Slides 5 (recap) Flashcards
What is management?
A process designed to achieve an organization’s objectives by using its resources effectively and efficiently in a changing environment.
Management involves planning, organizing, directing, and controlling activities.
What does effectively mean in the context of management?
Having the intended result.
Effectiveness is about achieving goals.
What does efficiently mean in the context of management?
Accomplishing the objectives with a minimum of resources.
Efficiency focuses on resource utilization.
What are the major functions of management?
Planning, organizing, directing, controlling.
These functions are essential for achieving organizational objectives.
What is staffing in management?
Hiring people to carry out the work of the organization.
Staffing is crucial for ensuring the right personnel are in place.
What is downsizing?
The elimination of significant numbers of employees from an organization.
Downsizing is often a difficult decision for managers.
What role do suppliers play in resource management?
They help ensure products are made available to customers and can provide creative solutions to reduce expenses.
Good suppliers maximize efficiencies.
What is the first function of management?
Planning.
Planning involves determining the organization’s objectives and deciding how to accomplish them.
What is a mission statement?
A declaration of an organization’s fundamental purpose and basic philosophy.
It answers the question: ‘What business are we in?’
What are the three key components of a goal?
An attribute sought, a target to be achieved, and a time frame.
Goals illustrate the complex nature of business.
What are the three general types of plans for meeting objectives?
Strategic, tactical, operational.
Each type of plan serves different time frames and purposes.
What is strategic planning?
Developed by a firm’s highest managers, it establishes long-range objectives and overall strategy.
Strategic plans generally cover periods of one year or longer.
What is tactical planning?
Short-range planning designed to implement activities specified in the strategic plan.
Tactical plans usually cover a period of one year or less.
What is operational planning?
Very short-term planning that specifies actions for individuals or departments.
Operational plans apply to details in executing activities over short time frames.
What is crisis management?
Planning that deals with potential disasters like product tampering or natural disasters.
Many businesses lack updated contingency plans for crises.
What does organizing involve in management?
Structuring resources and activities to accomplish objectives efficiently and effectively.
Organizing helps create synergy and improve communication.
What is directing in management?
Motivating and leading employees to achieve organizational objectives.
Good directing involves setting deadlines and providing incentives.
What are the five activities involved in controlling?
- Measuring performance
- Comparing performance with standards
- Identifying deviations
- Investigating causes
- Taking corrective action
Controlling helps assess the success of plans.
Who are top managers?
Presidents and other top executives like the CEO, CFO, and COO with overall responsibility for the organization.
They primarily focus on strategic decisions.
What is the role of middle managers?
Responsible for tactical decisions and implementing the strategic plans set by top management.
They bridge the gap between top management and operational staff.
True or False: Objectives are generally stated in measurable terms.
True.
This distinguishes objectives from broader goals.
Fill in the blank: The process of evaluating and correcting activities to keep the organization on course is called _______.
Controlling.
The controlling function is crucial for maintaining organizational alignment with goals.
What is the primary responsibility of middle managers?
Tactical and operational planning to implement general guidelines established by top management
Middle managers are more narrowly focused than top managers and involved in specific operations.
Who are considered first-line managers?
Managers who supervise workers and daily operations
Common titles include foreman, supervisor, and office manager.
What do top managers spend most of their time doing?
Planning, followed by organizing and directing
They spend the least amount of time controlling.
What is the focus of financial managers?
Obtaining and using money in accordance with organizational goals
They ensure the financial stability of the organization.
What are the main responsibilities of production and operations managers?
Develop and administer activities involved in transforming resources into goods, services, and ideas
They ensure efficient production processes.
What skills do managers need to be successful?
Technical expertise, conceptual skills, analytical skills, human relations skills, and leadership
These skills help managers to effectively lead their teams.
What is the definition of conceptual skills in management?
The ability to think in abstract terms and see how parts fit together to form the whole
Particularly important for top-level managers.
What characterizes autocratic leadership?
Leaders make all decisions and tell employees what to do
This style may limit employee input and creativity.
Fill in the blank: ______ leadership involves involving employees in decision-making.
[Democratic]
What is authentic leadership?
A leadership style characterized by passion for organizational goals and forming long-term relationships with stakeholders
It combines elements of both democratic and free-rein leadership.
List the six steps in the decision-making process.
- Recognize and define the decision situation
- Develop options
- Analyze options
- Select the best option
- Implement the decision
- Monitor the consequences
These steps provide a systematic approach to decision-making.
What is the first step in the decision-making process?
Recognizing and defining the decision situation
This step can involve identifying both negative and positive situations.
What technique encourages creativity in developing options?
Brainstorming
Group members spontaneously suggest ideas to solve a problem.
What should managers consider when analyzing options?
Practicality and appropriateness of each option
Factors include financial resources, legal restrictions, and ethical considerations.
True or False: Selection of the best option in decision-making is always a quantitative procedure.
False
Selection is often subjective and based on analyzing risks and trade-offs.
What is involved in the implementation of a decision?
Putting the selected option into action
Implementation can vary in complexity depending on the nature of the decision.
What is the importance of monitoring after implementing a decision?
Determining whether the decision has accomplished the desired result
Proper monitoring allows for timely adjustments if needed.
What percentage of their time do managers spend working with others?
Up to 75 percent
This includes working with subordinates, bosses, and external stakeholders.
What does an agenda for managers typically include?
Specific and vague items covering short-term goals and long-term objectives
Agendas help managers prioritize their responsibilities.
What is the significance of networking for managers?
Building relationships and sharing information with colleagues
Networking helps achieve goals on their agendas.
What are the common forms of organizational structure managers should compare?
Functional, divisional, matrix, team-based, and network structures
Each structure has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Distinguish between groups and teams.
Groups are collections of individuals; teams are groups with complementary skills working towards a common goal
Teams often have a higher level of interdependence.
What are the types of groups that exist in organizations?
- Formal groups
- Informal groups
- Command groups
- Task groups
- Interest groups
Each type serves different purposes within the organization.
What is organizational culture?
A firm’s shared values, beliefs, traditions, philosophies, rules, and role models for behavior.
Also called corporate culture, it exists in every organization, regardless of size or type.
How may a firm’s culture be expressed?
Formally through mission statements, codes of ethics, memos, manuals, and ceremonies; informally through dress codes, work habits, extracurricular activities, and stories.
Employees learn accepted standards through discussions with co-workers.
What is the importance of organizational culture?
Helps ensure that all members of a company share values and suggests rules for behavior and problem-solving within the organization.
What is organizational structure?
The arrangement or relationship of positions within an organization.
Organizations rarely achieve common objectives without some form of structure.
How does an organizational structure develop?
When managers assign work tasks and coordinate activities required to reach the firm’s objectives.
What is an organizational chart?
A visual display of the organizational structure, lines of authority, staff relationships, and lines of communication.
What is specialization in an organization?
The division of labor into small, specific tasks assigned to individual employees for efficiency.
Workers perform more efficiently if they master just one task.
What are the negative consequences of overspecialization?
Employees may become bored, dissatisfied, leading to poor quality work, more injuries, and high employee turnover.
What is departmentalization?
The grouping of jobs into working units, usually called departments, units, groups, or divisions.
What is functional departmentalization?
Groups jobs that perform similar functional activities, such as finance, manufacturing, marketing, and human resources.
Common in small organizations.
What is product departmentalization?
Organizes jobs around the products of the firm, duplicating functions and resources within each product division.
What is geographical departmentalization?
Groups jobs according to geographic location, such as state, region, country, or continent.
What is customer departmentalization?
Arranges jobs around the needs of various types of customers, allowing companies to address unique requirements.
What does delegation of authority mean?
Giving tasks to employees while empowering them to make commitments and take necessary actions to carry out those tasks.
What is centralization in an organization?
Authority is concentrated at the top, with very little decision-making authority delegated to lower levels.
What characterizes a decentralized organization?
Decision-making authority is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible, common in complex, unpredictable environments.
What does span of management refer to?
The number of subordinates who report to a particular manager.
What are organizational layers?
The levels of management in an organization, describing the layers and number of layers in the organizational structure.
What distinguishes a tall organization from a flat organization?
Tall organizations have many layers of management with a narrow span of management; flat organizations have few layers with a wide span of management.
What are common forms of organizational structure?
Line structure, line-and-staff structure, multidivisional structure, and matrix structure.
What is the simplest organizational structure?
Line structure
Line structure has direct lines of authority that extend from the top manager to employees at the lowest level of the organization.
What is a line-and-staff structure?
A structure with a traditional line relationship between superiors and subordinates, with specialized staff managers assisting line managers
Staff managers provide advice and support on specialized matters but do not have direct authority over line managers.
What is a multidivisional structure?
A structure that organizes departments into larger groups called divisions
It allows for delegation of decision-making authority, enabling specialization.
What is a matrix structure?
A structure that creates teams from different departments, resulting in intersecting lines of authority
It provides flexibility and enhances cooperation but can be complex and expensive.
True or False: All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams.
True
Teams are defined by shared goals and mutual accountability, while groups may not have these characteristics.
What types of groups exist in organizations?
- Committees
- Task forces
- Project teams
- Product-development teams
- Quality-assurance teams
- Self-directed work teams
These groups can also be virtual, relying on technology for communication.
What is the primary function of a committee?
To perform a specific task as a permanent, formal group
Committees often handle ongoing responsibilities.
What is the purpose of a task force?
To bring about a particular change as a temporary group
Task forces typically include members from various departments based on expertise.
What is a self-directed work team (SDWT)?
A group responsible for an entire work process that delivers a product to a customer
SDWTs allow for flexibility in response to competition and customer needs.
What is the significance of effective communication in organizations?
It affects the overall productivity and success of projects, groups, teams, and individuals
Communication mistakes can lead to lower productivity and morale.
What are formal channels of communication?
Intentionally defined channels representing the flow of communication within the formal organizational structure
They are designed by the organization to facilitate communication.
What is the grapevine in the context of organizational communication?
An informal channel of communication separate from management’s formal communication
Grapevine information may include gossip and rumors, which can be a concern for managers.
How has technology impacted workplace communication?
Increased use of electronic communication requires monitoring for most companies
Companies often have policies regarding Internet use and employ software to monitor computer usage.
What can interruptions do to communication?
They can be a serious threat to effective communication
Even small interruptions can hinder understanding and interpretation of messages.
Fill in the blank: Communication can flow in a variety of _______.
directions
This includes upward, downward, and lateral communication among employees.
What is one of the major issues of effective communication?
Obtaining feedback
Without feedback, communication can be ineffective and negatively impact performance.
What are some common channels for communication in businesses?
- Face-to-face
- Phone
- Written communication
Each channel has its own advantages and disadvantages.
