Chapter 8 Management

Question 1

What is a manager?

Answer 1

A manager is responsible for setting objectives, organising resources and motivating staff so that the organisation’s aims are met

Question 2

what are managers responsible for?

Answer 2

1 Setting objectives and planning
2 Organising resources to meet the objectives
3 Directing and motivating staff
4 Coordinating activities
5 Controlling and measuring performance against targets

Question 3

what did Henry Mintzberg identify?

Answer 3

identified ten roles common to the work of all managers

Question 4

What are the 3 group that Henry Mintzberg identify?

Answer 4

Interpersonal roles
Informational roles
Decisional roles

Question 5

what is Leadership?

Answer 5

Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people towards achieving a common objective

Question 6

what are Leadership styles?

Answer 6

Leadership (or management) style refers to the way in which managers take decisions and communicate with their staff.

Question 7

what are the 3 leadership styles?

Answer 7

1 Autocratic (or authoritarian)
2 Democratic
3 Laissez-faire

Question 8

Autocratic leadership?

Answer 8

Autocratic leadership is a style of leadership that keeps all decision making at the centre of the organisation

Question 9

Democratic leadership?

Answer 9

Democratic leadership is a leadership style that promotes the active participation of workers in taking decisions

Question 10

Laissez-faire leadership?

Answer 10

Laissez-faire leadership is a leadership style that leaves much of the business decision making to the workforce – a ‘hands-off’ approach and the reverse of the autocratic style

Question 11

Autocratic main features

Answer 11

1 leader takes all decisions
2 supervises workers closely
3 only one-way communication

Question 12

Autocratic drawbacks

Answer 12

1 de-motivates staff who want to contribute and accept responsibility
2 decisions do not benefit from staff input

Question 13

Autocratic possible applications

Answer 13

Where and when quick decisions are needed e.g. emergency situations

Question 14

what falls under Interpersonal roles?

Answer 14

1 Figurehead
2 Leader
3 Liaison

Question 15

what falls under Informational roles?

Answer 15

1 Monitor (receiver)
2 Disseminator
3 Spokesperson

Question 16

what falls under Decisional roles?

Answer 16

1 Entrepreneur
2 Disturbance handler
3 Resource allocator
4 Negotiator

Question 17

Leadership positions in business?

Answer 17

Directors
Manager
Supervisor
Team leader
Worker’s representative

Question 18

Main features of Democratic?

Answer 18

1 worker participation encouraged

2 two-way communication used, which allows feedback from staff

Question 19

Drawbacks of democratic?

Answer 19

1 consultation with staff can be time consuming

2 on occasions, quick decision making will be required

Question 20

Possible applications of Democratic?

Answer 20

an experienced and flexible workforce will be likely to benefit most from this style

Question 21

Main features of Laissez-faire

Answer 21

managers delegate virtually all authority and decision-making powers

Question 22

Drawbacks of Laissez-faire

Answer 22

workers may not appreciate the lack of structure and direction in their work – this could lead to a loss of security

Question 23

Possible applications of Laissez-faire

Answer 23

May be appropriate in creative industries where experts are likely to arrive at inventions and solutions

Question 24

What is McGregor’s Theory?

Answer 24

According to Douglas McGregor (1950), one of the most important determinants of leadership style is the attitude of managers towards their workers

McGregor identified two distinct management approaches to the workforce and he called these,

Theory X
Theory Y

Question 25

What did Theory X managers believe

Answer 25

workers: 1 dislike work 2 will avoid responsibility 3 are not creative It was Autocratic leadership style

Question 26

what did Theory Y managers believe?

Answer 26

workers: 1 enjoy their work 2 will accept responsibility 3 are creative it was a Democratic leadership style

Question 27

Emotional intelligence (EI)

Answer 27

Emotional intelligence is the ability of managers to understand their own emotions, and those of the people they work with, to achieve better business performance

Question 28

what are the 4 competencies of Emotional intelligence?

Answer 28

Self-awareness Self-management Social awareness Social skills

Question 29

Self-awareness?

Answer 29

knowing what we feel is important and using that to guide decision-making

Question 30

Self-management?

Answer 30

being able to recover quickly from stress, being trustworthy and conscientious, showing initiative and self-control

Question 31

Social awareness?

Answer 31

sensing what others are feeling, being able to take their views into account and being able to ‘get on’ with a wide range of people

Question 32

Social skills?

Answer 32

handling emotions in relationships well and accurately understanding different social situations; using social skills to persuade, negotiate and lead

Question 33

The ‘best’ leadership style?

Answer 33

Democratic leadership – involving participation and two-way communication – is increasingly common, for a number of reasons. Working people are better educated than ever before and have higher expectations of their experiences from work – they expect higher-level needs to be partly satisfied at work.