Chapter 7 - Management Approaches Flashcards
What is span of control
Number of workers that a manager directly controls
Small or narrow span of control = more levels of hierarchy = poorer communication
What is a chain of command
Strict line of authority that extends from the top of the pyramid down to the lowest levels
E.g. Military, police = long chain of command
What makes a classical management approach (and a good one, according to Max Weber)
- a strict hierarchal structure
- clear lines of responsibility and communication
- division of labour and specialisation
- impersonal evaluation of performance
- formal record keeping
Specialisation and division of labour in a classical approach
- devisions of labour = tasks are divided into smaller tasks and employees are assigned specific or specialised tasks
- simple and repetitive
- e.g. Henry Ford, McDonalds
What is bureaucracy
- the set of rules and regulations that control a business
What is red-tape?
- excessive regulation that hinders and prevents action or decision-making
What are Taylor’s four principles of scientific management?
- scientifically examine each part of a task to determine the most efficient method for performing it
- select suitable workers and train them to use the scientifically developed work methods
- cooperate with workers to guarantee they use the scientific methods
- divide work and responsibility: managers responsible for planning, organising and controlling the scientific work methods; workers responsible for carrying out the work as planned
What did Ford develop?
The assembly line
What did Frederick Taylor do?
Systemised the way he believed work should be done: scientific management.
Behavioural management
- working with employees
- the idea that employees are motivated by more than just monetary rewards
- communication between managers and workers
- democratic leadership as opposed to autocratic
- leading, motivating and communication
Why was behavioural management developed
- improvements in technology
- cost saving due to 1990s recession
- removal of middle layers of management
- multi-skilled workers
- highly educated + skilled workforce
Does behavioural management have a wide or narrow span of control
Wide
Chain of command in behavioural managment
- flexible and responsive to change
- smaller number of steps in chain of command
- improved communication
Flat organisational structure (behavioural)
- characterised by teamwork: group of people working interactively; coordinating work to achieve a common goal
- characterised by multi-skilled employees: must be able to make decisions; self-directed; have direct input into decisions and operations of the business
Democratic leadership
- employees encouraged to participate in decision making, share opinions and ideas
- managers make decisions based on the business’s goals AND employees viewpoint
- participative
- supportive leadership
What is contingency approach
Stresses the need for flexibility and adaptation of management practices and ideas to suit changing circumstances
What are the three types of management approaches
- classical
- behavioural
- contingency
Advantages of classical/scientific approach
- promotional opportunities
- less staff for managers to oversee
- smaller tasks = easier and cheaper training of staff
- fast and efficient
- can employ lower skilled workers
- clear lines of authority
- money used to motivate
Disadvantages of scientific/classic
- poor communication due to narrow hierarchal structure
- poor quality
- employees lack job satisfaction, leading to high staff turnover
- many unnecessary levels of power
- lots of red tape = makes change/adapt slower
- lack of creativity = no innovation
- decisions likely to be poorer as less people’s views and ideas considered
- no human consideration
Advantages of behavioural
- wide hierarchal structure = better communication
- job satisfaction = low staff turnover
- decisions likely to be better as more people’s ideas and views considered
- creativity can lead to innovation
- workers have a wider range of skills
- lack of red tape allows decisions to be made quicker
Disadvantages of behavioural
- no promotional opportunities
- more people for one manager to look after
- can take longer to complete a job
- can be less organised
- more expensive to train workers
- decision making can be slow
5 of the 10 commandments a modern manager should be/do
- Share your vision with all relevant stakeholders
- Manage the relationships and the coalitions, not the employees
- Learn to thrive on diversity, not conformity
- Lead, rather than simply managing, by inspiring trust and motivation.
- Manage your own emotions, and help others to maintain an emotional balance.
A participative or democratic leadership style
Where the manager consults with employees to ask their suggestions and then seriously considers these suggestions when making decisions.
Management in a behavioural circumstance:
- motivating
- skilled communicator
- leader
- encourages teamwork
