Management and leadership

Question 1

What is the difference between leaders and managers

Answer 1

Leaders as well as similar function to managers also inspire and motivate the workforce and consider the long term strategy
Managers control and direct the workforce

Question 2

What does a successful business owner need not be and do that a manager doesn’t

Answer 2

Get people to understand and believe their vision to work with them to achieve the goals

Question 3

List the functions of management

Answer 3

1 plan
2 organise
3 Control
4 functional
5 co ordinate
6 lead

Question 4

List the roles of managers

Answer 4

1 interpersonal roles - hiring, firing , training, motivating , organizing
2 decision making roles
3 information roles - between departments

Question 5

What is the philosophy of management by objective MBO

Answer 5

Objectives are set so managers and workers agree and understand what they need to do to achieve them . Objectives must be broken down for departments , managers and workers - but when you put them together the end result is the same for the whole organisation

Question 6

What is the MBO process

Answer 6

1 review objectives for the whole business
2 set objectives for management of the differrent functions of the business
3 set objectives for individual departments and workers
4 monitor progress - managers and workers check to see if the objectives are being reached
5 evaluate performance and give reward if the objectives were reached

Question 7

What are the advantages of applying management by objectives

Answer 7

1 improved management control of the organisation- managers know who is doing what and what they are supposed
2 improved financial control - part of objective setting is monitoring revenue and expenditure
3 Allows managers to be aware or their responsibilities
4 work of departments and are managers are co ordinated everyone working together to the same goal
5 it can motivate workforce- all empowered by objective setting
6 it can improve communications within the organisations

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of applying management by objectives

Answer 8

1 management time spent on the process of setting objectives not managing the organisation
22 the ever changing business environment in which the goals are set may change over time making objectives unrealistic
3 demotivation and breakdown of working relationships if not all levels are involved in setting objectives
4 objectives can be seen as a form of control
5 a situation may arise where managers loss focus and concentrate on short term objectives ignoring long term goals

Question 9

What is Mcgregors theory of managers

Answer 9

That there are 2 types of manager x and y

Question 10

What is an x manager like

Answer 10

Makes assumptions about employees
1 that worked must be supervised or quality and quantity of work falls
2 workers only respect managers who tell them what to do with authority
3 money is the only motivator
4 workers do not want to be involved in decision making
5 workers do not want to be known to managers
6 workers have little ambition

Question 11

What is a y manager like

Answer 11

The opposite of an x and start with positive assumptions
1 workers can not be motivated by money alone
2 workers are ambitious , want to train and improve chance of promotion
3 workers will be more efficient if left to own devices
4 workers want to contribute to efficiency

Question 12

What are the consequences of x management

Answer 12

1 strict control of formal methods of communication
2tasks must be designed so they are broken down into simple steps
3 responsibilities must be made clear
4 supervisors must maintain quality
5 high level of dependence on decision making of senior management

Question 13

What are the consequences of Y managers

Answer 13

1 flexible working practices
2 promotion opportunity
3 formal communication vertical and horizontal
4 use of cell working
5 requirement for training.

Question 14

List character traits of effective managers

Answer 14

1 empathy
2 self awareness
3 enthusiasm
4 hard working
5 inspirational

Question 15

What are the roles of leaders

Answer 15

1 create visions and aims
2 establish objectives
3 decide on structures
4 create new roles and jobs
5 anticipate problems
6 empower and delegate

Question 16

List the characteristics effective leaders need

Answer 16

1 intellectual skills
2 interpersonal skills
3 realistic aspirations
4 vision
5 communication skills
6 creativity
7 innovation
Commitment
9 identify and respond to challenge

Question 17

Identify 5 leadership styles

Answer 17

1 autocratic
2 paternalistic
3 democratic or participative
4 laissez faire
5 bureaucratic

Question 18

Describe an autocratic leader

Answer 18

1 Gives orders that are to be obeyed without question
2 probably a theory x manager
3 effective when rapid restructuring is needed
4 Relays upon a strict hierarchical structure
5 no employee is involved in decision making

Question 19

Describe a paternalistic leader

Answer 19

1 they make all the decisions
2 try to persuade employees that the decisions are made in the interests of all concerned
Consider the welfare of their employees

Question 20

Describe laissez faire leader

Answer 20

Leader has minimal input and employees are left to get on with job
2 minimal guidance is given workers given opportunity to demonstrate capabilities
3 if workers are not motivated work and productivity can suffer

Question 21

Describe democratic or participative leader

Answer 21

1 consults with subordinates in decsions
2 Employees involved in designing their job
3 need to be good communicators to consult and persuade workers
4 can have a motivated committed workforce

Question 22

Describe a bureaucratic leader

Answer 22

1 focus on developing specialization of jobs
2 rely on formal procedures and clearly defined hierarchy
3 job roles are formally defined

Question 23

What are the advantages of a bureaucracy

Answer 23

Each employee knows exactly what their duties are and many tasks are performed quicker and efficiently
Workers are secure in roles so are more likely to co operate with other workers

Question 24

What are the main disadvantages of a bureaucracy

Answer 24

It discourages innovation is discouraged and workers find it hard to adapt

Question 25

What makes a good leader

Answer 25

Different leadership styles suit different circumstances. A good leader can dart to different situations.

Question 26

List theories of leadership

Answer 26

1 fielders contingency model
2 wright and Taylor

Question 27

Describe Fiedlers contingency model

Answer 27

1 Fiedler believed quality of leadership was the most important factor affecting success of an organisation
2 that some people are effective in some situations but not in others
3 he devised a way to help people decide what type of leader they are in order to help them be more effective
4 to determine a leadership style Fiedler got them to fill in a questionnaire about a person they would least like to work with- the least preferred co workerscale - this scale identified 2 leadership types . A high score made them relationship motivated and a low score task motivated

Question 28

Describe relationship orientated leaders

Answer 28

Effective is less extreme circumstances

Question 29

Describe task orientated leaders

Answer 29

Most effective in either extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable situations eg when there is trust and respect and confidence as well as when it doesn’t exist

Question 30

What did Fielders work enable

Answer 30

Businesses could identify best potential leaders and show leaders which situations they best suited he called it leadership match concept

Question 30

What was the criticism of Fielders work

Answer 30

He didn’t give enough credibility to leaders ability to adapt to changing circumstance

Question 31

Describe Wright and Taylor theory

Answer 31

1 leaders performance could be improved through education
2 nbelieved that there were 2 gaps in approaches to leadership firstly not enough emphasis on what leaders do when interacting with subordinates and element of skill is ignored
3 believed there is not a one size fits all solution that each situation requires a different and appropriate response by leaders
4 they devised a check list to help leaders analyse performance