Yeat One

Question 1

What is management?

Answer 1

Management can be defined as a set of activities which include, planning, organizing, leading and controlling directed at an organization’s resources such as human, financial, physical or information with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner.

Question 2

What are the characteristics of management?

Answer 2

1. Management is a continuous process
2. It involves and concentrates on reaching organizational goals
3. It reaches these goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources

Question 3

List and explain the basic functions of management.

Answer 3

1. Planning. Planning means determining organizational goals and defining the means of achieving them.
2. Organizing means assigning tasks developed in the planning stage to various individuals within the organization.
3. Leading/Influencing. Influencing can be defined as guiding the activities of organizational members in the direction that helps the organization to move towards the fulfilment of their goals.
4. Controlling. Controlling means monitoring progress and then taking corrective action when progress is not being made.

Question 4

What are some of the controlling roles performed by managers?

Answer 4

1. Gathering information that measures performance
2. Compare present performance to pre-established performance norms
3. Determine the next course of action and modifications to meet the desired performance parameters.

Question 5

What is an organization?

Answer 5

An organization is a process of integrating and coordinating the effort of men and material for the accomplishment of set objectives effectively and efficiently.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of an organization

Answer 6

1. An instrument used by management to attain pre-planned objectives
2. Management guides and directs the organization
3. A set of rules are communicated to all connected with the organization

Question 7

What are the importance of organizations and managers

Answer 7

1. Organizations provide a set of activities to achieve set goals
2. Organizations contribute to society
3. Organizations provide career
4. Organizations provide knowledge

Question 8

What is the need for organizations and managers

Answer 8

1. To set and define objectives of the organization
2. To run the organization on behalf of the shareholders
3. To coordinate activities
4. To establish structures
5. Managers ensure that the organization’s values are sustained

Question 9

How many levels of management do we have

Answer 9

1. Top level management
2. Middle level management
3. Lower level supervisory management
4. Operatives

Question 10

Explain the top level management and list it’s characteristics

Answer 10

The top level managers are at the top level of the hierarchy. They have the most authority and they are ultimately responsible for the entire organization.

1. They include titles such as CEO, president, vice president, executive director etc.
2. They plan for the entire organization
3. In a public corporation that sell their stock to the public, the top managers report to the board of directors whose function is to represent the interest of the shareholders
4. They prepare long term goals for the organization.
5. They require more conceptual skills and less technical skills

Question 11

Explain middle level managers and their characteristics

Answer 11

The middle level managers are beneath the top managers and directly supervise other managers below them.

1. They include titles such as departmental head, division head etc
2. They give recommendations to the top managers
3. They are responsible for implementing policies made by the top managers
4. They make short term goals from 1 to 5 years
5. They require more managerial and technical skills and less conceptual skills

Question 12

Explain lower level managers and their features

Answer 12

Lower level managers have the least authority and they are at the lowest of the hierarchy.

1. They include titles such as supervisor
2. Lower level managers directs the workers
3. They develop morale in the workers
4. They maintain a link between the workers and the middle level managers
5. They make daily, weekly and monthly plans

Question 13

Who are operatives?

Answer 13

Operatives are low level employees who are concerned with the day to day production activities of the organization and they execute directives of their supervisory managers

Question 14

What are managerial skills

Answer 14

Managerial skill refers to the ability to plan, organize, lead and control business operations effectively.

Question 15

What are the types of managerial skills we have

Answer 15

1. Technical skills. A technical skill is the ability to use procedures, techniques and knowledge of a specialized field.
2. Human relations skill. This refers to the interpersonal relationship in working with and through people and the exercise of judgement.
3. Conceptual skill

Question 16

What is a managerial role.

Answer 16

A role refers to a prescribed or expected behavior associated with a particular position or status in a group or organization

Question 17

What are the types of managerial roles and their components

Answer 17

1. Interpersonal roles
   * Figurehead
   * Leader role
   * Liaison
2. Informational roles
   * Monitor
   * Disseminator
   * Spokesperson
3. Decisional roles
   * Entrepreneur
   * Disturbance handler
   * Resource allocator
   * Negotiator