management Flashcards
how can management be defined?
It is the successful administration of a business, through careful planning, organisation of employees and resources and having clear objectives and targets to be attained.
the abbreviation POLC stands for what?
Planning
Organising
Leading
Controlling
a brief description of planning
defining the goals, formulating strategies to achieve the goals and then deciding how to implement the strategies.
a brief description of organising
the manger has to get the necessary resources to get the work done and to achieve his/her goals.
a brief description of leading
leading is about helping and guiding people to achieve the goals.
a brief description of controlling
involves monitoring performance in order to compare actual performance with the original goals.
what are some things that a manger must have?
- the necessary skills
- knowledge
- experience that all factors of production are combined in a manner that will ensure success for the business.
what are some decisions that mangers make?
- the hiring of employees
- what product/ service to sell and how to advertise it
- make sure the products are of good quality
- controls the finances of the business
- ensuring that customers are happy so that they will continually support the business
what are the six additional tasks?
1) coordination
2) communication
3) decision-making
4) delegating
5) discipline
6) motivation
a brief description of coordination.
regular meetings have to be held to ensure everybody in the business works together to achieve the same goals.
a brief description of communication.
the transfer of information, ideas and feedback between people in the business.
a brief description of decison-making.
the manager must decide what has to be done that is in the best interest of the business and staff members, but he/she can only do this once all facts have been considered.
a brief description of delegating,
the manager cannot do everything and therefore he/she has to give authority and responsibility to subordinates to ensure there is a fair distribution of tasks.
a brief description of discipline.
the purpose of disciplinary action is to improve the future behaviour and it may range from verbal warnings to dismissals.
a brief description of motivation.
the manager has to encourage staff members to work towards achieving the goals of the business.
what are the levels of management/
1) Top management [Boards of Directors and CEO]
2) Middle management [Functional managers]
3) Lower management [Supervisors]
what are the levels of management within a school?
1) Principal / Rector
2) Deputy principal
3) Heads of Departments
what are the levels of management at MCS?
1) Director [Pastor Kobus]
2) Principal [Mister Meyer]
3) Heads of Departments [Mrs. Stolz, Mrs. Van Niekerk]
how are the board of directors elected?
they are elected by the shareholders to look after their investments in the business.
how is the CEO appointed?
the Board of Directors will appoint the CEO [sometimes known as the General Manager or President of the company]
Top management = Strategic management
top management is accountable to the shareholders to ensure the business is successful and acts in a responsible manner to achieve this success.
what is unacceptable for members of top management to do?
- lying,
- cheating,
- bribing people to make the business successful.
what is the Board of Directors responsible for?
responsible for the success (or failure) of the business and has to plan WHAT it is that the business has to achieve over the long term (the vision of the business) and HOW it has to be achieved (the mission of the business)
how does the top management organise?
by making sure that the necessary resources (mostly financial resources) are available to achieve the goals of the business.
how does the top management lead?
ensuring that the middle management knows what it is that they have to do and how to do it, which may require the top management to formulate policies to inform middle management what, why, how and by when it must be done.
why is control important for top management?
their efforts will be a waste if there is a lack of control to ensure procedures are executed according to a specific plan.
what is the role of the CEO?
is responsible for its overall operations and performance and is the main link between the board of directors and the rest of management. He is also solely liable for the business’s success or failure.
what is another term for middle management?
functional management
what are some examples of managers with different functions?
- purchasing department
- production department
- marketing department
- public relations department
- financial department
- information management (administration department)
- human capital (human resources/ personnel) department
what are the personal characteristics that a good manager should have?
1) self-motivation
2) integrity
3) reliability
4) optimism
5) confidence
6) calmness
7) flexibility
what are the business characteristics that a good manager should have?
1) industry knowledge
2) delegate
3) organisation
4) financial expertise
5) legal implications
what are the relationship qualities that a good manager should have?
1) customer service
2) mediator
3) team player
4) respect
5) value others
what are the communication qualities that a good manager should have?
1) written communication
2) public speaking
3) feedback
4) active listening
what are the four management styles?
1) autocratic
2) democratic
3) lsissez-faire
4) situation
what is an autocratic management style and why would it be used?
1) when a manager makes decisions without any form of a consultation process, i.e. the manager makes all decisions unilaterally
2) is often used when a manager needs to take charge of a situation
what is an democratic management style
when a manager shares responsibility for making decisions and consequently they will ask other people for an opinion when making decisions.
what is an laissez-fiare management style
when a manager places all the responsibility and authority in the hands of their subordinates.
what is an situation management style
is a combination of different styles and the manager will implement the different styles, depending on the situation.
Explain how top management would go about communicating with lower-level management
Ordinarily, Top management would seldom communicate directly with lower management. Instead, communication would occur via Middle management. There is a chain of command designed to ensure that clear and direct communication of policies and procedures occurs.
what happens in the event of unusual circumstances?
● Staff Forums – Also known as “Town Halls” which are opportunities for the Senior Management team to visit
employees in all locations and address the real issues and concerns of staff as well as communicating the big picture.
● Site Visits – These are an excellent employee communication tool for the Top management to find out specifically from
the frontline exactly what the issues and concerns are of a particular region or department.
● Leaderships Forums – these enable Top management to communicate with the various levels of management to
provide feedback but also to receive input from Middle – Lower management levels.
● Employee Achievement – Another way that communication can change is to support and encourage employees
personally for their achievements.
