Chapter Two - Internal Environment of Large Scale Organisations

Question 0

What is Management Hierarchy?

Answer 0

Management hierarchy is the arrangement that provides increasing authority at higher levels of the hierarchy.

Question 1

What is Management Structure?

Answer 1

Management structure is a term used to describe the ways in which the management, employees and resources of an organisation are formally arranged to achieve objectives.

Question 2

What is Chain of Command (or line authority)?

Answer 2

A chain of command or line authority is a system that determines responsibility, supervision and accountability of members of the organisation.

Question 3

What is Unity of Command?

Answer 3

The principle of unity of command states that each employee within an organisation should report to only one supervisor.

Question 4

What is Span of Control?

Answer 4

Span of control refers to the number of people for whom a manager is directly responsible.

Question 5

What is Functional Structure?

Answer 5

Functional structure involves grouping employees together according to the tasks or jobs they will perform (task structure).

Question 6

What is Divisional Structure?

Answer 6

A divisional structure groups employees together according to divisions that may be geographical, or customer or product focused.

Question 7

What is a Matrix Structure?

Answer 7

The matrix structure involves bringing together specialists from different parts of the organisation to solve specific problems or to undertake specific projects in teams.

Question 8

What is Corporate Culture?

Answer 8

Corporate culture refers to the values, ideas, expectations and beliefs shared by members of the organisation.

Question 9

What is Planning?

Answer 9

Planning is the process of setting objectives and deciding on the methods to achieve them.

Question 10

What is Strategic Planning?

Answer 10

Strategic planning is long-term planning, usually over two to five years.

Question 11

What is Tactical Planning?

Answer 11

Tactical planning is flexible, adaptable, medium-term planning, usually over one to two years, which assists in implementing the strategic plan.

Question 12

What is Operational Planning?

Answer 12

Operational planning provides specific details about the way in which the organisation will operate in the short term.

Question 13

What is the SWOT Analysis?

Answer 13

A SWOT analysis involves the identification and analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of the orgaanisation, and the opportunities in, and threats from, the external environment.

Question 14

What is Organising?

Answer 14

Organising is the process of arranging resources and tasks to achieve objectives.

Question 15

What is Leading?

Answer 15

Leading is the process of influencing or motivating people to work towards the achievement of the organisation’s objectives.

Question 16

What is Controlling?

Answer 16

Controlling is the process of evaluating performance and taking corrective action to ensure that the set objectives are being achieved.

Question 17

What is a Policy?

Answer 17

A policy is a set of broad guidelines to be followed by all employees when dealing with important areas of decision making.

Question 18

What is a Procedure?

Answer 18

A procedure is a series of actions enabling a policy to be put into practice. It can also be used to resolve a dispute brought about by a breach of a policy.

Question 19

What is Management Style?

Answer 19

Management style refers to the behaviour and attitude of the manager.

Question 20

What is an Autocratic Management Style?

Answer 20

An autocratic management style is one where the manager tells staff what decisions have been made.

Question 21

What is a Persuasive Management Style?

Answer 21

A persuasive management style is one where the manager attempts to sell decisions made.

Question 22

What is a Consultative Management Style?

Answer 22

A consultative management style is one where the manager consults employees before making decisions.

Question 23

What is a Participative Management Style?

Answer 23

A participative management style is one where the manager unites with staff to make decisions together.

Question 24

What is a Laissez-faire Management Style?

Answer 24

A laissez-faire management style is one where the employees assume total responsibility for, and control of, workplace operations.

Question 25

What is Contingency Management Theory?

Answer 25

Contingency management theory stresses the need for flexibility and the adaptation of management styles to suit the situation.

Question 26

What is Communication?

Answer 26

Communication involves the ability to transfer information from a sender to a receiver, and to listen to feedback.

Question 27

What is Delegation?

Answer 27

Delegation is the transfer of authority and responsibility from a manager to an employee to carry out specific activities.

Question 28

What is Negotiation?

Answer 28

Negotiation skills involve the ability to resolve a dispute or to produce a satisfactory agreement on a course of action.

Question 29

What does Empower mean?

Answer 29

To empower employees is to include them fully in the decision-making process, provide them with autonomy, and give them the necessary trust, training and devolopment, and reward to enable them to work as team.

Question 30

What is Team/group Dynamics?

Answer 30

Team/group dynamics are the interaction of individuals within teams/groups.

Question 31

What is Problem Solving?

Answer 31

Problem solving is a broad set of activities involved in searching for, identifying and then implementing a course of action to correct an unworkable situation.

Question 32

What are Technical Skills?

Answer 32

Technical skills involve the ability to perform tasks in a specialised field.

Question 33

What is Time Managment?

Answer 33

Time management involves the ability to prioritise tasks, set deadlines, review progress and delegate.

Question 34

What is Stress Management?

Answer 34

Stress management involves the ability to manage the levels of stress that develop in employees.

Question 35

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Answer 35

Emotional intelligence is the skill of identifying, assessing and managing the emotions of self and others.

Question 36

What is Ethical Management?

Answer 36

Ethical management refers to the process of abiding by moral standards and doing the ‘right’ thing in the interests of all stakeholders.

Question 37

What is an Audit?

Answer 37

An audit is an independent check of the accuracy of financial records and accounting procedures.

Question 38

What is a Corporate Code of Conduct?

Answer 38

A corporate code of conduct is a set of ethical standards for managers and employees to uphold.

Question 39

What is Social Responsibility?

Answer 39

Social responsibility is the obligations a business has over and above its legal responsibilities to the wellbeing of employees and customers, shareholders and the community as well as the environment.

Question 40

What is a Social Report?

Answer 40

A social report outlines what an organisation has done, and is doing, with regard to social issues.

Question 41

What is a Bureaucratic Structure?

Answer 41

Bureaucratic structures are hierarchal management structures, where everyone knows their status and position in the organisation and there is lots of red tape (LOTS of polices and precedures!) making decisions slower.

Benefits include: they consider all aspects of decision making (environment, social, financial).

Question 42

What is a Flat Organisational Structure?

Answer 42

A flat organisational structure has fewer levels of management. They have fewer managers to approve decisions and give greater responsibility to frontline individuals in the organisation.

Positive benefit is that frontline staff know/are in-touch with their customers and can make faster appropriate decisions.

Question 43

What is Centralised Control?

Answer 43

When top managers control all operations and decisions.

Question 44

What is Decentralised Control?

Answer 44

When some control is delegated to lower levels of management in the organisation. Eg. frontline managers making decisions within policy guidelines.

Question 45

What is Ritual?

Answer 45

Rituals are routine behavioural patterns in an organisation’s everyday life that become habitual. Eg. Regular meetings for the sake meetings.

Question 46

What are Interpersonal Qualities?

Answer 46

This quality involves management’s capacity to deal or liaise with people and build positive relationships with staff.

Question 47

What are Informational Qualities?

Answer 47

This quality involves gathering and communicating or sharing data and knowledge.

Question 48

What are Decision-making Qualities?

Answer 48

This quality involves identifying available options and then choosing one course of action from the alternatives.

Question 49

What is Conflict of Interest?

Answer 49

Conflict of interest is a situation in which an organisation/individual is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the values of the organisation/individual. Conflict of interest is an ethical issue in managing a business.

eg. balancing the interests of all stakeholders and not favouring, is important.
eg. directors with a material personal interest in a matter that relates to the affairs of the company must notify other directors of that interest, and disclose the matter.