Management And Leadership

Question 1

Leaders

Answer 1

May perform similar functions to managers, but also inspire and motivated the workforce- they consider long-term strategy, the challenges facing the business and how to overcome them

Question 2

managers

Answer 2

control and direct the workforce to follow the principles or values that have been established by the leaders

Question 3

Functions of management

Answer 3

•planning- required resources are where they need to be
•leading- encouraging employees to carry out the required task effectively
•co-ordinating- ensuring employees/departments are working efficiently to complete the task
•functional- organising various departments: sales and HR
•organising
•control

Question 4

McGregor’s Theory X beliefs

Answer 4

•employees are only motivated by money
•employees are lazy and dislike work- little ambition
•employees don’t want to be involved in the decision-making process
•employees are selfish, ignore the needs of organisations, avoid responsibility and lack ambition
•employees need to be controlled and directed by management
•employees must be supervised or the quality and quantity of output will fall

Question 5

McGregor’s Theory Y managers believe

Answer 5

•working is as natural as rest or play
•the typical employee doesn’t have an in-built dislike of work- they’re ambitious, willing to train and contribute to improve chances of promotion
•employees cannot be motivated by money alone
•employees will be more efficient as they’re left to their own devices- trust breeds responsibility
•employees want to contribute to improving efficiency- want to be seen, noticed, rewarded and appreciated

Question 6

Consequences of Theory X management

Answer 6

•strict control of formal methods of communication
•tasks must be designed so they’re broken down into their simplest units
•responsibilities must be clear and unambiguous
•supervisors must maintain quality
•high level of dependence on the decision- making of senior management

Question 7

Consequences of Theory Y management

Answer 7

•requirement of training
•use of cell working- restructuring of production and service methods
•setting up of formal communication channels
•promotion structures
•flexible working practices

Question 8

Management by Objectives by Peter Drucker

Answer 8

It involves breaking down and subdividing the aims and goals or an organisation into tsrgets and objectives for divisions, departments, managers and employees- working together to meet the same objectives, owners, managers and employees would have a clear structure and long-term strategy that give clear goals to all stakeholders in the organisation

Question 9

Advantages of management by objectives

Answer 9

•improved management control- clarity of goals
•improved financial control- monitoring expenditure and revenues: any changes from budgeted amounts need to be explained and reacted to
•managers are aware of responsibilities
•work of departments and managers are co-ordinated- common goal
•motivate the workforce- employee empowerment
•improve communication systems

Question 10

Disadvantages of management by objectives

Answer 10

•management time is spent on setting objectives rather than managing
•objectives could be unrealistic- changing business environment
•demotivation and breakdown of working relationships- if all levels of hierarchy aren’t involved
•management control

Question 11

MBO process

Answer 11

1. Review objectives for the whole business
2. Set objectives for the management of the different functions of the business
3. Set objectives for individual departments and employees
4. Monitor progress
5. Evaluate performance and give reward if objectives were reached

Question 12

Roles of management

Answer 12

•interpersonal roles- hiring, firing, training, motivating and organising
•decision-making roles
•information roles- allows info to flow between divisions within an organisation

Question 13

Character traits of effective managers

Answer 13

•inspirational
•empathetic
•self-aware
•enthusiastic
•hard-working

Question 14

role of leaders

Answer 14

•creating visions and aims
•empowering and delegating
•establishing objectives
•deciding on structure
•creating new roles and jobs
•anticipating problems

Question 15

Characteristics of a good leader

Answer 15

•intellectual skills
•interpersonal skills
•realistic aspirations
•vision
•communicative skills
•creativity
•innovation
•commitment
•identify and respond to changes

Question 16

Autocratic leaderships style

Answer 16

The manager sets objectives, allocates tasks and insists on obedience

Question 17

Characteristics of autocratic leadership

Answer 17

•group may be dependent on leader
•employees aren’t involved in decision making
•high levels of supervision
•poor motivation amongst employees
•most suitable in a crisis situation

Question 18

When autocratic leadership is required

Answer 18

•if the workforce isn’t performing as it should- crisis?
•if employees don’t want to take on any extra responsibilities or aren’t capable of it
•employees will know exactly where they stand and don’t wish to act on their own initiative

Question 19

Disadvantages if autocratic leadership

Answer 19

•employees become dependent on that leader- stifles initiative
•may become dissatisfied with the leader
•high supervision could create resentment
•talent isn’t recognised so could be lost or underutilised
•two-way communication doesn’t occur- good ideas may be ignored
•people with potential may not be utilised enough and could leave to pursue ambition

Question 20

Bureaucratic leadership

Answer 20

Controls with tight limits on decision making and has many guidelines and restrictions- employee participation is not actively encouraged

Question 21

When is bureaucratic leadership best used

Answer 21

•when leadership skills can’t be developed in subordinates
•when subordinates need to be closely controlled
•when a high labour turnover isn’t much of a disadvantage
•important to back up every decision with relevant paperwork

Question 22

Disadvantages of bureaucratic leadership

Answer 22

•decision making is stifled by paperwork and excessive checking and re-checking of decisions and outcomes
•effective if employees are performing routine tasks, but employees lose interest in their work and only do what’s expected of them

Question 23

Democratic leadership

Answer 23

Encourage participation by employees in the decision making process

Question 24

Democratic leadership characteristics

Answer 24

•delegate a lot, discuss issues, act upon advice and explain reasons for decisions
•decisions are agreed among the majority
•can be persuasive- leader makes a decision and then persuades others in the organisation that its a good idea
•can be consultative- consult others prior to making a decision and take account of their views
•good communication skills

Question 25

Benefits of Democratic leadership

Answer 25

•better decisions are made- managers can use knowledge from others
•highly motivated employees and more likely to accept decisions made
•more trust and more willing to volunteer new and creative ideas
•good two-way communication- explain ideas clearly and understand feedback
•use innovative, knowledgeable, experienced employees
•empowers employees

Question 26

Disadvantages of democratic leadership

Answer 26

•may take a lot longer to make- lengthy consultation
•in a crisis, swift autocratic decision making may be required
•may prefer a laissez-faire leadership style
•communication can be more difficult in larger organisations
•some people prefer to be directed rather than contribute

Question 27

Laissez-faire

Answer 27

When the leader has minimal input, leaving much of the running of the business to the staff, allowing them to carry out activities freely within broad limits

Question 28

Benefits of laissez-faire leadership

Answer 28

•relaxed atmosphere
•employees are allowed to make their own decisions within limits
•few guidelines and restrictions
•encouraged to be creative and imaginative

Question 29

Disadvantages of laissez-faire leadership

Answer 29

•lack of guidance and direction- low productivity
•communication is less structured
•lack of customer service training or stress?
•demotivated employees if they don’t like the unstructured manner
•doesn’t work if employees are newly qualified and lack confidence

Question 30

Fiedler’s contingency model

Answer 30

There’s no one best style of leadership, instead, a leader’s effectiveness is based on the situation, based on:
•leadership style- personality of leadership determines which one
•situational control- amount of control and influence they can have

Question 31

Fiedler’s contingency model: leadership style explained

Answer 31

•low LPC-leaders: effective at completing tasks, they’re quick to organise a group to get tasks and projects done, relationship building is a low priority
•high-LPC leaders: focus more on personal connections, and they’re good at avoiding and managing conflict, they’re better able to make complex decisions

Question 32

Fiedler’s contingency model: situational control explained

Answer 32

•leader-member relations- the amount of trust or confidence your team has in you
•task structure: clear and structured, or vague and unstructured
•leader’s position power- amount of power to direct the group and provide reward or punishment

Question 33

What did Wright and D. Taylor identify about the gaps in approaches to the study of leadership?

Answer 33

•there isn’t enough emphasis on what leaders actually do when they interact with their subordinates
•the element of skill is largely ignored

Question 34

Wright and D. Taylor checklist for improving work performance

Answer 34

•the skills that leaders needed to learn are both verbal and non-verbal
•they need to be able to adapt to different situations
•ability and motivation are key factors