Chapter 9

Question 1

The administrative manager is responsible for

Answer 1

-Effective communication
-Office Layout
-Office equipment and furniture
-Office procedures
-Workflow
-Form analysis
-Systems analysis and design

Question 2

Managing information effectively and strategically results in

Answer 2

-reduced costs
-Reduced uncertainty and risk
-Added value to existing products and services
-Creation of new value

Question 3

The administrative function is responsible for

Answer 3

The orderly collection, processing, storing and distributing of information to decision-makers and managers within the organisation and other role players outside the organisation to enable then to execute their tasks

Question 4

What is Data

Answer 4

=Facts in raw form
-Its unprocessed material that can be seen as potential information.
-Its used by machines and is useless unless its processed to create information

Question 5

What is Information

Answer 5

=Data that has been processed into useful content
-Its used by managers to initiate actions, make decisions and manage their sections

Question 6

Define information systems

Answer 6

A group of people, procedures and resources that collect, transform and distribute information in an organisation

Question 7

Types of information systems

Answer 7

-Manual (PEN AND PAPER)
-Informal (ORAL)
-Computer based

Question 8

Define management

Answer 8

The process of utilising an organisation’s resources to achieve specific objectives through the functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling

Question 9

Management roles/behaviours

Answer 9

-Interpersonal
-Decisional
-Informational

Question 10

Discuss the interpersonal management role/behavior

Answer 10

Formal authority and superior status therefore managers engage in a fair share of interpersonal contact with employees who have to report to thme

Question 11

Discuss the Decisional management role/behavior

Answer 11

Managers have to balance competing interests, make decisions, implement strategies and ensure they’re executed

Question 12

Discuss the Informational management role/behavior

Answer 12

Managers are accountable for information that relates to various business-related tasks at hand or issues that might occur that have to be resolved

Question 13

The role of the administrative function within the organisation

Answer 13

-It doesn’t generate income for the organisation instead it renders a service and provides specialised support to individuals and other organisational functions

-Therefore the administrative manager must keep up with technological developments

-Continuous training is necessary to ensure that the administrative function functions optimally and productively

Question 14

The positions that manage and execute all the activities in this function will depend on different factors and are governed by

Answer 14

-The size of the organisation:
The larger the organisation the more specialised the positions in this function become

-The type of industry:
Primary, secondary or Tertiary.
The needs and requirements in each sector are different

-The policy and psychology of top management

Question 15

The role of the administrative manager

Answer 15

They’re responsible for:
-Managing the activities in an organisation that relate to information

-Combining people, technology, material, money and sources of information so organisational goals are achieved

-Managing the administrative function by planning, organising, leading and controlling all admin activities and HR related activities

Question 16

The external role players and the information needed include

Answer 16

-Government requiring information on health, safety and other issues

-Banks that would like to know how their clients are doing

-Any other external person/ entity that requires information

-Suppliers who need to know about their future order quantities

Question 17

Top management would need information externally about the following

Answer 17

-General economic variables: exchange rates, interest rates, etc

-Government Acts and Regulations

-Competitors in the market

-Technological changes and new development

Question 18

Information needed about the business itself for long term planning and policy documents

Answer 18

-Population and other social trends

-The impact of new technology

-Changing consumer patterns and behaviour

-The trends of income and expenses involved in product lines

Question 19

The information needs of functional (middle-level) managers

Answer 19

They need information to enable them to assist top management in planning, developing and implementing policies as well as manage their individual functions effectively

Question 20

The internal information needs of supervisors (lower level management)

Answer 20

They need information to enable them to function on a day-to-day basis to control daily operations.

-They obtain information from pre-determined schedules, Gannt Charts, budgets and feedback from employees

Question 21

The flow of information

Answer 21

Intelligence information: gathered from the external environment

-Public information: distributed to the external environment

-Top Management: Formulate strategy, long-term plans and objectives and make strategic decisions

-Middle (Functional) Management: Formulate tactical plans and objectives, provide functional strategy and guidelines for first-line managers

-Lower-level Management (Supervisors):Implement operational plans and objectives, make on the spot decisions, transact day to day business operations

Question 22

Requirements for useful information

Answer 22

-Correct and accurate
-Must be relevant
-Be clear and detailed
-Needs to be complete
-Should be understandable

Question 23

What is the primary purpose/behaviour of the administrative manager of the future

Answer 23

To process information and communicate it to stakeholders

Question 24

Other behaviours of the administrative manager of the future

Answer 24

-Change management in the changing environment

-Implementing new technology in the workplace

-Addressing diversity in ages, cultures, beliefs, habits and attitudes

-Including employees in the decision making process and empower them