Introduction

Question 1

The challenges of modern business environment

Answer 1

Globalization, digital economy - managing communication, virtual life

Learning organization - managing, learning

Turbulent environment - managing changes

Organizational issues - inclusive management

Question 2

Skills of managers

Answer 2

Technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills

Question 3

Technical skills

Answer 3

The ability to use specific knowledge, techniques,
and resources in work

Question 4

Human skills

Answer 4

The ability to work with, communicate with subordinates, and understand others, motivate both individuals and groups

Question 5

Conceptual skills (or system thinking)

Answer 5

The ability to see the big picture, the complexities of the overall organization and how the various parts fit together

Question 6

Skills of managers

Answer 6

• Cultural awareness: awareness of how to deal with diversity
• Diagnostic skills: the ability to visualize the most appropriate
  response to the situation
• Communication skills: the ability both to convey ideas and
  information to others and effectively receive ideas and information from others
• Decision-making skills: the ability to correctly recognize and define problems and opportunities, to then select an appropriate course of
  action to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities
• Time management skills: the ability to prioritize work, to work efficiently, and to delegate appropriately

Question 7

Organization

Answer 7

Social system that operates through human activity. People work together for a common goal (it is the goal or the strategy of the organization). They strive for surviving and operating effectively

Question 8

What is management?

Answer 8

Management is
* planning,
* organizing,
* controlling and
* leading
* the financial , physical, information, and human resources
* in an effective and efficient way

Question 9

Planning

Answer 9

Planning is the process of setting objectives, and then determining the steps needed to reach them.

Question 10

Planning—Subfunctions

Answer 10

• Forecasting: predicting the future with statistical tools, models
• Defining politics: politics of operation and behavior: ways to achieve strategic goals, e.g., laid-down rules
• Goal setting: setting quantitative indicators (for working out strategy)
• Programme planning: plan of activities, helps people stay with a right way of performing
• Scheduling: planning the achievement of objectives over time → reporting results from time to time
• Cost analysis: needed for planning costs an revenues
• Process planning: definition of main, operating processes and supplementary or

Question 11

Organizing

Answer 11

Organizing is the process of assigning duties to personnel and coordinating employee efforts in order to ensure maximum effectiveness.

Question 12

Organizing —Subfunctions

Answer 12

• Job design: job description; + development: specialization, job rotation, job enrichment
• Resource allocation: aligning tasks and people and other necessary resources
• Coordination: tools to make people work together (e.g., laid-down rules, teamwork)
• Departmentalization, organizational structure: based on activities, knowledge and external factors (e.g., environment), thoughts of shareholders

Question 13

Controlling

Answer 13

Controlling is concerned with guiding and regulating the activities of an organization, or any constituent parts of the organization, by means of management judgement, decision, and action, for the purpose of
attaining agreed objectives

Question 14

Leading

Answer 14

Leading is influencing the behavior of organizational members; the process of influencing people to direct their efforts toward the achievement of some particular goals.

Question 15

Leading—Subfunctions

Answer 15

• Selection: sufficient number of employees, choosing from applicants
• Development, training: knowledge, skills, competencies
• Decision-making: about opportunities, scarce resources
• Motivation: praise, money, company car or cell-phone (fringe benefits), promotion
• Coaching: relying on knowledge and experience
• Communication: positive results and problems

Question 16

Levels of management

Answer 16

Strategic - top management => Chief Executive Officer (Business organization), President (Educational institution), Cabinet secretary (Government organization)

Tactical - middle management => Superintendent manager (Business organization), Vice president dean (Educational institution), Commissioner (Government organization)

Operational - first-line managers => Supervisor (Business organization), Department chairperson (Educational institution), Program manager (Government organization)

Question 17

Managerial Roles

Answer 17

Interpersonal roles: figurehead, leader, liaison(link)

Informational roles: monitor, information distributor, spokesperson

Decisional roles: entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator

Question 18

Interpersonal Roles

Answer 18

Managers have interpersonal roles to coordinate and interact with employees and provide direction to the organization.

Figurehead role: People taking up this role have to be highly visible to stakeholders and they have to be recognized as the symbol of the organization.

Leader role: It may involve
motivating, inspiring,
encouraging others. Leaders have to demonstrate qualities
that others admire, they should make people accept and support their views regarding the mission and vision of the organization they represent.

Liaison role: It is used to link and coordinate people inside and outside the organization to help
achieve goals. This may involve communicating with a diverse range of people representing many different groups such as
government, trade unions,
consumer groups, suppliers, industry regulators, etc.

Question 19

Informational Roles

Answer 19

Informational roles are associated with the tasks needed to obtain and transmit information for the management of the organization.

Monitor role: It requires managers to analyze information from both the internal and external environment as a means of
making better informed
decisions. They should be able to make sense and
contextualize information to the environment their organization operates in.

Disseminator role: It refers to how managers transmit information to influence the attitudes and behavior of employees. Effective dissemination requires
the understanding of the
appropriate media and balance, tone, and nuance of the communication sent.

Spokesperson role: The
spokesperson is the main
conduit for information from the organization to the outside world, they should be able to communicate the mission and aims of the organization they
represent and present it in a positive but realistic light.

Question 20

Decisional Roles

Answer 20

Decisional roles are associated the methods managers use to plan strategy and utilize resources to achieve goals.

Entrepreneur role: Managers need to be able to decide on what new projects or activities
to initiate and invest in with a view to making profits. In many ways it is the entrepreneurial flair of managers that makes
the difference between gaining a competitive advantage or not.

Disturbance handler role:
Constant changes require
managers to assume
responsibility for navigating a way through various forms of disturbances affecting the organization from industrial disputes to reputational damage from customer complaints. Managers in this role need to deal with these.

Resource allocator role: In this role financial, human, capital, and other resources are distributed to functional areas of the organization. Managers should take a strategic view of resources and channel them to areas that best support the tactical aims of the organization.

Negotiator role: Managers need to have negotiation
skills appropriate to each stakeholder group and to
work towards a solution that does not compromise
the long term aims and objectives of the organization. Negotiators have to listen to the
demands being made but also ensure that a
solution is arrived at that does not cause harm to
the organization’s ability to achieve its performance targets, or undermine the existing relationships that help achieve those targets.