unit 2 - Managers, leadership and decision making.

Question 1

what is the difference between a manager and a leader?

Answer 1

a manager is more focused on productivity and optimising processes to complete a task while a leader inspires and motivates others

Question 2

what are the four leadership styles?

Answer 2

-autocratic
-paternalistic
-democratic
-laissez-faire

Question 3

describe an autocratic leader

Answer 3

-“the boss”
-makes the decisions, gives orders
-has their own system of doing things

Question 4

describe a paternalistic leader

Answer 4

-“father figure” / “head of the family”
-still “the boss”
-looks after staff, sense of responsibility
-on good terms with staff
-most common in small-medium sized companies

Question 5

describe a democratic leader

Answer 5

-involves staff in decision making
-consults, delegates, empowers
-still makes final decisions but takes input

Question 6

describe a laissez-faire leader

Answer 6

-minimal input from manager
-leaves the running of the business to staff
-may lack focus, motivation, common sense of purpose, structure
-some may love the freedom and produce creative work

Question 7

what are the three management theories?

Answer 7

-theory x
-theory y
-tannenbaum and schmidt’s continuum

Question 8

describe theory x

Answer 8

a repressive management style which has tight control and depressed culture

Question 9

describe theory y

Answer 9

a liberating and developmental management style which allows for delegation

Question 10

what is tannenbaum and schmidt’s continuum?

Answer 10

a scale which shows a manger’s balance between the authority and freedom

Question 11

what is scientific decision making?

Answer 11

decisions made based on hard, often numerical data

Question 12

what is intuitive decision making?

Answer 12

decisions made based on experience and a “feel” for what will happen in the future

Question 13

describe the scientific decision making process

Answer 13

• setting objectives
• gather and interpret information
• selecting the chosen option
• implementing the decision
• reviewing

Question 14

what does decision making affect?

Answer 14

-risk
-reward
-uncertainty
-opportunity cost

Question 15

what are the factors which affect which type of decision is made?

Answer 15

-available information
-speed required
-predictability of the situation
-culture of the business
-size of the business
-character of the person making the decisions

Question 16

what influences decisions?

Answer 16

-the business mission
-the business objectives
-ethics
-the external environment
-resource constraints