Levels and functions of management

Question 1

Definition of management

Answer 1

1. Managers are responsible for making sure that a business’s goals are achieved.
2. Management is the combination of different management tasks.

Question 2

Different levels of management:

Answer 2

1. Top level management
2. Middle level management
3. Lower level management

Question 3

Top level management

Answer 3

People such as Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and directors of companies responsible for planning for the future of the enterprise.

Question 4

Middle level management

Answer 4

Heads of the different departments serving as a link between top and lower level management and responsible for implementing the plans made by top level management.

Question 5

Lower level management

Answer 5

Lowest level of management and are often foremen and team leaders. They serve as a link beween the heads of departments and the workers and are responsible for carrying out day-to-day decisions set by middle management.

Question 6

Basic tasks of general management:

Answer 6

1. Planning:
   Looking ahead at future to determine the objectives that the business wishes to accomplish.
2. Organising:
   Process in which a manager determines which employee must take responsibility for which activity.
3. Leading:
   Inspiring employees to carry out their assigned tasks to the best of their abilities.
4. Controlling:
   Continuous process aimed at ensuring that the business will achieve its goals.

Question 7

Additional tasks of general management:

Answer 7

1. Communication:
   Transfer of ideas, feelings, attitudes.
2. Co-ordination:
   Making business enterprise operate as unit.
3. Delegation:
   Transferring responsibilities to subordinates.
4. Disciplining:
   Procedure describing how the enterprise will deal with misconduct.
5. Decision making:
   Choosing between alternatives.
6. Motivating:
   Encouraging people to perform to best of abilities.

Question 8

Characteristics of good management:

Answer 8

1. Fair:
   Treats all team members equally.
2. Able to communicate:
   Clearly inform team members about their tasks and duties.
3. Lead by example:
   Inspire team members.
4. Values the input of colleagues:
   Makes team members feel valued and important and they will work harder if they feel valued.
5. Has a positive attitude:
   It will reflect in team members, and they will be positive about their work.

Question 9

Different styles of management:

Answer 9

1. Authoritarian / autocratic:
   - tells employees what he wants done and how he wants it done.
   - does not allow for any negotiations.
   - subordinates don’t learn how to make decisions.
   - allows for fast decision making.
2. Laissez-faire / free reign / permissive:
   - allows employees to make decisions.
   - manager is still responsible for the decisions made.
   - most effective when manager deals with employees who are experts at what they do.
3. Democratic / participative / consultative / consensus:
   - involves one or more employees in the decision making process.
   - manager maintains final decision making authority and responsibility.
   - seeks to involve subordinates, peers and superiors.
   - process sometimes slow.
   - useful when difficult decisions need to be made.