Week 1 | Organisation & Management

Question 0

Organisations can be seen as systems.

How would you explain an open system?

Answer 0

It transforms resource inputs (such as people, money, materials, technology, information) into product outputs in the form of finished goods and/or services.

Resource Input ➡️ Transformation (Workflow) ➡️ Product Output (..from output through Consumer Feedback back to input.. Circle)

Question 1

What is an Organisation?

Answer 1

1. A group of people working together arranged in a specific structure to achieve a common purpose.
2. An Organisation should return value to society and satisfy customers’ needs to justify its continued existence.

Question 2

Organisations have changed over the years. Name 5 organisational transitions for the study of Management?

Answer 2

• Demise of ‘Command-and-Control’ (no ‘do as I say’)
• Focus on speed (everything is moving fast, who’s product is first has advantage)
• Embrace of networking (intense real-time communication)
• Concern for work-life balance (often-conflicting demands of work and personal affairs)
• New workforce expectations (more attention to performance than to status and seniority)

Question 3

What is TQM?

Answer 3

Total Quality Management

TQM is managing with commitment to continuous improvement, product quality and customer satisfaction.

Question 4

What is a Manager?

Answer 4

Managers are people in organisations who directly support and help activate the work efforts and performance accomplishments of others.

Question 5

Name 3 levels of Managers.

Answer 5

Top managers
Middle managers
Team leaders or Supervisors

Question 6

Name 6 types of Managers.

Answer 6

Line managers
Staff managers
Functional managers
General managers
Administrators
Project managers

Question 7

Explain the organisational “upside-down-pyramid”

Answer 7

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Customers & Clients (ultimate beneficiaries)
Operating workers (work directly)
Team leaders & Managers (help workers & solve problems)
Top managers (mission & strategies)

Question 8

Explain the Management process.

Answer 8

PLOC ...
Planning
Leading
Organising
Controlling

Question 9

Explain PLOC.

Answer 9

Planning: Setting performance objectives and deciding how to achieve them
Leading: Inspiring/guiding people to work hard to achieve high performance
Organising: Arranging tasks, people and other resources to accomplish the work
Controlling: Measuring performance and taking action to ensure desired results

Question 10

What are the managerial roles?

Answer 10

Interpersonal - how a manager interacts with others (i.e. Leader)
Informational - how a manager exchanges and processes information (i.e. Spokesperson)
Decisional - how a manager uses information to make decisions (i.e. Negotiator)

Question 11

What are the 3 essential managerial skills?

Answer 11

Conceptual skills - the ability to think analytically and achieve problem solving (top-level managers)
Human skills - the ability to work well in cooperation with other people, Emotional intelligence (Daniel Goleman) ability to manage ourselves and our relationships
Technical skills - the ability to apply expertise and perform a special task with proficiency (lower-level managers)