management

Question 1

how can management be defined?

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

the abbreviation POLC stands for what?

Answer 2

Planning
Organising
Leading
Controlling

Question 3

a brief description of planning

Answer 3

defining the goals, formulating strategies to achieve the goals and then deciding how to implement the strategies.

Question 4

a brief description of organising

Answer 4

the manger has to get the necessary resources to get the work done and to achieve his/her goals.

Question 5

a brief description of leading

Answer 5

leading is about helping and guiding people to achieve the goals.

Question 6

a brief description of controlling

Answer 6

involves monitoring performance in order to compare actual performance with the original goals.

Question 7

what are some things that a manger must have?

Answer 7

• the necessary skills
• knowledge
• experience that all factors of production are combined in a manner that will ensure success for the business.

Question 8

what are some decisions that mangers make?

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

what are the six additional tasks?

Answer 9

1) coordination
2) communication
3) decision-making
4) delegating
5) discipline
6) motivation

Question 10

a brief description of coordination.

Answer 10

regular meetings have to be held to ensure everybody in the business works together to achieve the same goals.

Question 11

a brief description of communication.

Answer 11

the transfer of information, ideas and feedback between people in the business.

Question 12

a brief description of decison-making.

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

a brief description of delegating,

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

a brief description of discipline.

Answer 14

the purpose of disciplinary action is to improve the future behaviour and it may range from verbal warnings to dismissals.

Question 15

a brief description of motivation.

Answer 15

the manager has to encourage staff members to work towards achieving the goals of the business.

Question 16

what are the levels of management/

Answer 16

1) Top management [Boards of Directors and CEO]
2) Middle management [Functional managers]
3) Lower management [Supervisors]

Question 17

what are the levels of management within a school?

Answer 17

1) Principal / Rector
2) Deputy principal
3) Heads of Departments

Question 18

what are the levels of management at MCS?

Answer 18

1) Director [Pastor Kobus]
2) Principal [Mister Meyer]
3) Heads of Departments [Mrs. Stolz, Mrs. Van Niekerk]

Question 19

how are the board of directors elected?

Answer 19

they are elected by the shareholders to look after their investments in the business.

Question 20

how is the CEO appointed?

Answer 20

the Board of Directors will appoint the CEO [sometimes known as the General Manager or President of the company]

Question 21

Top management = Strategic management

Answer 21

top management is accountable to the shareholders to ensure the business is successful and acts in a responsible manner to achieve this success.

Question 22

what is unacceptable for members of top management to do?

Answer 22

• lying,
• cheating,
• bribing people to make the business successful.

Question 23

what is the Board of Directors responsible for?

Answer 23

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)

Question 24

how does the top management organise?

Answer 24

by making sure that the necessary resources (mostly financial resources) are available to achieve the goals of the business.

Question 25

how does the top management lead?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

why is control important for top management?

Answer 26

their efforts will be a waste if there is a lack of control to ensure procedures are executed according to a specific plan.

Question 27

what is the role of the CEO?

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

what is another term for middle management?

Answer 28

functional management

Question 29

what are some examples of managers with different functions?

Answer 29

• purchasing department
• production department
• marketing department
• public relations department
• financial department
• information management (administration department)
• human capital (human resources/ personnel) department

Question 30

what are the personal characteristics that a good manager should have?

Answer 30

1) self-motivation
2) integrity
3) reliability
4) optimism
5) confidence
6) calmness
7) flexibility

Question 31

what are the business characteristics that a good manager should have?

Answer 31

1) industry knowledge
2) delegate
3) organisation
4) financial expertise
5) legal implications

Question 32

what are the relationship qualities that a good manager should have?

Answer 32

1) customer service
2) mediator
3) team player
4) respect
5) value others

Question 33

what are the communication qualities that a good manager should have?

Answer 33

1) written communication
2) public speaking
3) feedback
4) active listening

Question 34

what are the four management styles?

Answer 34

1) autocratic
2) democratic
3) lsissez-faire
4) situation

Question 35

what is an autocratic management style and why would it be used?

Answer 35

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

Question 36

what is an democratic management style

Answer 36

when a manager shares responsibility for making decisions and consequently they will ask other people for an opinion when making decisions.

Question 37

what is an laissez-fiare management style

Answer 37

when a manager places all the responsibility and authority in the hands of their subordinates.

Question 38

what is an situation management style

Answer 38

is a combination of different styles and the manager will implement the different styles, depending on the situation.

Question 39

Explain how top management would go about communicating with lower-level management

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

what happens in the event of unusual circumstances?

Answer 40

● 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.