Chapter 2: evolution of management

Question 1

Believes that, the typical employee is lazy, hates work and will do as little as possible, the manager should micro-manage and emphasize punishment.

Answer 1

X managers theory

Question 2

Believes that the typical employee is not lazy, doesn’t hate work and will do what’s best for the firm, manager does not ned to micromanage and should emphasize rewards.

Answer 2

Y theory managers

Question 3

There is no “one best way”. What is best ‘depends on the situation.

Answer 3

Contingency theory

Question 4

Is a routine, straightforward decision managers make very often. When making a programed decision, a manager seeks to achieve the goal of a smart, fair, and quick decision. To achieve that goal, the manager should use a strategy of relying on decision rules, policies and/or procedures to make smart decisions swiftly. By doing so, the manager avoids becoming bogged down; this paralysis can cause managers to fail to make additional programmed decisions and also to have insufficient time to make harder, non-programed decisions.

Answer 4

programed decision

Question 5

is a difficult, complex and important decision a manager makes very infrequently. This kind of decision can have a major impact on the organization. When making a non-programmed decision, a manager seeks to achieve the goal of a smart, unhurried decision. To achieve that goal, a manager should collect as much information as possible, since the decision quality usually improves when the deciders have more information. When making non-programmed decisions, firms should rely on experienced managers’ intuitions and/or group-decision-making

Answer 5

non-programed decision

Question 6

group-decision making typically leads to better ______ than does an individual’s decision-making

Answer 6

non-programmed decisions

Question 7

The advantages of group decision making When focusing on non-programed decisions are:

Answer 7

(1) more people involved can collect more information than one person can, which improves decision quality; (2) more people can develop more alternative solutions to a problem/decision than one person can, because many people likely know more than one person knows and because one person’s comment may give another person an idea (the ping-pong effect); (3) group members promote creative problem-solving via brainstorming; (4) group members can correct each other’s errors; and (5) more people involved in making the decision means there will be more people committed to carrying out the decision effectively (since the decision’s success or failure reflects back on them).

Question 8

disadvantages of group decision making.

Answer 8

(1) greater time required for a group to make a decision; (2) if group members fail to achieve consensus, this disagreement may mean that no decision is made: paralysis by analysis; and (3) Groupthink, the mistake made when decision-making managers place more importance on maintaining group harmony and avoiding conflict instead of placing high importance on good decision-making

Question 9

non-programmed decisions, managers typically satisfice (making an acceptable, “good enough” decision) rather than maximize/optimize (making the ideal, perfect decision)

Answer 9

(1) basing a decision on ambiguous information – information that may not be what it appears to be; (2) having limited time in which to make a decision; and (3) bounded rationality - the human inability to collect, absorb, and remember all information perfectly.