exam one - chapter one

efficient

Using resources wisely and in a cost-effective way

what should managers strive to understand across key management skills?

strengths & weaknesses & how they affect your job/job performance

what do first line managers do?

supervise and coordinate the activities of operating employees & spend a large proportion of their time supervising the work of subordinates.

what skills are especially important when approaching a management task or problem from a scientific perspective?

technical, diagnostic, and decision-making skills

communication skills

the abilities both to effectively convey ideas and information to others and to effectively receive ideas and information from others

interpersonal skills

the ability to communicate with, understand, and motivate both individuals and groups

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

time-management skills

the manager's ability to prioritize work, to work efficiently, and to delegate appropriately

conceptual skills

the manager's ability to think in the abstract

diagnostic skills

the manager's ability to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation

technical skills

the skills necessary to accomplish or understand the specific kind of work being done in an organization

entrepreneur

the voluntary initiator of change

basic purpose of management

to ensure that an organization's goals are achieved in an efficient and effective manner

monitor

one who actively seeks information that may be of value

setting up the organization =

organizing

decision making

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

the process of carrying out the informational role as a manager

places the manager at a strategic point to gather and disseminate information

setting goals =

planning

who usually occupy the position of first line managers?

positions like these are often the first held by employees who enter management from the ranks of operating personnel.

what do good managers do?

propel an organization into unprecedented realms of success

middle management titles

1. plant manager 2. operations manager 3. division head

titles for first line managers

1. supervisor 2. coordinator 3. office manager

fundamental managerial skills

1. technical 2. interpersonal 3. conceptual 4. diagnostic 5. communication 6. decision-making 7. time-management skills

how many roles do senior managers play?

10

what do decisional roles do?

relate primarily to making decisions

what perspective is management viewed by?

resource-based perspective

manager's responsibility

responsible for combining and coordinating these various resources to achieve the organization's goals

human resources managers

responsible for hiring and developing employees involved in: 1. human resource planning 2. recruiting & selecting employees 3. training & development 4. designing compensation & benefit systems 5. formulating performance appraisal systems 6. discharging low-performing and problem employees.

what are middle managers responsible for?

responsible primarily for implementing the policies and plans developed by top managers and for supervising and coordinating the activities of lower-level managers.

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

manager

someone whose primary responsibility is to carry out the management process - someone who plans and makes decisions, organizes, leads, and controls human, financial, physical, and information resources

titles of top managers

1. CEO 2. president 3. vice president

decisional roles

1. entrepreneur 2. disturbance handler 3. resource allocator 4. negotiator

interpersonal roles

1. figurehead 2. leader 3. liaison

the 4 kinds of basic resources all organizations use

1. human 2. financial 3. physical 4. informational

what mix of resources do managers use to promote efficiency & effectiveness?

1. human 2. financial 3. physical 4. informational

what are the categories that the 10 different roles that senior managers play fall into?

1. interpersonal, 3. informational 3. decisional

what other kinds of managers do organizations need?

1. marketing 2. finance 3. operations 4. human resource 5. general administration 6. other areas

informational roles

1. monitor 2. disseminator 3. spokesperson

4 basic managerial functions

1. planning 2. organizing 3. leading 4. controlling

primary management functions

1. planning & decision making 2. organizing 3. leading 4. controlling

example of decision-making skills

A manager who can quickly recognize the need for a decision and then frame the nature of the decision that is required; the manager who recognizes that an earlier decision did not result in a good outcome and so starts the decision-making process over again

example of interpersonal skills

A manager who establishes a good relationship with an abrasive colleague; a manager who can reprimand someone for poor performance while maintaining a positive working relationship with that person

image of the management process

Management involves four basic activities—planning and decision making, organizing, leading, and controlling. Although there is a basic logic for describing these activities in this sequence (as indicated by the solid arrows), most managers engage in more than one activity at a time and often move back and forth between the activities in unpredictable ways (as shown by the dotted arrows).

image of kinds of managers by level & area

Organizations generally have three levels of management, represented by top managers, middle managers, and first-line managers. Regardless of level, managers are also usually associated with a specific area within the organization, such as marketing, finance, operations, human resources, administration, or some other area.

physical resources

Raw materials; office and production facilities, & equipment

example of technical skills

The manager of a software development company who understands how to write and test relevant code and application; the manager of a restaurant chain knowing the basics of food preparation

example of communication skills

The manager who can write an email that is both informative and inspirational; a manager who can carefully listen to what others are saying and then craft an effective reply

example of conceptual skills

The manager who first sees a new market for an existing product; a manager who accurately forecasts a next-generation technology

example of diagnostic skills

The manager who first sees a new market for an existing product; a manager who accurately forecasts a next-generation technology

example of time-management skills

The manager who routinely tackles the most pressing and significant tasks and delegates less significant tasks to others; a manager who does not easily get distracted by irrelevant issues

organization

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

what do managers rely on as they perform their jobs?

a mix of key skills

management

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

do the functions of management occur in a step-by-step fashion?

no they are messy

liaison

often involves serving as a coordinator or link among people, groups, or organizations

what must all managers do to be successful?

all managers must play certain roles and exhibit certain skills if they are to be successful

image of management in organizations

an illustration listing activities undertaken by managers in an organization. the following are the inputs from the environment. human resources. financial resources. physical resources. information resources. the input is used in the following activities. planning and decision making. organizing. controlling. leading. the activities lead to a goal being attained efficiently and effectively.

administrative/general managers

are not associated with any particular management specialty - tend to be generalists; they have some basic familiarity with all functional areas of management rather than specialized training in any one area.

financial resources

capital used by organization to finance ongoign & long term operations

operations managers

concerned with creating and managing the systems that create an organization's products and services - responsibilities include : 1. production control, 2. inventory control 3. quality control 4. plant layout 5. site selection.

monitoring performance =

controlling

research & development managers

coordinate the activities of scientists and engineers working on scientific projects in organizations

what do top managers do?

create the organization's goals, overall strategy, and operating policies & officially represent the organization to the external environment by meeting with government officials, executives of other organizations, and so forth.

financial managers

deal primarily with an organization's financial resources & are responsible for such activities as: 1. accounting 2. cash management 3. investments

what do interpersonal roles do?

deal with other people

public relations managers

deal with the public and media for firms to protect and enhance the image of the organization.

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

what do communication skills enable managers to do?

enable a manager to transmit ideas to subordinates so that they know what is expected, to coordinate work with peers and colleagues so that they work well together, and to keep higher-level managers informed about what is going on - also communication skills help the manager listen to what others say and to understand the real meaning behind emails, letters, reports, and other written communication.

for whom are technical skills important for?

first line managers because they spend lots of time training subordinates

spokesperson

formally relays information to people outside the unit or outside the organization - carries substantive information and communicates it to others in a formal manner.

disturbance handler

handling such problems as strikes, copyright infringements, or problems in public relations or with corporate image.

leader (interpersonal)

hiring, training, and motivating employees - formally or informally shows subordinates how to do things and how to perform under pressure is leading

how are manager's jobs complicated?

huge demands, lots of work hours, complexities because of globalization, domestic competition, government regulation, shareholder pressure, & various others - rapid changes, unexpected disruptions, & crisis

how can many management issues be approached?

in ways that are : 1. rational 2. logical 3. objective 4. systematic

what do informational roles do?

involve the processing of information

is effective management a science or an art?

it is a blend of both

managing people =

leading

how can management issues be responded to in artistic ways?

make decisions and solve problems on the basis of: 1. intuition 2. experience 3. instinct 4. personal insights

top managers

make up the relatively small group of executives who manage the overall organization

effective

making the right decisions and successfully implementing them

figurehead

manager carries out a ceremonial or symbolic function

resource allocator

manager decides how resources are distributed and with whom he or she will work most closely - manager typically allocates the funds in the unit's operating budget among the unit's members and projects

negotiator

manager enters into negotiations with other groups or organizations as a representative of the company - managers may negotiate a union contract, an agreement with a consultant, or a long-term relationship with a supplier - negotiations may also be internal to the organization - can mediate a dispute between two subordinates or negotiate with another department for additional support.

human resources includes

managerial talen & labor

the largest group of managers

middle managers

controlling

monitoring organizational progress toward goal attainment

what other responsibilities do middle managers have?

must meet various production quotas and goals and handle inventory management, quality control, equipment failures, and union problems & coordinate the work of supervisors within the plant

once a manager has set goals & developed a plan, what is the next step?

to organize people & other resources necessary to carry out the plan

disseminator

transmitting relevant information back to others in the workplace

information resources

usable data, information linkages

where are the 4 basic resources organization's use gathered from?

usually from the organization's environment

how can we classify managers?

we can classify managers according to their level in the organization and the area in which they work.

marketing managers

work in areas related to the marketing function—getting consumers and clients to buy the organization's products or services - areas include: 1. new-product development 2. promotion 3. distribution

are managers called upon to play a variety of roles?

yes

as a manager, will activities follow a predictable & logical sequence?

yes

do large organizations have multiple levels of managers?

yes