Chapter 3: Management and Entrepeneurship Flashcards
Management
Taking responsibility for the innovative use of resources in order to achieve business goals
* Directing the business
* Making sure the business is sustainable
* Using resources to achieve business goals
* Making decisions that ensure that the business wil survive in an ever-changing environment
Levels of management
- Top level
- Middle level
- Lower level
At the end of the day all levels do the same basic thing, just to differ
Top Level Management
- Make strategic decisions
- Having to consider the demands of different interest groups
- Responsible for the overall performance and results of the business within the market share
Middle Level management
- Make tactical decisions
- Interpret top level’s decisions
- Decisions are then implemented while they ensure synergy of all departments
Lower Level Management
- Make day to day decisions
- Make decisions for the daily operations of the departments within the parameters of the business policies and procedures for those departments
Planning
Combining creative and logical thinking to improve the future performance of the business
* Principles of effective planning
* Importance of planning
* Steps in the planning process
Principles of effective planning
- Future must be anticipated in order to bridge the gap between where the business is currrently and where its future achievements and goals are
- Decision makers have to discuss, debate, and formulate the business’s vision, mission, policies, objectives, and procedures
- Management has to plan where and how resources are going to be obtained
- Flexibility
- Discussing decisions with the manager’s superior to make sure its realistic
Imprtance of planning
- Making sure that all business decisions are aimed at the vision and mission
- Attention is focused on the business objectives
- Helps management prepare for changes and helps them be more proactive
- Ensures the integreation of business functions
- Plans can be used as benchmarks/ standards to perform at
Steps in planning process
- Establishing objectives- Management must determine direction of the business which will thus determine the vision, mission, and objectives
- Decidnig on a planning period- achieve long-term or short-term objeectives
- Considering alternatives- Having contigency plans and choosing the msot feasible and viable option
- implementing the plan- executing the chosen option and making sure theres the necessary resources in place
- Control- Making sure the objectives are reached according to the benchmarks set.
Organising
- Steps that need to be undertaken to ensure the business objectives are achieved
- Helps focus all activities toward achieving success
Steps in Organising
- Considering objectives
- Identifying and grouping actvities
- Assigning duties
- Delegating authority
Considering Objectives
Manager must make sure that business knows what the objectives are and the importance in achieving them
Identifying and grouping activities
Business must know which activities are important in achieving the objectives. Knowing what activities need to be done helps the business avoid unnecessary mistakes
Assigning duties
Once activities have been set, tasks will given to the workers of different teams to make sure they know what is expected of them. Then resources are given to those teams to help them accomplish those tasks.
Delegating authority
Necessary authority is given to subordinates to make sure that tasks are in line with objectives
Advantages of organising
- Patterns of communication- Organising people in a logical manner helps to create communication structure
- Stimulates growth- A flexible structure/framework will promote growth because the business will be able to create new opportunities
- Creates proper balance- Balance is created when activities of the same importance are given to the same level of management
- Encourages creativity- People’s creativity is stimulated when they are forced to focus at the task at hand
- Authorty and responsibilty-organising helps identify which stakeholder is responsible for what task
Principles of leadership
- Harmony of objectives- Manager must ensure that the business’s objectives are achieved as well as the staff’s personal ones
- Effective communications- Make sure all employees understand the procedures and policies of their responsibilty
- Unison of direction- Employees know they must report to and get instructions from
- Direct supervision- When a manager has a more personal approach and knows personal details about his employees
- Follow Up- Manager must be aware of staff’s difficulties and be able to accomodate to them without micro managing