owner-managers”
Entrepreneurs
Intrapreneurs

Question 7

5 main entrepreneurial tactics

Answer 7

1. Start a business
2. Buy an existing business
3. Franchise
4. Be incubated by a parent organisation
5. Be spun off from a larger business

Question 8

‘Level in organisation’

Answer 8

First-line managers
Middle managers
Senior managers

Question 9

First-line managers

Answer 9

Junior managers, supervisors, team leaders
Direct day to day activities of subordinates
Large span of control
New issue every one or two mins (583 a day)

Question 10

Middle managers

Answer 10

Manage first-line managers
Co-ordinate and liase
Convert strategies and objectives into actions and plans
New issue every nine mins

Question 11

Senior managers

Answer 11

Director, president, CEO
Concerned with future strategy and developing a vision
Responsible for large units of organisation as a whole

Question 12

‘Relationship with production’

Answer 12

Line mangers
Specialist managers
Project managers
Interim managers

Question 13

Line mangers

Answer 13

Directly responsible for production of goods or services

Large span of control

Question 14

Specialist managers

Answer 14

Found in finance, HR, purchasing or IT
Have a narrow but deep range of expertise
Typically called in and co-ordinated by line manager to help with an issue
Can overrule line managers

Question 15

Project managers

Answer 15

In charge of a special project team formed for a specific purpose

Question 16

Interim managers

Answer 16

Employed only for the time it takes to finish a project
Used when people cannot be spared from their other duties
Can also substitute for other managers
Often have a wide range of experience and considerable track record

Question 17

Katz’s three broad skills

Answer 17

1. Conceptual skills (Senior)
   - View situations broadly, think analytically, solve problems
2. Interpersonal skills (Middle)
   - Work effectively with other people and teams
3. Technical skills (First-line)
   - Specialist knowledge of an industry or process

Question 18

Mintzberg and the nature of managerial work

Answer 18

Research using structured observation - 5 CEOs for 5 days
Duration of managerial episodes related to level of management (9 mins on average)
Large variety of activities - must have broad education
Very fragmented
Prefer talking and observing situations as this is faster than formal media

Question 19

Mintzberg’s 10 major roles - Interpersonal

Answer 19

1. Figurehead - symbol of their unit and perform ceremonial duties
2. Leader - inform, motivate and guide subordinates
3. Liaison - Linking their own group to other groups

Question 20

Mintzberg’s 10 major roles - Informational

Answer 20

4. Monitor - collect info on performance of AoR
5. Disseminator - give feedback to subordinates on performance
6. Spokesperson - informs general public about company

Question 21

Mintzberg’s 10 major roles - Decisional

Answer 21

7. Entrepreneur - initiate and engineer change
8. Disturbance handler - take action to get progress back on track after unforeseen events
9. Resource allocator - delegate resources
10. Negotiator - negotiate with external organisations

Question 22

David McClelland - Achievement motivation

Answer 22

The need to do something quicker, better or more efficiently
Industrial revolution preceded 50 years earlier by an increase in achievement motivation
Companies with CEOs with higher AM were more innovative and grew faster

Question 23

Leadership Motivation Profile (LMP)

Answer 23

People at the top of organisations:

• Higher need for power
• Moderate need for achievement
• Low need for affiliation

Question 24

Managerial Competencies (Bristow, 2001)

Answer 24

Seven of the top ten concern relations with other people
Interpersonal and intra personal skills dominate
Communication skills are particularly important
Organisational and analytical abilities are also key

Question 25

Psychometric profiles of managers

Answer 25

Above average intelligence, correlates with managerial level
Intelligence tests are good predictors of managerial activity
Personality is more complex and difficult to measure

Question 26

Managerial personality aspects

Answer 26

Moderately extraverted - sociable and enjoy variety
Emotionally stable - can recover from setbacks
Conscientious - reliable, well organised and considerate
Tough-minded - take responsibility and get things done
Openness to new ideas is related on industry

Question 27

Super’s career stages

Answer 27

Leaving eduction till 25 - Explore a range of jobs without commitment
25 to 35 - Settle down and built up experience
35 to 47 - Extend range of expertise
47+ - Either maintain position or enter a decline

Question 28

Modern management careers

Answer 28

Less stable
People change employers or type of jobs after less than 4 years
10 career changes and several redundancies
Individuals responsibility to improve their skills and experience

Question 29

3 types of worker (Handy, 1989)

Answer 29

Core workers
- Have permanence
- Conform to traditional pattern of bureaucratic careers
Contractual fringe
- Employed on a fee paying basis for specific pieces of work, often have repeat contracts
Hired helps
- Casual employees, employed only when needed

Question 30

Protean career

Answer 30

Person not organisation in in charge 
Core values are very important 
Career spans 20-70 years 
Distinct sub careers 
Recurrent sequence of exploration, trial, establishment, mastery and further exploration