Reading Assignment: essentials of leadership and management

What is a goal?

A broad, long-range target that a firm wants to reach

Select all of the examples of transactional leaders.

A leader who makes sure all the team members are clear on their roles, holds them accountable, and monitors their progress, A leader who sets the goals, leads to them, and prepares very clear performance standards

How do autocratic leaders approach decision-making?

Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting others.

At a meeting to come up with a solution to a manufacturing problem, managers call out any ideas they can come up with, trying to be as creative as they can. What is this process called?

Brainstorming

How does control make a company's products more attractive to customers?

By adding value to products or services

How can planning help improve worker efficiency?

By facilitating better organization of worker tasks

What are three of the six ways control can aid a manager?

By helping managers become aware of opportunities, By helping managers deal with changes and uncertainties, By helping managers detect errors and irregularities

How do control systems help companies specifically deal with changes and uncertainties?

By making it possible to anticipate, monitor, and react to shifting circumstances

Which step of the decision-making process involves considering different ideas and selecting one?

Choose solutions

Select all of the areas of focus of transactional leaders.

Clarifying employee roles, Setting goals, Monitoring progress

As a company manager, you have formed a decision-making team. The team has progressed to the potential solutions step in its decision-making process. What will the group do in this step?

Come up with ideas to solve the problem

Select all the elements of operational planning.

Coordination with middle management, Performed by supervisory management, Focus on a period of one week to one year

Match the managerial function with its major activity. No items may be used more than once.---- organizing

Creating a structure of labor and resources

You are an operations manager talking with store managers and employees about some lags in service. They tell you they need to build systems that allow the frontline staff to make decisions quicker. The employees' biggest complaint is that they have to ask their boss before making any decision. The employees say they feel silly having to do this all the time, and their managers are inundated with additional, unnecessary work because of this. Which control measure is applicable to this situation?

Decentralize decision making and facilitate teamwork.

In a staff meeting of the General Maintenance company, Julian reports that third-quarter earnings have met the company's goals set at the beginning of the year. Morgan also gives a report telling her supervisors how redistribution of labor and lowered materials costs contributed to the third-quarter gains. What principle of business management does Morgan's report exemplify?

Efficiency

Classify the following factors as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. No items may be used more than once.---- opportunities

Expansion into new markets , Complacent competitors

Select all of the activities related to the problem identification step of the decision-making process.

Figure out the main problem about which a decision must be made., Look for opportunities that may be helpful.

Barrie is a distribution manager of a small press. Over the past three quarters, revenues have consistently not met company goals. Barrie calls a meeting of all supervisory managers to decide how to improve the situation. As they begin the problem identification step, what should they do first?

Figure out the root cause of their declining revenues.

Classify the following factors as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. No items may be used more than once.---- strengths

Global presence , Choice Experienced management

Classify the following factors as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. No items may be used more than once.---- threats

Government regulatory pressure , Choice Potential waning of product popularity

What is an example of the planning function of management?

Holding a January staff meeting to set goals for the year

Over the last two years, Keva's company has been steadily losing market share, and it has begun struggling to cover its expenses. When the issues could no longer be ignored, Keva implemented new controls and discovered that the company accountant had been regularly making mistakes on project budgets. Now that she is aware of the problem, Keva can take steps to fix it. What function of control does Keva's case exemplify?

How control can detect errors and irregularities

Fideo, a marketing manager for a clothing and accessories company based in California, spends a lot of time reviewing reports about the market. One of these reports reveals that bow ties have suddenly become very popular in Argentina. What does this exemplify?

How control can help firms become aware of opportunities

Karsten, a materials buyer for a tool manufacturer, has a series of steps she completes before making any purchase. These steps often reveal that one supplier is offering a particular material for a lower price than the suppliers she usually uses. What is this an example of?

How control helps firms become aware of opportunities

You and your colleagues are preparing for a meeting with the CEO to discuss some recent difficulties that are hindering achievement of goals. What phase of the decision-making process are you in?

Identifying the problem

What are three of the six reasons why managers need control?

It helps them decentralize decision-making and facilitate teamwork., It helps them deal with complexity., It helps them increase productivity, cut waste, reduce costs, and add value.

Select the four functions of management.

Leading, controlling, planning, organizing

Select all of the examples of mission statements.

Linking farmers and distributors to provide healthier food choices, Our airline aims to provide comfort and security from ticketing to destination., Growing a line of products that will meet all your office needs

Select all of the examples of activities carried out by supervisory-level managers.

Making daily decisions, Assigning tasks to workers, Heading company departments

What is an example of the organizing function of managment?

Making work assignments

The top, middle, and supervisory managers of Corinthos Coffee hold a series of planning meetings. They emerge with a document they release to the press. It says, "Our aim is to see that Corinthos coffees are served in every quality eating establishment in the state of New York." What kind of declaration have the managers produced?

Mission statement

Which kind of business planning statement contains the goods and services a company provides as well as the purpose of providing them?

Mission statement

Select all of the statements that characterize the beliefs of leaders, not managers.

Motivating people is very important, especially knowledge workers., Employees need to be empowered to share in responsibilities and decision-making.

Which of the following are examples of changes and uncertainties that firms must deal with using control systems?

New competitors, New technologies, Altered laws and regulations

Which type of planning involves figuring out how to accomplish specific tasks with available resources over a period of as little as one week to one year?

Operational planning

Select all of the examples of vision statements.

Providing opportunities for education around the world, A better life for all, We work for a future with better health for all.

Select all of the examples of effectiveness in business.

Receiving increased sales as a result of an advertising campaign,Finishing a job within the projected timeline, Surpassing a yearly goal for number of products manufactured

As a manager making a decision about an issue affecting the company, you have identified the problem and have come up with a number of possible solutions. You have now reached the "choose solution" step of the decision-making process. Select all of the actions involved in this step.

Select a solution., Consider each option.

Drag each description to the corresponding type of leadership. No items may be used more than once.- transactional leadership

Setting goals and motivating employees to meet performance goals, Focusing on creating a smooth-running organization

What is the best definition of the planning function of management?

Setting organizational goals and establish a strategy for achieving them

Classify the following factors as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. No items may be used more than once.---- weaknesses

Slow diversification , Suboptimal outlet location

Which level of planning involves the highest level of managers?

Strategic planning

Drag each description to the corresponding type of leadership. No items may be used more than once.- transformational leadership

Striving to inspire high levels of commitment and loyalty, Promoting long-term vision, creativity, and exceptional performance

Which level of management would be most likely to be involved in planning how to introduce workers to a new manufacturing process over the next six months?

Supervisory management

Workers at Quality Manufacturing are dissatisfied with the company's new policy of 12-hour work shifts. Which type of manager is most likely to communicate their complaints to company owners?

Supervisory-level managers

What is an example of a technical skill?

The ability to create a budget

On an organizational chart, what is horizontal specialization?

The different jobs in the organization

Which part of the decision-making process involves coming up with creative and innovative ideas for how to solve a problem?

The potential solutions step

Select all of the true statements about S.M.A.R.T. goals.

They are attainable., They are time-bound.

Which example best represents the top level of management?

Thom meets with executives to decide the direction of a new marketing campaign.

Which example best represents the top level of management? Multiple choice question.

Thom meets with executives to decide the direction of a new marketing campaign.

What is the desired impact of a vision statement?

To attract investors, workers, and customers who share a company's vision

Which kind of business planning statement delineates a company's long-term goals and philosophy?

Vision statement

What information is presented horizontally on an organizational chart?

Work specialization within the organization

Select all of the elements shown in an organizational chart.

Work specializations, Formal lines of authority

Classify each feature as applying to either goals or objectives. No items may be used more than once.---- goals

broad meaning, long- range targets

Which of the following is an example of a weakness?

dependence on one product

Companies can use control to ______ such as cost overruns or manufacturing defects.

detect irregularities and errors

In business management, the term ---- is used to describe success in meeting goals, while ---- is used to mean cost-effective use of resources in order to make sure goals are met.

effectiveness, efficiency

When a company sets a control standard, it is ______. Multiple choice question.

establishing the desired performance level for a given goal

Match each level of management planning with its primary activity. No items may be used more than once.---- strategic planning

high level managers make long range decisions

Who concentrates on what work is referred to as ______.

horizontal specialization

Arrange the steps in the decision-making process in the correct order, starting with the first step at the top.

identify the problem or opportunity, think of possible solutions, weigh alternative solutions and select one, implement and evaluate the chosen solution

According to management scholar John Kotter, ______ cope with change instead of complexity.

leaders

According to management scholar John Kotter, ______ cope with complexity instead of change.

managers

Select all of the qualities of S.M.A.R.T. goals.

measurable, specific, relevant

Match each level of management planning with its primary activity. No items may be used more than once.---- tactical planning

middle managers implement company plans

Classify each feature as applying to either goals or objectives. No items may be used more than once.---- objectives

narrow meaning, short- term targets

A specific, short-term target designed to achieve the organization's goals is a(n) ____

objective

In the problem identification stage of decision-making, it is important to look beyond day-to-day difficulties to find circumstances that present the chance for meeting or surpassing goals. These circumstances are known as ______.

opportunities

A box-and-lines illustration showing the formal lines of authority and official positions or work specializations is a(n) ______.

organizational chart

Executives set company goals and figure out how they may be achieved under the ---- function of management.

planning

Which of the following is an example of a strength?

seasoned management

What three things do transactional leaders steadily pursue?

stability, order, performance goals

Match each level of management with its most appropriate planning focus. No items may be used more than once.---- top management

strategic planning

Match each level of management planning with its primary activity. No items may be used more than once.---- operational planning

supervisory managers direct workers

What type of skills are defined as job-specific knowledge necessary to perform well in a specialized field?

technical skills

Identify the various SWOT elements as either internal or external. No items may be used more than once.---- external

threats, opportunities

Which level of management is most likely responsible for deciding that instituting a new operations system would lead to long-term profits and possible future expansion?

top level

Organizational charts show the ______ hierarchy of authority.

vertical

A SWOT analysis conducted at Kenyan's company finds that the firm is missing key skills. What SWOT category would this be classified as?

weaknesses

The vertical hierarchy of authority depicts ______.

who reports to whom