Unit 3: management activities Flashcards
planning
occurs when management looks to the future amd sets specific goals for the business. the manager puts strategies into place to achieve these goals. planning gives a business purpose and direction and reduces risk/uncertainty
SMART plan
specific
measurable
achievable
relevant
timed
steps in the planning process
- assess the current situation
- set a goal
- create a plan
- implement the plan
- review the plan
SWOT analysis
strengths
weaknesses
opportunities
threats
mission statement
short written statement that sets out the firm’s overall goal for the lifetime of the business
strategic plan
1-5 years, senior management. breaks down the mission statement into long term business plans
tactical plan
1-2 years, middle management. breaks down strategic plan into short term plans. helps business achieve strategic plan
operational plan
0-1 year, all management levels. plans day to day running of the business
contingency plan
0-1 year, all management levels. back up plans used to deal with unforeseen events or emergencies
HR/manpower plan
0-1 year, HR manager. ensures the business has the correct number of employees, with the correct skills and qualifications, at the correct time
financial plan
0-1 year, finance manager. businesses prepare cash flow forecasts to predict the amount of income they will receive and spend in a particular period of time
investors and planning
financial planning shows investors that business can repay loans. also shows projected profits (increased dividend)
employees and planning
HR planning indicates future promotion opportunities, motivates them to work harder to apply to these vacancies
suppliers and planning
strategic and tactical plans indicate that business intends to expland, gives supplier opportunity to sell more raw materials
benefits of planning
- anticipates problems
- identifies SWOT
- benchmarking (comparing planned progress with actual results)
- improves motivation
- finance
Organising
occurs when the manager coordinates all business resources, e.g. employees, capital, raw materials, into the most effective format to achieve organisational goals
functional organisation structure
firm divided into departments based on the function they perform, e.g. finance, marketing, production. each department has a manager responsible for achieving departmental goal
advantages of functional structure
- employee motivation
- expert knowledge
- responsibility
disadvantages of functional structure
- focus on departmental goals
- slow communication
- lack of teamwork
geographic organisation structure
business divided into geographical areas, e.g. region, country, continent
advantages of geographic structure
- local managers
- friendly competition
- promotion
disadvantages of geographic structure
- duplication of work
- conflict between management
- communication
product organisation structure
business divided into units based on the type of product it provides to consumers
advantages of product structure
- consumer demand
- monitor product performance
- expert knowledge
disadvantages of product structure
- duplication
- product competition
- poor communication
matrix organisation structure
employees work in various departments, e.g. finance, marketing, and then come together to work jn cross functional teams to complete business projects. employees report to department manager and project manager
advantages of matrix structure
- increased motivation
- improved communication
- improved decision making