Lesson 14: Management Development Flashcards
What is the single characteristic that best distinguishes a successful organization from others?
The caliber of the management team.
What percentage of Canadian organizations consider the development of their leadership a top development priority, according to a Conference Board report?
55%
What does “bench strength” refer to in the context of management and leadership development?
The development of high-potential men and women to take over leadership roles as the baby boom generation retires.
What are the three mechanisms organizations are increasingly using to create bench strength?
Leader-led development
Action learning
Executive coaching
What do mentoring and coaching focus on in terms of skill development for managers?
Developing soft skills, such as human interaction skills, rather than hard skills, such as technical ones.
What are the four key aspects of successful training and development?
Identification of training needs
Choice of training design and delivery techniques
Integration of psychological forces, such as motivation and self-efficacy
On-the-job practice and support
What is the purpose of management training?
To develop the critical skills managers need, such as understanding their roles and functions, and to create effective training experiences.
What are the three roles of managers in organizations?
Interpersonal
Informational
Decisional
What are the main functions of managers?
Controlling
Organizing
Planning
What is the difference between management development and employee training?
Management development focuses on developing people skills, relies more heavily on experiential techniques, takes into account individual differences, is a longitudinal process, and has unique strategic significance due to the potential impact of incompetent managers.
What is management development?
The complex processes by which individuals learn to perform effectively in managerial roles.
Why is management development important?
Managers are responsible for the organization’s functioning and its financial and psychological health. Their pivotal role in organizations makes investing in their development a prudent business decision.
What is leadership?
The individual qualities and behaviors that define and shape the direction of an organization and inspire others to pursue that direction in the face of obstacles and constraints.
What is the starting point for a discussion of management development?
The identification of training needs, which requires a thorough understanding of the managerial job and the skills required for it.
What are the three roles identified by Henry Mintzberg in his analysis of management activities?
Interpersonal
Informational
Decisional
What are the three types of interpersonal roles managers play?
Leadership (motivating others)
Liaison (connecting with others within and outside the unit)
Figurehead/representational role (representing the group in various contexts)
What are the key aspects of a manager’s informational role?
Monitoring the environment for pertinent information
Disseminating information to others about the unit and outside developments
Acting as a spokesperson to promote the unit’s plans, values, or goals
What are the main responsibilities in a manager’s decisional role?
Making decisions about people, goals, and means to attain those goals
Initiating change as an entrepreneur
Allocating resources and making choices between competing proposals
Acting as a negotiator in both internal and external environments
Troubleshooting and reacting to unexpected events that disrupt the unit
What are the four main functions of management, including the one that has gained importance in recent times?
Controlling
Organizing
Planning
Leading
What does controlling in management involve?
Controlling involves monitoring the activities of the organization and its members to ensure their positive contribution to the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. It includes establishing mechanisms to monitor and resolve performance gaps and addressing constraints and problems.
What does organizing in management entail?
Organizing involves establishing systems that ensure the efforts of various units and individuals within an organization are coordinated efficiently and effectively to accomplish major tasks and contribute to organizational goals.
What is the purpose of planning in management?
Planning in management involves defining objectives and developing goals for the organization and the departments or units for which the manager is responsible. The scope of these goals and objectives depends on the level of management and the nature of managerial responsibilities.
Why is leadership now considered a critical function of management?
Leadership is considered a critical function because managers are responsible for attaining goals and keeping employees committed to those goals. Commitment is more likely when employees believe in the importance of the goal, its positive outcomes, and the impact of their individual efforts on goal attainment. Leadership fosters adaptability and resilience in organizations, which are essential in a competitive global economy.
What are the two basic notions of leadership that have emerged by the beginning of the 21st century?
Transactional leadership
Transformational leadership
What is transactional leadership?
Transactional leadership is a style in which leaders make clear to the followers the behaviors and attitudes associated with rewards and punishment. They provide clarity by specifying individual goals and monitoring work behaviors relevant to those goals.
What is transformational leadership, and what are the two fundamental characteristics of charismatic leaders?
Transformational leadership is a style in which leaders influence followers by inspiring them to engage willingly in the attainment of goals and to forgo self-interest for the common good.
Charismatic leaders, a subset of transformational leaders, display two fundamental characteristics:
(1) presenting an idealized vision or goal that promises a better future
(2) convincing followers that the vision can be achieved.
How does transformational leadership theory combine traits, behaviors, and situations?
Transformational leadership theory combines traits, behaviors, and situations in the following ways:
Charismatic leaders have, or project, personal traits such as self-confidence and unconventionality.
They engage in specific behaviors, mainly supported by exceptional communication skills.
Contextually, charisma tends to emerge when followers feel concern and anxiety about the current situation, and when they feel a strong need for change.
What is authentic leadership?
Authentic leadership refers to leaders who are self-aware, ethical, and transparent, reflecting their true beliefs and moral values in relationships with others.
What are the positive consequences of authentic leadership?
Positive consequences include greater job satisfaction, reduced burnout, better job performance, increased employee commitment, and improved firm performance.
Can charismatic leadership skills be developed?
Yes, charismatic leadership skills such as presentational skills and communicating emotions can be partially developed through training.
What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is a style that focuses on employees’ needs, empowering them and serving their needs for growth, autonomy, and competence.
What are the effects of servant leadership?
Servant leadership has a positive effect on both employees and the organization.
Figure 13.1: The Most Frequently Cited Skills of Effective Management
What are the four basic clusters of managerial skills identified by Cameron and Tschirhart?
1) Human relations skills.
2) Competitiveness and control.
3) Individual entrepreneurship and innovativeness.
4) Order and rationality.
What is emotional intelligence (EI)?
EI is the ability to manage and cope with emotions, including one’s own emotions and those of others.
What are the five sets of skills involved in emotional intelligence?
1) Self-awareness.
2) Self-control.
3) Motivation or drive.
4) Empathy.
5) Interpersonal skills.
How does emotional intelligence impact managerial success?
Managers with higher levels of EI are more effective, more likely to be promoted, and sometimes considered more important than cognitive intelligence (IQ) for managerial success.
