Test review

Question 1

What is an organization?

Answer 1

A collection of people working together in to achieve a common purpose.

Organizations form naturally from the surrounding supply and demand forces of their community environment

Someone recognizes a want or need that is not being satisfied in the community (an opportunity) and they start a business to meet that need

in order to survive organizations must adapt though creating efficient and effective systems to produce their goods or services

A common purpose

Purpose: produce good or service of value to consumer/client…. And maximize profit??

Question 2

What are the three elements necessary to create an organization. What role does each play in the effective functioning of an organization?

Answer 2

Division of Labour

Hierarchy of Authority

common purpose

Question 3

What is a mission statement? What elements does an effective mission statement have?

Answer 3

“The reason a company exists.”

An effective Mission statement should be:
A “call to action”
Easily understood
Measurable
Relevant +10-20 years

Example 5: Terry Fox Foundation

The Terry Fox Foundation is a national charity in Canada. Its purpose is to raise money to help fund cancer research and support people living with the disease.

Question 4

List and describe all 4 managerial functions

Answer 4

Managers traditionally perform four primary functions within an organization
Planning
Organizing
Leading
Controlling

Question 5

Planning

Answer 5

Set goals and plan out how to achieve them

Question 6

Organizing

Answer 6

Arranging resources to execute plans
Turns plans into actions

Assigning personnel to tasks
Supporting that personnel with resources

Question 7

Leading

Answer 7

Motivating employees to support organization’s goals and implement plans
communicating visions, building enthusiasm, and motivating staff in order to reach goals, and follow plans.

Question 8

Controlling

Answer 8

Monitoring work performance

Compare results to goals, fix if needed

Question 9

Managing

Answer 9

Managers exist in all organizations, and they work with a wide variety of job titles across different organizations. Department Manager, Production Supervisor, Team Lead, Principal, CEO, Administrator, Dean - these are all titles used to describe a manager of some sort.

Typical levels of management are:
Top Level Managers
Middle Managers
Front Line Managers

Question 10

Top Management

Answer 10

Also called executives
Look at performance of organization as a whole
Pay attention to external environment
Concerned with the big picture
Strategic thinkers

Question 11

Top Management roles and skills

Answer 11

Role: Provide direction for the organization

Skills:
Strategic Planning skills
Communication Skills (Written, Oral)
Analysis skills

Question 12

Middle Management

Answer 12

First Level Management reports to them
Interpret direction from Top Management and relay to First Level Management
Raise concerns of First Level Management to Top Management
Co-ordinate multiple sectors
Work well with people

Question 13

Middle Management roles and skills

Answer 13

Role: To Implement upper management vision and goals, to monitor First Level managers

Skills:
Communication skills
Relationship Skills
Motivational Skills

Question 14

First Level Management

Answer 14

Workforce reports to them
Report to Middle Management
Performance goals a priority
Often people who were good at non-management job

Question 15

First Level Management roles and skills

Answer 15

Role: Motivate and monitor workforce in order to achieve goals set out by upper management

Skills:
Work related skills,
Motivational skills,
Communication skills,
Recruit and train workforce

Question 16

Management Reflection

Answer 16

Tolerance for Uncertainty:
ability to maintain work performance in all sorts of unique situations and environments, including self regulation

Oral Presentation:
ability to express yourself clearly out loud to a variety of group sizes

Self-objectivity:
know what you are good at, and what you are weak at, plan accordingly

Question 17

Classical - Divisional
advantages and disadvantages

Answer 17

Pros

Clear points of responsibility

Increased flexibility to respond to changing environment

Cons

Reduced efficiencies due to duplication of resources (lack economies of scale)

Can be unhealthy rivalry between divisions

Question 18

Functional
advantages and disadvantages

Answer 18

Pros

Task assignment consistent with skills and training

Clear career paths

Cons

Difficult to determine responsibilities at times

Communication between departments is difficult

Question 19

Hybrid & Modern - Matrix
advantages and disadvantages

Answer 19

Pros

Improved decision making

Better customer service

Cons

Can lead to power struggles due to duplication of supervision

Priorities can be confused/ conflicted

Question 20

Team and Network
advantages and disadvantages

Answer 20

Pros

Eliminates barriers between operating departments.

Improved quality and speed of decision making.

Simplifies workflow and communication

Lean operations help with cost-cutting

Cons

Conflicting loyalties among members.

Excessive time spent in meetings.

Lack of loyalty/ control of important business functions performed by contractors

Question 21

What is a functional chimney problem?

Answer 21

The functional chimney’s problem is a lack of communication and coordination across functions.

Members of functional groups develop self centered and narrow viewpoints and become uncooperative with other groups losing the total system perspective.

Question 22

What are the benefits and drawbacks of “flatter” organizations

Answer 22

Better Communication

Faster Decision-Making

potential for conflict, and increased workload.

Question 23

What is the meaning of work for employees/ business? How do managers have to balance these two objectives?

Answer 23

Employee

Earn a living/ Stability
Achieve/ Challenge and Grow
Meaningful work/ make an impact

Company

Gaining market share
Generate revenue/ make profit

Question 24

What is the psychological contract between employers and employees

Answer 24

employers
Pay
Training
Benefits
Respect
Security
‘
employees
Company
Effort
Time
Creativity
Loyalty
Commitment
Opportunity

Question 25

What are some examples of alternative work designs?

Answer 25

Rotation
Simplification
Enlargement

Question 26

Rotation

Answer 26

Increases task variety by periodically shifting workers between different jobs
Can be done on regular schedule, or as needed or opportunity comes up
used as training approach, so can learn about others jobs as well

Question 27

Simplification

Answer 27

Involves reducing work tasks in order to create specialization and efficiency

Question 28

Enlargement

Answer 28

Increasing task variety by combining different tasks to one job

These additional tasks are often done

immediately before or after initial function

This is sometimes called horizontal loading

Question 29

Enrichment

Answer 29

Expanding job content to create more opportunities for satisfaction, usually means adding planning and evaluating duties

This is not effective for all employees, not everyone is looking to add depth to their job (roles usually done by supervisor)

Question 30

What are some examples of alternative Schedules?

Answer 30

FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
COMPRESSED WORK WEEK
JOB SHARING
TELECOMMUTING
SELF MANAGED TEAMS

Question 31

FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS

Answer 31

Also known as flex time

This allows employees to start their work day when they like

Or leave part way through to attend to personal affairs etc

Has been known to reduce stress and job turnover

Question 32

COMPRESSED WORK WEEK

Answer 32

Completing full time job in 4 days rather than 5

usually done by 10 hours per day instead of 8, and having a 3 day weekend everyday

Leads to improved employee moral, lower overtime, less absenteeism, fewer sick days, and lower cost of commuting

Some possible negatives are fatigue and scheduling issues for personal appointments

Question 33

JOB SHARING

Answer 33

1 full time job is split between 2 (or more) people

Good for employees when it allows someone to work that could not commit to being at work for a full day everyday (a parent is an example of this)

Good for the company because it allows them access to a talented employee that would otherwise be unreachable

Negative when a person is striving for full time employment and is limited to part time, may have to work multiple part time jobs, and can lead to fatigue, dissatisfaction etc

Question 34

TELECOMMUTING

Answer 34

Working from home

Facilitated by computers and other forms of information technology (IT)

Pros - increased productivity, fewer distractions, freedom to be your own boss, having more time for themselves

Cons - working too much, having less time to themselves, difficulty separating work from personal life
Advice“You have to have self-discipline and pride in what you do, but you also have to have a boss that trusts you enough to get out of the way.”

Question 35

SELF MANAGED TEAMS

Answer 35

Can split up the task among themselves

Members are able to perform more than one job on the team

Members can train each other and evaluate each other’s performance

Responsible to each other and to the company for the work they produce as a unit

Pros - better performance, decreased cost, higher morale

Cons - different way of approaching work, how do you deal with a person who isn’t pulling their weight on your team etc

Question 36

What were some of the different ways “Sally” was challenged with her new job?

Answer 36

The screws
Fiberglass
Time limit
Hot temperature
Working alone

Question 37

As “Sally’s” employer, what are some things you could do to address these?

Answer 37

Give her clothes/uniform that could withstand fiberglass,let her rest when needed and more positive feedback and reinsurances , job rotation.job sharing

Question 38

What does the HR department do? and why is it so important for a business to be successful

Answer 38

The main goal of the Human Resources department is to maximize the performance of people - the organization’s workforce.
All Human Resources departments play an integral role in attracting, developing, and maintaining a high quality staff.

Question 39

Describe why developing and retaining a workforce is such a critical role in an organization

Answer 39

Its a critical role in a company because when you develop a competent and committed workforce and are able to retain it you will have lower turnover costs which will increase your profits

Question 40

Other than Work related skills, what are some other factors that need to be considered when hiring a new employee?

Answer 40

It is important to look for things such as: digital footprint, present ability and sociability.

Question 41

What are some areas of work that have laws in place to protect employees?

Answer 41

Employment Standards Act 2000

Limit on hours of work: 8 hours per day OR 48 hours per week

Hours free from work: a period of at least 11 consecutive hours free from performing work in each day

Eating periods: at least 30 minutes at intervals that will result in the employee working no more than five consecutive hours without an eating period

Overtime: overtime pay of at least one and one-half times the regular rate for each hour of work in excess of 44 hours in each week

Minimum Wage: An employer shall pay employees at least the prescribed minimum wage

Question 42

What are some specific conditions that employers must provide employees in Ontario?

Answer 42

Right to vacation: An employer shall give an employee a vacation of at least two weeks after each vacation entitlement year that he or she completes

Vacation Pay: Equal to 4 per cent of the wages (excluding any vacation pay the employee receives while they are on vacation)

Pregnancy Leave & Parental Leave:
The employee must have worked for 13 weeks before being entitled for pregnancy or parental leave
Pregnancy Leave:
The leave begins between the time frame of 17 weeks before the due date and the day the mother gives birth or gains custody of the child
Pregnancy leave lasts 17 weeks
Parental Leave:
Can be taken by the mother or the father
Lasts 35 weeks after the pregnancy leave
Family Medical Leave: an employee is entitled to a leave of up to 8 weeks without pay of a medical practitioner agrees that a family member is under a severe risk of death

Question 43

Outline one ethical issue that is being discussed or examined currently in the workforce

Answer 43

The wage gap
Equal Pay for Equal Work: No employer shall pay an employee of one sex at a rate of pay less than the rate paid to an employee of the other sex when,
they perform substantially the same kind of work in the same establishment;
their performance requires substantially the same skill, effort and responsibility; and
their work is performed under similar working conditions

Question 44

What are the two goals of performance appraisals? How are these accomplished?

Answer 44

Evaluation—to let people know where they stand relative to performance objectives/standards. Focuses on past performance

Development—to assist in training and continued personal development, focuses on future performance

Question 45

What are the 5 most common employee appraisal methods?

Answer 45

Graphic rating scale

Behaviourally anchored rating scale

Comparative Appraisals

360o Feedback Appraisal

Critical-incident Technique

Question 46

Graphic rating scale

Answer 46

A graphic rating scale type of performance appraisal is one of the simplest.

It is a checklist for rating an individual employee’s traits based on workplace performance characteristics.

This might include the quality of their work, personal attitudes, punctuality, interaction with others, etc.

Question 47

Behaviourally anchored rating scale

Answer 47

Uses specific descriptions to rate each level of performance of actual employee behaviours rather than broad categories

Benefits
More reliable than the graphic rating scale.
Behaviour anchors can also be helpful in training peoople to master job skills of demonstrated performance importance.

Question 48

Comparative Appraisals

Answer 48

This approach is essentially comparing the work of an employee with the work of the other employees.

Generally this involves the ranking of employees

based on their rating - an employee is considered your number one employee, followed by a number two employee, right down to your lowest ranking employee, who is considered your worst, or poorest performing employee.

Question 49

360o Feedback Appraisal

Answer 49

The 360 degree feedback approach gathers confidential and anonymous feedback from other stakeholders in the organization that employees interact with.

These stakeholders could include managers, subordinates, other employees, and even customers potentially.

Question 50

Critical-incident Technique

Answer 50

Keep a running log of effective or ineffective job behaviours, pro/con lists

Documents successes and failure patterns that can be specifically discussed with the individual.

Customer service example “took extraordinary care of customer” or “acted rudely in dismissing the complaint of a customer”