Chapter 1: MGMT Course

Management

A set of activities (including planning and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling) directed at an organization's resources (human, financial, physical, and information), with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner.

Profit seeking

Large businesses- industrial firms, commercial banks, insurance firms, retailers, transportation firms, utilities, communication firms, service organizations Small businesses and start-up businesses International management

Which of the following is an example of a physical resource needed to operate the company that produces Kenny's Cajun Popcorn, a "low-calorie snack with a high-voltage flavor"?

an industrial-size popcorn popper

Ugar is a manager the likes change. When people become complacent, he tries to shake things up to reenergize them. How does Ugar likely see change management?

as an opportunity

How can managers use knowledge of theory and history in contemporary organizations?

as the basis for new, personal theories

The science of management

assumes that problems can be approached using rational, logical, objective, and systematic ways requires the use of technical, diagnostic, and decision making skills and techniques to solve problems

When employees work remotely, conference calls and emails can be used to check on employee availability and productivity. This is part of the ____ function of management.

controlling

Which type of leadership role is used when a manager uses information to determine what actions he or she needs to make to respond to a potential problem?

decisional the managers informational roles typically lead to the decisional roles. the information acquired by the manager as a result of performing the informational roles has a major bearing on important decisions that he or she makes

Which type of skills enable a manager to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation?

diagnostic

Atmir allows his employees to make decisions that relate to their jobs, with the goal of furthering the interests of the organization. Which management function is Atmir using when he decentralizes the decision-making process?

leading

When editors ensure authors meet a deadline, the editors are working in which functional area?

operations

Which type of managers are concerned with creating and managing the systems that create an organization's products and services?

operations

The purpose of planning and decision making is to ____.

serve as a guide for future activities

Which of the following roles is categorized as informational?

spokesperson

A ____ is an example of a first-line manager.

supervisor

The managerial skills least important to a top manager are ____ skills.

technical

Which skills are most important for first-line managers?

technical

Which skills are needed to understand or accomplish specialized tasks within an organization?

technical

Which of the following acts emphasized the importance of providing equal employment opportunities for people with various impairment?

the Americans with Disabilities Act

Which of the following can be used to provide managers a sense of heritage and avoid the mistakes of others?

historical context of management

Maja works with a variety of managers to design training programs for employees. In addition, she helps managers with performance appraisals and resolve issues with problem employees. Which type of manager is Maja?

human resources

Middle managers spend most of their time ____.

implementing plans of top managers

As a middle manager, what might Yui's job entail?

implementing policies and plans

In the National Football League, the promotional ads are ____ resources.

informational

Organization

A group of people working together in structured and coordinated fashion to achieve a set of goals.

Operations managers

Control production, inventory, quality, and plant layout

Organizing

Determining how activities and resources are to be grouped.

Areas of management

Differentiation of managers into marketing, financial, operations, human resource, administration, and other areas.

Levels of management

Differentiation of managers into three basic categories—top, middle, and first-line.

Diversity is increasing in the workforce

Diversity has numerous dimensions, but most common are age, gender, ethnicity, and physical abilities and disabilities. Diversity refers to differences among people

Not-for-profit

Governmental organizations: local, state, and federal Educational organizations: public and private schools, colleges, and universities Healthcare Facilities: public hospitals and HMOs Nontraditional settings: community, social, spiritual groups

Human resource managers

Hire and develop employees; planning, recruiting and selecting, training and development, retention

Four basic resources from the environment

Human resources: managerial talent and labor Financial resources: Capital used to finance ongoing and long-term operations Physical: Raw materials, facilities, and equipment Information: Usable data need to make effective decisions (Most managers engage in more than one activity at a time and often move between activities in unpredictable ways)

Women in the workplace

Increasing numbers in both white- and blue-collar jobs Moving into occupations previously dominated by males

Which of the following is a benefit of planning?

It helps managers know how to allocate their time and resources.

Who among the following is an example of a yuppie?

Jose, who graduated in 1986 and now works in a multinational company.

What is considered by many to be the most important and most challenging of all managerial activities?

Leading Leading is the set of processes used to get members of the organization to work to further the interests of the organization. Some people consider leading to be both the most important and the most challenging of all managerial activities.

Effective

Making the right decisions and successfully implementing them. (Producing enough, but not too much so as to carry inventory)

What are some typical routine activities for managers?

Management activities are based on planning, organizing, and leading.

The new workplace

Managers must create an attractive environment for today's worker. Must provide incentives to motivate a diverse workforce. Be prepared to cope with continual change. New technology remains a challenge. Managers now have a complex array of organizing possibilities.

When an organization bids on acquiring new projects or customers, which type of managers is likely to offer input on that bid?

Marketing, operations, financial, and human resources

Informational roles

Monitor Disseminator Spokesperson (involves the processing of information)

Controlling

Monitoring organizational progress toward goal attainment.

Administrative managers

Not associated with any particular management specialty; specialist with basic familiarity of all functional areas

Middle managers

Primarily responsible for implementing the policies and plans developed by top manager. They also supervise and coordinate the activities of lower level managers (plant manager, division head, operations)

Other types of managers

Public relations, research and development, social media specialist

Technology such as smartphones allows us to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Do you respond to emails and text messages when you are not at work? why or why not? How do we manage this blurring of lines? In what other ways has technology created challenges for managers?

Responses will vary by student, but many will admit they do check, and respond to text messages daily. Many do not check email as often though, and can let email "pile up" unless they are expecting information. How does this translate to the job, and what expectations might they consider at work? New technology, especially as it relates to information, also poses an increasingly important challenge for managers. Communication advances such as smartphones and other wireless communication networks have made it easier than ever for managers to communicate with one another. At the same time, these innovations have increased the pace of work for managers, cut into their time for thoughtful contemplation of decisions, and increased the amount of information they must process. As firms come to depend more and more on communication technologies, they also become more vulnerable.

Which of the following is an activity associated with the management function of controlling?

Reviewing yesterday's production reports.

Marketing managers

Sell the product and work in new product development, promotion, and distribution

Leading

Set of processes used to get members of the organization to work together to further the interests of the organization.

Planning

Setting an organization's goals and deciding how best to achieve them.

Conceptual skills

The manager's ability to think in the abstract. determining the use of next generation technology

Interpersonal skills

The ability to communicate with, understand, and motivate both individuals and groups. giving a performance appraisal to a poor performer

Which of the following is an advantage of hiring retirees in an organization?

The organization gets the expertise of skilled workers

Which of the following statements describes individuals engaged in management?

The plant manager has set an organizational goal of reducing plant waste by 5 percent during the next fiscal year.

Top managers

The relatively small group of executives who manage the overall organization. They create the organization's goals, overall strategy, and operating policies (Vice presidents, CEO, CFO)

Decisional roles

The roles of entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator, which relate primarily to making decisions.

Interpersonal roles

The roles of figurehead, leader, and liaison, which involve dealing with other people.

Informational roles

The roles of monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson, which involve the processing of information.

Technical skills

The skills necessary to accomplish or understand the specific kind of work being done in an organization. keeping up to date with changes in tax codes

Why is education important for managers? Formal education can often be general because it has to pertain to a large number of students. How can managers keep their education current in their field of expertise? What is the relationship between experience and education?

The workforce is rapidly changing thanks to technology and changers in the external environment. Managers must stay up to date on these changes to best manage their workforce. They must also be attuned to areas of social responsibility and changing expectations of consumers and the general public. Leadership requires lifelong learning, both in and out of the classroom.

What is generally a safe assumption about management theories that are used to build organizations and guide them to their goals?

They are grounded in reality.

Neil's department was recently assigned a new project. His next task on the project is to determine how his people and other resources will be allocated to the project. At this point, what managerial function is Neil tackling?

organizing

Financial managers

Undertake accounting, cash management and investments

Efficient

Using resources wisely and in a cost-effective way. (Producing high-quality products at low costs)

The primary purpose of The Management Process (What do Managers Do?) is to ____.

achieve organizational goals efficiently and effectively

Most common way of becoming a manager

combination of experience and education

What is a characteristic of the art, rather than the science, of management?

intuition

Changing demographics in the workplace

people living and working longer retirees now an excellent source of part time and temporary employees increasing number of Hispanics and African Americans in the workplace including immigrants and refugees increased opportunities for those with disabilities

Advertising and subscription revenues at U.S. newspapers have been decreasing. A CEO sets a goal of increasing revenues by 5 percent. The CEO is engaged in ____.

planning

Demographic composition is changing

the yuppies of the 1980s were highly motivated generation X,Y and millennials desire flexibility and individuality and are less devoted to long term career prospects declining birth rates affect the labor pool; the average age of US workers is gradually increasing

Which level of management would make the decision to do business with a foreign subsidiary?

top management

Nour's responsibilities include creating organizational goals and overall strategy for the organization. In terms of her level in the organization, what type of manager is Nour?

top manager

What is meant when we say managers must be efficient?

using resources wisely and cost-effectively

What special considerations might be needed when managing a remote workforce?

Even if students do not work, or have never worked, the process can be applied to the classroom. What help did they need when their classes went remote during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns? Did they find they needed more or less management (professor) feedback? How did they seek out help?

Decision making

Part of the planning process that involves selecting a course of action from a set of alternatives.

Do these activities change when managing a remote workforce?

Some students may be managers on their current jobs and can share some of their activities.

Manager

Someone whose primary responsibility is to carry out the management process.

First-line managers

Supervise and coordinate the activities of operating employees (supervisor, coordinator, office managers)

Communication skills

The manager's abilities both to effectively convey ideas and information to others and to effectively receive ideas and information from others. verbal and nonverbal, writing emails, reports and proposals

Decision-making skills

The manager's ability to correctly recognize and define problems and opportunities and to then select an appropriate course of action to solve problems and capitalize on opportunities. stopping production because of a quality issue

Time-management skills

The manager's ability to prioritize work, to work efficiently, and to delegate appropriately. making deadlines; postponing one activity to meet demands of higher priority activity

Diagnostic skills

The manager's ability to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation. understanding the relationship between declining sales and new product development

Outcomes of technology of work processes

can create flatter organizations use of work teams , including global and virtual teams

Ramon is a public relations manager. He manages the image of the company by responding to interview requests and promoting the good work the company and employees do. His most important skills are his ____ skills.

communication

The ability to both effectively convey ideas and information to others and effectively receive ideas and information from others is referred to as a(n)

communication

Which skills are particularly important in the art of management?

communication

Technology is an increasingly important challenge

communication advances such as smartphones and wireless networks making it easier to communicate results in increased pace of work and amount of information that must be processed blurs lines of work and personal life creates vulnerabilities in terms of data breaches

A manager's ability to think in the abstract is a(n) ____ skill.

conceptual

Sanjay recognizes a need to reorganize his company from geographic regions into customer focused divisions. What skills is he using

conceptual

In the production department at Chelsea Milling Company, a sample of every product is taken at 15-minute intervals to ensure that standards are maintained. This is an example of _____.

controlling

Which decisional role involves the manager in resolving conflicts?

disturbance handler

Zereth's company has been trying to create a more diverse workforce, and is succeeding. What is the likely outcome of a more diversity workforce?

enhance effectiveness

In the National Football League, the ticket revenues are ____ resources.

financial

Bhavik is a new employee, considered to be part of Generation Y. What is he most likely to be attracted to when looking for a job?

flexibility

the art of management

making decisions and solving problems using a blend of intuitions, experience, instinct, and personal insights using conceptual, communication, interpersonal, and time management skills to accomplish the tasks associated with managerial activities

In most organizations, the ____ level of management contains the largest number of managers.

middle management

The head of HR meets with union representatives to resolve a labor dispute. What managerial role was she fulfilling?

negotiator

Rajiv just completed a project in which he determined goals for each of his employees and projects, and how best to achieve them. Rajiv is engaged in

planning

Which of the following correctly lists all of the basic management functions?

planning and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling

Ramkumar is the head of human resources at a large firm. For the past few years, his firm has had a difficult time hiring and retaining employees. What can Ramkumar do to better attract and retain today's workers?

provide new and different incentives

Selecting the course of action that would most likely lead to success would be included in which management function?

reporting

The fact that managers use four classes of inputs to perform organizational processes suggests that management is best understood from which perspective?

resource-based