Understanding Management and Managers

Question 1

Manager’s role

Answer 1

• setting objectives = successful criteria available to later establish whether or not a task has been completed successfully
• Review & Analyse date - adaptation to current processes needed
• Select strategies and implement them - efficient processes supporting overall objectives?
• Review impact of their decisions - review this to inform the setting of future objectives

Question 2

Factors that influence styles of management and leadership

Answer 2

• External environment
• Culture of a business
• Skill level of workforce
• Autocratic leadership
• Democratic leadership

Question 3

Autocratic leadership

Answer 3

An approach to keep control of decision making and ensure that employees are closely supervised
- Used if many unskilled workforce, a manager/leader may wish to maintain decision making powers

Question 4

Democratic leadership

Answer 4

An approach where leaders/managers discuss and consult with employees, delegate decision making authority and empower employees through their involvement
- Used when ; employs highly skilled and highly qualified employees.

Question 5

High concern for task & Low concern for people in Blake Mouton’s Grid

Answer 5

Produce or Perish

Question 6

Low concern for task & High concern for people in Blake Mouton’s Grid

Answer 6

Country Club

Question 7

High concern for task & High concern for people in Blake Mouton’s Grid

Answer 7

Team Leader

Question 8

Medium concern for task & Medium concern for people in Blake Mouton’s Grid

Answer 8

Stuck in the Middle

Question 9

What is Country club management

Answer 9

Focuses on needs & feelings of members ( happy & secure = hard work )

Question 10

Advantages of country club management

Answer 10

• relaxed work environment

- happy team members

Question 11

Disadvantage of Country club management

Answer 11

Low productivity - lack of direction and control

Question 12

What is Produce or Perish management

Answer 12

Theory X similarities

Strict work rules, policies & procedures. Punishment is most effective

Question 13

Disadvantages of Produce or Perish management

Answer 13

• High level of dissatisfaction
• Conflict occurs
• High labour turnover

Question 14

What is Impoverished Management

Answer 14

Ineffective leader. Little regard for creating systems getting job done

Question 15

Disadvantages of Impoverished Management

Answer 15

• Inefficient operations
• High labour turnover
• Dissatisfaction

Question 16

What is Middle of the Road Management

Answer 16

Balances t concerns - ideal compromise. However both not fully met

Question 17

Advantage of Middle of the road management

Answer 17

• Harmony in the team

Question 18

Disadvantage if Middle of the Road Management

Answer 18

Unlikely to be happy or dissatisfied

Question 19

What is Team Leader Management

Answer 19

Best style

Question 20

Advantages of Team Leader Management

Answer 20

• Highly cohesive team environment based on trust and respect
• Low labour turnover

Question 21

Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s Continuum Left to Right

Answer 21

Left = Leadership focussed on employees (authoritarian  - theory X)
Right = Leadership focussed on the manager (Democratic - Theory Y)

Question 22

4 stages on the Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s Continuum (Left to Right)

Answer 22

• Tell
• Sell
• Consult
• Share

Question 23

What happens in the ‘tell’ in the continuum

Answer 23

Manager makes decision and announces them to employees

Question 24

What happens in the sell stage of the continuum

Answer 24

Manager sells decision to employees

Question 25

What happens in the ‘consult’ stage in the continuum

Answer 25

1) Manager presents decision to employees and asks for questions
2) Manager presents decision to employees and is open to change
3) Manager presents an issue and asks for suggestions

Question 26

What happens in the ‘share’ stage of the continuum

Answer 26

1) Manager outlines limits of an issue and asks employees to make a decision
2) Manager allows employees to make their own decision - within limits