terms Flashcards
absenteeism
when an employee does not show up for work
accountability
the obligation employees have to their manager for the successful completion of an assigned task
Assembly Line Layout
a same-steps layout in which a product moves step by step through a plant on conveyor belts or other equipment until it is completed
Attitudes
a person’s beliefs and feelings about specific ideas, situations, or other people
Authoritarianism
the extent to which a person believes that power and status differences are appropriate within hierarchical social systems such as organizations
Authority
power to make the decisions necessary to complete a task
Behavioral Approach to Leadership
focused on determining what behaviors are employed by leaders
“Big Five” Personality Traits
five fundamental personality traits especially relevant to organizations
Business (Competitive) Strategy
strategy, at the business-unit or product-line level, focusing on improving a firm’s competitive position
Capacity
amount of a product that a company can produce under normal conditions
Charismatic Leadership
type of influence based on the leader’s personal charisma
Centralized Organization
organization in which most decision-making authority is held by upper-level management
Classical Theory of Motivation
theory holding that workers are motivated solely by money
Coalition
an informal alliance of individuals or groups formed to achieve a common goal
Coercive Power
the power to force compliance by means of psychological, emotional, or physical threat
Cognition
the knowledge a person presumes to have about something
Cognitive Dissonance
when two sets of cognitions or perceptions are contradictory or incongruent
Consistency
dimension of quality that refers to sameness of product quality from unit to unit
Contingency Planning
identifying aspects of a business or its environment that might entail changes in strategy
Corporate Culture
the shared experiences, stories, beliefs, and norms that characterize an organization
Crisis Management
organization’s methods for dealing with emergencies
Decentralized Organization
organization in which a great deal of decision-making authority is delegated to levels of management at points below the top
Decision Making
choosing one alternative from among several options
Decision-making Process
recognizing and defining the nature of a decision situation, identifying alternatives, choosing the “best” alternative, and putting it into practice
Decision Tree Approach
approach to leaderships that provides decision rules for deciding how much participation to allow
Delegation
process through which a manager allocates work to subordinates
Emotional Intelligence (Emotional Quotient, EQ)
the extent to which people are self-aware, can manage their emotions, can motivate themselves, express empathy for others, and possess social skills
Employee-focused Leader Behavior
leader behavior focusing on satisfaction, motivation, and well-being of employees
Environmental Analysis
process of scanning the business environment for threats and opportunities
Equity Theory
theory of motivation holding that people evaluate their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others
Escalation of Commitment
condition in which a decision maker becomes so committed to a course of action that she or he stays with it even when it appears to have been wrong
Ethical Leadership
leader behaviors that reflect high ethical standards
Expectancy Theory
theory of motivation holding that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and that they believe they have a reasonable chance of obtaining
Expert Power
power derived from information or expertise
First-line Manager
manager responsible for supervising the work of employees
Fixed Position Layout
labor, equipment, materials, and other resources are brought to the geographic location where all production work is done
Flat Organizational Structure
characteristic of decentralized companies with relatively few layers of management
Gantt Chart
production schedule that breaks down large projects into steps to be performed and specifies the time required to perform each step
Grapevine
informal communication network that runs through an organization
Hawthorne Effect
tendency for productivity to increase when workers believe they are receiving special attention from management
Hierarchy of Human Needs Model
theory of motivation describing five levels of human needs and arguing that basic needs must be fulfilled before people work to satisfy higher-level needs
Human Relations Skills
skills in understanding and getting along with people
Informal Organization
network, unrelated to the firm’s formal authority structure, of everyday social interactions among company employees
Inventory Control
process of receiving, storing, handling, and counting of all raw materials, partly finished goods, and finished goods
ISO 9000
program certifying that a factory, laboratory, or office has met the quality management standards set by the International Organization for Standardization
ISO 14000
certification program attesting to the fact that a factory, laboratory, or office has improved its environmental performance
Job Enrichment
method of increasing job satisfaction by adding one or more motivating factors to job activities
Job Satisfaction
degree of enjoyment that people derive from performing their jobs
Job Specialization
the process of identifying the specific jobs that need to be done and designating the people who will perform them
Just-in-time (JIT) Production
type of lean production system that brings together all materials at the precise time they are required at each production stage
Leading
management process of guiding and motivating employees to meet an organization’s objectives
Legitimate Power
power granted through the organizational hierarchy
Line Authority
organizational structure in which authority flows in a direct chain of command from the top of the company to the bottom
Locus of Control
the extent to which people believe that their behavior has a real effect on what happens to them
Machiavellianism
used to describe behavior directed at gaining power and controlling the behavior of others
Management
process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization’s resources to achieve its goals
Management by Objective (MBO)
set of procedures involving both managers and subordinates in setting goals and evaluating progress
Materials Management
process of planning, organizing, and controlling the flow of materials from sources of supply though distribution of finished goods
Matrix Structure
organizational structure created by superimposing one form of structure onto another
Mission Statement
organization’s statement of how it will achieve its purpose in the environment in which it conducts its business
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
a popular questionnaire that some organizations use to assess personality types
Operations (Production)
activities involved in making products -goods and services- for customers
Operations (Production) Management
systematic direction and control of the activities that transform resources into finished products that create value for and provide benefits to customers
Operations Control
process of monitoring production performance by comparing results with plans and taking corrective action when needed
Organizational Citizenship
positive behaviors that do not directly contribute to the bottom line
Organizational Structure
specification of the jobs to be done within an organization and the ways in which they relate to one another
Outsourcing
replacing internal processes by paying suppliers and distributors to perform business processes or to provide needed materials or services
Planning
management process of determining what an organization needs to do and how best to get it done
Participative Management and Empowerment
method of increasing job satisfaction by giving employees a voice in the management of their jobs and the company
Performance
dimension of quality that refers to how well a product does what it is supposed to do
PERT Chart
production schedule specifying the sequence of activities, time requirements, and critical path for performing the steps in a project
Power
the ability to affect the behavior of others
Process Layout (Custom-product Layout)
physical arrangement of production activities that groups equipment and people according to function
Product Layout (same-steps Layout)
physical arrangement of production steps designed to make one type of product in a fixed sequence of activities according to its production requirements
Psychological Contract
set of expectations held by an employee concerning what he or she will contribute to an organization (contributions) and what the organization will in return provide the employee (inducements)
Purchasing
acquisition of the materials and services that a firm needs to produce its products
Quality Control
action of ensuring that operations produce products that meet specific quality standards
Responsibility
duty to perform an assigned task
Risk Propensity
the degree to which a person is willing to take chances and make risky decisions
Self-efficacy
a person’s belief about his or her capabilities to perform a task
Self-esteem
the extent to which a person believes that he or she is a worthwhile and deserving individual
Short-term Goal
goal set for the near future
Social Learning
learning that occurs when people observe the behaviors of others, recognize their consequences, and alter their own behavior as a result
Span of Control
number of people supervised by one manager
Strategic Goal
goal derived directly from a firm’s mission statement
Strategy
broad set of organizational plans for implementing the decisions made for achieving organizational goals
Supply Chain Management (SCM)
principle of looking at the supply chain as a whole to improve the overall flow through the system
SWOT Analysis
identification and analysis of organizational strengths and weaknesses and environmental opportunities and threats as part of strategy formulation
Tactical Plan
generally short-term plan concerned with implementing specific aspects of a company’s strategic plans
Tall Organizational Structure
characteristic of centralized companies with multiple layers of management
Theory X
theory of motivation holding that people are naturally lazy and uncooperative
Theory Y
theory of motivation holding that people are naturally energetic, growth-oriented, self-motivated, and interested in being productive
Top Manager
manager responsible for a firm’s overall performance and effectiveness
Total Quality Management (TQM)
all activities involved in getting high-quality goods and services into the marketplace
Transactional Leadership
the set of abilities that allows a leader to recognize the need for change, to create a vision to guide that change, and to execute the change effectively
Utility
product’s ability to satisfy a human want or need
Value-added Analysis
process of evaluating all work activities, materials flows, and paperwork to determine the value that they add for customers
Work Team
groups of operating employees who are empowered to plan and organize their own work and to perform that work with a minimum of supervision
