1-4 Management

The four classical functions of management are (1) making things happen, (2) meeting the competition, (3) organizing people, projects, and processes, and (4) leading.

False The four classical functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

Identify three of the five most significant mistakes made by managers.

Five of the most important mistakes made by managers are (1) being abrasive and intimidating; (2) being cold, aloof, or arrogant; (3) betraying trust; (4) being overly ambitious; and (5) failing to build a team and then delegate to that team.

When Millard Fuller, who founded the world-renowned Christian housing ministry Habitat for Humanity International with his wife, ended his service as president his role was limited to that of a figurehead. After this change, what functions did Fuller most likely do until he retired?

He performed ceremonial duties like greeting company visitors.

Top managers are responsible for (1) creating a context for change, (2) developing attitudes of commitment and ownership, (3) creating a positive organizational culture through words and actions, and (4) monitoring their company's business environment. Of these four dimensions, which ones do you think can also be significantly impacted by the day-to-day actions of middle managers, first-line managers, and team leaders? Explain the rationale for your answer.

Lower-level managers in their day-to-day activities probably could not impact two of the four dimensions significantly. These are (1) creating a context for change and (4) monitoring their company's business environment. Regarding both of these dimensions, lower-level managers have neither the time available to collect the necessary information for analysis, synthesis, and decision-making nor the authority to develop and put in place overall strategies, visions, or mission statements. On the other hand, the day-to-day treatment of peers, subordinates and other employees will often have an impact on the attitudes and commitment of those employees and their personal acceptance of responsibility for their share of the company's performance (i.e., dimension 2, developing attitudes of commitment and ownership). Similarly, by their actions, lower-level managers can demonstrate the importance of, and their commitment to, company values and strategies (i.e., dimension 3, creating a positive organizational culture through words and actions). Thus, they can support and enhance a positive organizational culture through their words and action by demonstrating those values and commitments to all employees through their personal behavior. Employees will be more likely to accept and support the organization's culture if they see managers at all levels "living the culture" in their day-to-day work.

List and briefly describe the three basic managerial roles identified by Mintzberg. Include a list of the basic sub- roles that characterize each of these roles in your definition.

Managers fulfill three major roles while performing their jobs: (1) interpersonal roles (i.e., talking to people), which include the subroles of figurehead, leader, and liaison; (2) informational roles (i.e., gathering and giving information), which include the subroles of monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson; and (3) decisional roles (i.e., making decisions), including the subroles of entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator.

Describe the transition to management during the first year. Explain how this illustrates the chapter's emphasis on human skills as being more important than technical skills for success or failure in management.

Managers often begin their jobs by using more formal authority and emphasizing their role as boss in the management of tasks. New managers typically do not believe that their job is to manage people, other than handling the tasks of hiring and firing. However, most managers find that being a manager has little to do with "bossing" their subordinates. After six months on the job, many managers are surprised at the fast pace, the heavy workload, and that "helping" their subordinates was viewed as interference. In short, they come to realize that their initial expectations about managerial work were wrong. After a year on the job, most managers no longer think of themselves as doers, but as managers who get things done through others. In making the transition, they finally realize that people management is the most important part of their job. By the end of one year, most managers abandon their authoritarian approach for one based on communication, listening, and positive reinforcement. In completing this classic transition from "doer" to "manager," they stop trying to do everything themselves and emphasize getting work done through others. In this way, their previous satisfaction (as individual contributors) with the direct production of goods or services is replaced with the "thrill" of coaching and developing the people who work for them. As the basic activities occupying their time change, their need for technical skills lessens, while their need for human skills remains crucial to their success. In fact, five of the most important mistakes that managers make revolve around people skills rather than technical skills. These are: being abrasive and intimidating; being cold, aloof, or arrogant; betraying trust; being overly ambitious; and failing to build a team and then delegate to that team. Thus, human skills clearly are more important than technical skills for success or failure in management.

Wainscott Finch, a Fortune 500 management consulting firm, conducts Project Management Preparatory Academies for its clients in which participants spend 70 hours learning how to create a differential competitive advantage through their employees. Why?

Satisfied employees yield satisfied customers.

Among the four kinds of management jobs, list the one that is the most recent addition to organizations and describe the basic responsibilities of that management job.

The fourth kind of manager is a team leader. This is a relatively new kind of management job that developed as companies shifted to self-managing teams, which, by definition, have no formal supervisor. Team leaders are responsible for facilitating team performance (but the team itself is responsible for actual performance), managing external relationships, and facilitating internal team relationships.

Compare and contrast the managerial roles of liaison, spokesperson, and negotiator. Explain both the similarities that link these roles behaviorally and the differences Mintzberg draws between them.

The roles of liaison, spokesperson, and negotiator are all subroles within Mintzberg's larger framework of three major roles fulfilled by managers while performing their jobs. The liaison is an interpersonal subrole, the spokesperson is an informational subrole, and the negotiator is a decisional subrole. From the behavioral point of view, each of these subroles is characterized by direct communication between the manager and other people. Specifically, in the liaison role, managers deal with people outside their units. For example, a production manager might meet with an engineering manager to develop solutions to problems. In the spokesperson role, managers share information with people outside their departments and companies. For example, a CEO might explain company performance to the board of directors. In the negotiator role, managers negotiate schedules, projects, goals, outcomes, resources, and employee raises, as, for example, in negotiating a union contract. Thus, there is considerable similarity and overlap in these roles from the perspective of the behavior of the manager. Mintzberg differentiates them in terms of their primary focus. In the case of behavior associated with the liaison role, the primary focus is on dealing with people outside of the managers' unit (as opposed to their own subordinates or bosses), thus the role is interpersonal in nature. In the case of the spokesperson, the primary focus is on the sharing of information with people outside their units or companies, thus the role is informational in nature. Finally, in the case of the negotiator, the primary focus is on making or influencing decisions in a manner that will benefit the company, thus the role is decisional in nature.

Identify the four different kinds of managers and list one of the basic responsibilities for each of these different types of manager.

There are four different kinds of managers. TOP MANAGERS are responsible for creating a context for change, developing attitudes of commitment and ownership, creating a positive organizational culture through words and actions, and monitoring their company's business environments. MIDDLE MANAGERS are responsible for planning and allocating resources, coordinating and linking groups and departments, monitoring and managing the performance of subunits and managers, and implementing the changes or strategies generated by top managers. FIRST-LINE MANAGERS are responsible for managing the performance of nonmanagerial employees, teaching direct reports how to do their jobs, and making detailed schedules and operating plans based on middle management's intermediate-range plans. TEAM LEADERS are responsible for facilitating team performance, managing external relationships, and facilitating internal team relationships.

Briefly explain how and why companies can create competitive advantage through people.

Well-managed companies are competitive because their work forces are smarter, better trained, more motivated, and more committed. Furthermore, companies that practice good management consistently have greater revenues and profits than companies that don't. Finally, good management matters because good management leads to satisfied employees who, in turn, provide better service to customers. Because employees tend to treat customers the same way that their managers treat them, good management can improve customer satisfaction.

Within the four sets of skills that companies look for in managers, specify those that tend to be more important or more prevalent in higher-level than lower-level managers.

When companies look for employees who would be good managers, they look for individuals who have TECHNICAL SKILLS (the ability to apply the specialized procedures, techniques, and knowledge required to get the job done), HUMAN SKILLS (the ability to work well with others), and CONCEPTUAL SKILLS (the ability to see the organization as whole, how the different parts of the company affect each other, and how the company fits into or is affected by its external environment), and are MOTIVATED TO MANAGE (an assessment of how enthusiastic employees are about managing the work of others). It is the latter two characteristics that tend to be stronger in higher-level managers. Conceptual skills increase in importance as managers rise through the management hierarchy. In addition, managers at higher levels usually have stronger motivation to manage than managers at lower levels.

List and briefly describe the four kinds of skills that companies look for in managers.

When companies look for employees who would be good managers, they look for individuals who have technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills, and are motivated to manage. Technical skills refer to the ability to apply the specialized procedures, techniques, and knowledge required to get the job done. Human skills are the ability to work well with others. Conceptual skills are the ability to see the organization as a whole, how the different parts of the company affect each other, and how the company fits into or is affected by its external environment. Motivation to manage is an assessment of how enthusiastic employees are about managing the work of others.

Middle managers typically:

a. plan and allocate resources b. coordinate and link groups and departments c. implement changes and strategies generated by top managers d. monitor the activities of first-line managers who report to them e. do all of these

Which of the following management practices can be used by an organization that wants to create a competitive advantage through its employees?

a. self-managed teams b. employment security c. high wages contingent on organizational performance d. sharing information e. all of these

Which skills increase in their importance to success as managers rise through the managerial ranks?

conceptual skills and the motivation to manage

Which skills increase in their importance to success as managers' rise through the managerial ranks?

conceptual skills and the motivation to manage

A manager engaged in the management function of ___ is monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when needed.

controlling

A manager engaged in the management function of ____ is monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when needed.

controlling

A manager engaged in the management function of ___is monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when needed.

controlling

Hormel Foods had to recall 104,000 pounds of Stagg canned chili—labeled "hearty beef with a kick of green chilies"—after the kick turned out to come from the groundup parts of a plastic handheld calculator. The recall was the application of which management function?

controlling

Refer to Amazon.com. Which traditional management function will be key to make sure Amazon is never again burdened with thousands of dollars worth of unsold inventory?

controlling

Southern Living magazine was forced to pull an issue off newsstands and mail warnings to 2.5 million subscribers after it became clear that a recipe for dinner rolls described as "little pillows from heaven" was considered controversial. The management function of was used when the warnings were mailed to subscribers.

controlling

a ____ is a manager who was successful early in their careers, but were knocked off the fast track by the time they reached the middle to upper levels of management.

derailer

Refer to Volkswagen. In late September, Pischetsrieder flew to Brussels to meet with employees at a VW plant and explain his plans for improving the company's profitability. In this example, the CEO assumed the role of:

disseminator

The informational role managers' play when they share information they have collected with their subordinates and others in the company is called the ____ role.

disseminator

In Great Britain, Nestlé introduced a candy bar called Yorkie with the slogan "It's not for girls!" The resulting furor over this sexist campaign required its British managers to spend a great deal of time in the role of:

disturbance handlers

A manager striving to improve organizational ___ is accomplishing tasks that help fulfill organizational objectives

effectiveness

A manager striving to improve organizational _______________ is accomplishing tasks that help achieve organizational objectives.

effectiveness

Bernd Pischetsrieder, chief executive of Volkswagen, announced restructuring plans for the company. VW is Europe's largest carmaker and needed to make itself profitable once again. To do so, VW cut thousands of jobs in the ensuing years through natural attrition, early retirement, and buying workers out of their contracts. The carmaker also considered whether its component parts factories in Brunswick, Kassel, and Wolfsburg were helping VW accomplish its organizational goal. Pischetsrieder blamed much of the company's problems on restructuring that was done in 1993. He insisted that the company is missing a whole generation of managers because its former CEO eliminated a whole layer of management. Now, 45 percent of managers were expected to go into retirement in the following three or four years. -Refer to Volkswagen. VW is examining the of its component parts factories.

effectiveness

A manager who gets work done with a minimum of effort is increasing the ___of the organization

efficiency

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spent a total of $75 million to launch two sodas, banking on the low-carb trend. Carb- conscious consumers rejected the drinks en masse. The new brands grabbed a combined market share of less than 1 percent. Given that the objective of both soft drink manufacturers was to increase their market share, the introductions failed to achieve:

efficiency

Krispy Kreme is a relatively small doughnut seller. It has only 292 stores in the United States, while Dunkin Donuts has 3,600 outlets. The company originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where it still operates a plant that fills a 50-pound bag with doughnut mix every seven seconds. It recently opened a new plant in Effingham, Illinois, that fills a bag every three seconds. This second plant allows the company to reduce costs while increasing its output. The company began in the mid-1930s when Vernon Rudolph bought a secret recipe for yeast doughnuts from a French pastry cook. Rudolph ran the company until his death in 1973. 94. Refer to Krispy Kreme. The building of the Effingham plant increased the ___of the Krispy Kreme operation.

efficiency

One of the primary reasons for the slow response to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina was an antiquated government system that was bogged down in bureaucratic red tape. In other words, the failure of assistance to arrive in a timely fashion was due to a lack of:

efficiency

Refer to Amazon.com. CEO Jeff Bezos must wrestle with basic management issues such as how to get more done at Amazon with a minimum of effort, expense, or waste. In other words, Bezos must make Amazon more:

efficient

First-line managers will most likely have to:

encourage, monitor, and reward the performances of their employees

At the death of her husband, Miriam McAllister became the CEO of a company that is the world's leading manufacturer of kidney dialysis machines. Even though she was not expected to, she quickly asked company employees to develop ideas for new products that would lead to organizational growth in a changing environment. The decisional role she took on was that of a(n):

entrepreneur

In the decisional role of ____, managers adapt themselves, their subordinates, and their units to incremental change

entrepreneur

A top manager for a management consulting firm would:

establish a positive organizational culture that encourages employees to be passionate about their clients

1. While good management is basic to starting and growing a business, once some measures of success has been achieved, good management becomes less important.

false -Good management is basic to starting a business, growing a business, and maintaining a business once it has achieved some measure of success.

Managers are responsible for doing the basic work in the company.

false -The manager's job is not to do the basic work in the company but to help others do their work.

First-line managers are responsible for setting objectives consistent with organizational goals and planning and implementing strategies for achieving these objectives.

false -This is one of the responsibilities of middle managers.

Middle managers engage in plans and actions that typically produce results within a short time period.

false First-line managers engage in such plans and actions. Middle managers plan 6 to 18 months out.

Technical skill refers to the ability to see the organization as a whole, how the different parts affect each other, and how the company fits into or is affected by its environment.

false Technical skill refers to the ability to apply the specialized procedures, techniques, and knowledge required to get the job done. The question defines conceptual skill.

Conceptual skills are most important for lower-level managers to possess.

false Technical skills are most important for lower-level managers and team leaders.

There are four decisional roles. They are entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and spokesperson.

false The four decisional roles are entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. Spokesperson is an informational role.

The job of team leader would NOT be considered a management position.

false The job of team leader is indeed one of the four kinds of management jobs, which are top managers, middle managers, first-line managers, and team leaders.

The number one mistake made by managers who were derailed from their fast track up the managerial ranks was that they didn't develop or possess the necessary technical skills.

false The number one mistake made by managers who were derailed from their fast track up the managerial ranks was that they were insensitive to others by virtue of their abrasive, intimidating, and bullying management style.

The three interpersonal roles are monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson.

false The three interpersonal roles are figurehead, leader, and liaison

Typical titles used for top managers are general manager, plant manager, regional manager, and divisional manager.

false These are typical titles for middle managers, not top managers.

While strong interpersonal conflict management skills are important for first-line managers, it is not a very important skill for team leaders.

false This is a critical skill for team leaders. Team leaders are responsible for internal team relations. Since the entire team suffers when a conflict arises between members, it is critical for team leaders to know how to help team members resolve conflicts.

Top managers are the managers responsible for facilitating team activities toward goal accomplishment.

false -Top managers are executives responsible for the overall direction of the organization. Team leaders are the managers responsible for facilitating team activities toward goal accomplishment.

At the death of her husband, Miriam McAllister became the CEO of a company that is the world's leading manufacturer of kidney dialysis machines. It was believed when she took the position that she would perform only ceremonial duties and would not want to be actively involved in the running of the company. In other words, it was assumed she would be a:

figurehead

Which of the following is an example of an interpersonal role?

figurehead

Mike Walker supervises operations on the chassis assembly line for a large vehicle manufacturer. Most of his time is spent in quality control maintenance, scheduling workers, and training new employees. Walker would be categorized as a:

first-line manager

a ____ for a McDonald's fast-food restaurant would be responsible for placing orders for food and paper supplies and for setting up weekly work schedules.

first-line manager

Managers who train and supervise the performance of nonmanagerial employees and who are directly responsible for producing the company's products or services are categorized as:

first-line managers

Managers who train and supervise the performance of nonmanagerial employees, and who are directly responsible for producing the company's products or services, are categorized as:

first-line managers

The chairs of the accounting, marketing, and communications departments at a typical university are assuming the roles of because they supervise nonmanagerial employees.

first-line managers

What type of skills tends to be equally important at all levels of management?

human skills

Middle managers will most likely have to:

implement the changes generated by top managers

According to Mintzberg, which of the following are the three major roles managers fulfill while performing their jobs?

interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles

According to Mintzberg, which of the following lists the three major roles managers fulfill while performing their jobs?

interpersonal roles, informational roles, and decisional roles

After six months as a manager, new managers typically believe their job is:

is a derailer

As the shift supervisor at a car wash, Jacob is bossy, arrogant, and insensitive to the needs of his subordinates. He is unable to delegate any tasks to the other employees. He will more than likely never be a middle or top manager because he:

is a derailer

A U.S. Marine drill instructor motivating new recruits to challenge themselves is engaged in which management function?

leading

As the human resources manager for Spring Engineering and Manufacturing Corp. in Canton, Michigan, Kim Radeback had to find inexpensive ways to reward high performing employees and bolster morale during a sales- flattening economic downturn. Radeback had to engage in which management function?

leading

Refer to Volkswagen. Bernd Pischetsrieder exercised the organizing function when he made decisions about how to replace retiring managers. His decisions will, in turn, affect which management function as new managers come on board?

leading

Robert Rothschild Farm boosted morale and showed its gratitude to its 75 employees at its retail store by hosting its first employee appreciation week. It used the management function of ____ to boost morale.

leading

The marketing manager of Interstate Bakeries was asked to meet with the organization's research and development department to explain why the company needed to change its 25-year-old package design for Twinkies. The marketing manager took on an interpersonal role as:

liaison

Team leaders typically:

manage external and internal relationships

A first-line manager for a large electric generator manufacturer would:

manage the performance of employees who actually build the generators

When Ruth was hired to be the second-in-command at Graham Mailing Services, she was told that her job was to deal with the employees to make sure they got the mailing done to the customers' specifications. She was not instructed on how to run machines or in any other technical area because her position was a job in:

management

The CEO of Camper Brand Shoes expects its designers to operate like a team when they create new shoe designs. Most of its designers do not have a background in fashion so it is important that each person shares his or her expertise. Each team has a leader who is responsible for:

managing external and internal team relationships

As the human resources manager for Spring Engineering and Manufacturing Corp. in Canton, Michigan, Kim Radeback had to find inexpensive ways to reward performing employees and bolster morale during a sales- flattening economic downturn. Radeback is an example of a:

middle manager

Robert Rothschild Farm boosted morale and showed its gratitude to its 75 employees at its retail store by hosting its first employee appreciation week. "It was a good mix of fun and learning," said Robin Coffey, marketing manager. Coffey is an example of a:

middle manager

It is the responsibility of ____ to develop intermediate plans, or plans designed to produce results within six to eighteen months

middle managers

Typical responsibilities for ____ include setting objectives consistent with organizational goals and then planning and implementing the subunit strategies for achieving these goals.

middle managers

Typical responsibilities for _____ include setting objectives consistent with organizational goals and then planning and implementing the subunit strategies for achieving these goals.

middle managers

Typical responsibilities for ___include coordinating and linking groups, departments, and divisions within a company

middle managers

Connie O'Day is a middlelevel manager for the publishers of Free Spirit magazine, a publication targeted to women who are not focused on finding a husband or maintaining a house and garden. She spends much of her day conducting interviews with groups of women to determine what they consider most important in their lives. She also keeps an eye on the sales and content of other women's magazines. Which informational role does O'Day perform?

monitor

During a meeting of the Ambulatory Care Nursing Association (ACNA) board of directors, a commitment was made to ask members for their feedback about their experiences with and perceptions of ACNA. The head of the organization said, "The essence of being a leader is to make sure the organization knows itself." Then she volunteered to conduct the environmental scanning and share what she learned with the others. What informational roles is she assuming?

monitor and disseminator

Lorenzo Fluza is the owner and CEO of the company that makes Camper shoes. Mintzberg would describe Lorenzo Fluza as fulfilling the leader role within the organization. This means he spends much of his time:

motivating and encouraging its employees to meet their organizational objectives

Creating a competitive advantage through people relies heavily on the use of which skill to reward people for providing exceptional customer service?

motivation to manage

According to Mintzberg, which role would a manager assume if she were trying to convince union members to accept a 25-cent-per-hour reduction in pay in order to keep the manufacturing plant open?

negotiator

A business school administrator who is determining what classes will be offered in which rooms and who will teach each specific class is involved in which classical management function?

organizing

Jane is in charge of her Rotary Club's annual fundraising auction. She will decide who will ask local businesses for prizes, she will determine the site of the event, she will decide who will sell tickets to customers, and who will work the night of the auction. She is engaged in the management function of:

organizing

Refer to Volkswagen. The restructuring efforts mainly involved which of the management functions?

organizing

After a year as a manager, new managers typically realize their job is:

people management

A manager engaged in the management function of ___is determining organizational goals and the means for achieving them.

planning

Nestlé was unsuccessful in early attempts to sell its chocolate in India. It discovered its chocolate bars were not suitable for the Indian markets because the candy had to sit in direct sunlight without benefit of air conditioning and became messy. Nestlé adopted an innovation strategy and developed Chocostick, a liquid chocolate, which is very popular. Solving this problem involved what management function?

planning

Refer to Krispy Kreme. Which management function had Rudolph not performed at the time of his death?

planning

To achieve its goal of increased market share, Krispy Kreme launched a program in Palm Beach County, Florida, that awards grade-school students a free doughnut for every A on their report cards. Which management function was used to create this program?

planning

The sales manager is in charge of monitoring the expense accounts of her sales force. In this decisional role, she acts as a(n):

resource allocator

Which of the following typically is NOT performed by top managers?

setting objectives consistent with organizational goals or planning and implementing subunit strategies for achieving these objectives

According to a speech to a forum for retail leaders made by Dr. Hans-Joachim Koerber, "Sustained growth is essential. Sustaining growth is a challenge for virtually every company." Koerber is the CEO of Metro Group, Germany's largest retailer, which has more than 2,400 stores in 30 countries. What informational role did Koerber assume?

spokesperson

As described by Mintzberg, a marketing manager who was hired by a manufacturer of plumbing fixtures to operate information booths would have the informational role of:

spokesperson

Refer to Volkswagen. In making his announcement about restructuring, Pischetsrieder assumed the____ role.

spokesperson

An accountant with has the ability to create a budget, compare the budget to the actual income statement, and determine unnecessary expenses.

technical skill

An accountant with_______ has the ability to create a budget, compare the budget to the actual income statement, and determine unnecessary expenses.

technical skill

After six months as a manager, new managers typically believe their job is:

to solve problems for subordinates

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spent a total of $75 million to launch mid-calorie sodas. The new brands grabbed a combined market share of less than 1 percent. Coke's and PepsiCo's ___ would be responsible for determining that the product should be deleted from each of their product lines.

top management

Eastman Kodak owns a company that manufactures dental radiation equipment. The company, which is run as an independent unit, has experienced excessive financial losses the last three years. The ___ for the company would be expected to develop the long-term plans needed to make the company profitable.

top manager

Refer to Volkswagen. Bernd Pischetsrieder is an example of a:

top manager

A management study discovered that companies that invest in their people will create long-term competitive advantages difficult for other companies to duplicate.

true

Companies look for a total of four sets of skills in individuals to identify potential managers. These desired skills are technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills, and motivation to manage.

true

Companies that plan have larger profits and faster growth than companies that don't.

true

First-line managers are the only managers who do not supervise other managers.

true

Middle managers are typically responsible for coordinating and linking groups, departments, and divisions within a company.

true

Team leaders are responsible for managing both internal team relationships and external relationships with other teams, departments, and divisions in a company.

true

The motivation to manage tends to be higher among managers at higher levels in the organization than it is among managers at lower levels in the organization.

true

Top managers are responsible for creating a climate for change in an organization.

true

Upper-level managers may actually spend more time dealing with people than lower-level managers.

true

After their first year of managerial experience, managers tend to:

use more positive reinforcement

Leon Dodd is a member of a selfmanaged team at Standard Aero Alliance, Inc. (SAAI). His team's top priorities are understanding customer requirements and expectations. It would appear that SAAI is:

using its employees to create a competitive advantage

There have been several studies of managers who fail (derailers) and managers who succeed in climbing the organizational hierarchy (arrivers). Which of the following statements describes one of the facts learned from these studies?

Arrivers are sensitive to the feelings of others.

Compare and contrast the relative importance of the four characteristics that companies look for in managers as they rise through the management hierarchy. That is, describe the similarities and differences in these characteristics among lower, middle, and upper-level managers and explain the reasons for the differences.

Companies look for four sets of characteristics in individuals to be promoted into the managerial ranks at any level. These characteristics are technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills, and motivation to manage. In terms of similarities, all four of these skills are required in anyone who wants to be a manager. Companies do not want one-dimensional managers. They want managers with a balance of skills. They want managers who know their stuff (technical skills), are equally comfortable working with blue-collar and white-collar employees (human skills), are able to assess the complexities of today's competitive marketplace and position their companies for success (conceptual skills), and want to assume positions of leadership and power (motivation to manage). However, there are differences in the relative importance of each of these characteristics to managerial success at different levels of the management hierarchy. Technical skills are most important for lower-level managers, because these managers supervise the line workers who produce products or serve customers. Team leaders and first-line managers need technical knowledge and skills to train new employees and help them solve problems as well as to solve the problems that their employees cannot handle. Although technical skills become less important as managers rise through the managerial ranks, they do retain importance at all levels. Human skill (the ability to work well with others) is equally important at all levels of management. However, since lower-level managers spend much of their time solving technical problems, upper-level managers may actually spend more time dealing directly with people. Both conceptual skills and motivation to manage increase in importance as managers rise through the managerial ranks. Conceptual skill is the ability to see the organization as a whole, how the different parts of the company affect each other, and how the company fits into or is affected by elements of its external environment such as the local community, social and economic forces, customers, and competition. Good managers have to be able to recognize, understand, and reconcile multiple complex problems and perspectives. Motivation to manage is an assessment of how motivated employees are to interact with superiors, participate in competitive situations, behave assertively toward others, tell others what to do, reward good behavior and punish poor behavior, perform actions that are highly visible to others, and handle and organize administrative tasks. Managers typically have a stronger motivation to manage than their subordinates, and managers at higher levels usually have stronger motivation to manage than managers at lower levels. Furthermore, managers with stronger motivation to manage are promoted faster, are rated by their employees as better managers, and earn more money than managers with a weak motivation to manage. Thus, both conceptual skills and motivation to manage are particularly important to upper-level managers.

There have been several studies of managers who fail (derailers) and managers who succeed in climbing the organizational hierarchy (arrivers). Which of the following statements describes a significant fact learned from these studies?

Derailers are insensitive.

is the accomplishment of tasks that help fulfill organizational objectives.

Effectiveness

is defined as getting work done through others.

Management

Define efficiency and effectiveness and explain their relationship to the process of management.

Managers need to be concerned with both efficiency and effectiveness in the work process. Efficiency is getting work done with a minimum of effort, expense, or waste. By itself, efficiency is not enough to ensure managerial success. Managers must also strive for effectiveness, which is accomplishing tasks that help fulfill organizational objectives.

List and briefly define the four functions of management.

The four functions of management are planning (determining organizational goals and the means for achieving them), organizing (deciding where decisions will be made, who will do what jobs and tasks, and who will work for whom), leading (inspiring and motivating workers to work hard to achieve organizational goals), and controlling (monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when needed).

What are the four major responsibilities for the typical middle manager?

The four major responsibilities of middle managers are (1) setting objectives consistent with top management's goals and planning and implementing subunit strategies for achieving these objectives; (2) coordinating and linking groups, departments, and divisions within a company; (3) monitoring and managing the performance of subunits and individual managers who report to them; and (4) implementing the changes or strategies generated by top managers.

are responsible for creating a positive organizational culture through language and action.

Top managers

Specify the differences in the timeframes involved in planning done by top, middle, and first-line managers.

Top managers typically create long-term plans, designed to produce results three to five years out. Middle managers are responsible for intermediate plans (six to eighteen months out). First-line supervisors engage in plans and actions that typically produce results within two weeks.

Companies look for a total of four sets of skills in individuals to identify potential managers. These desired skills are technical skills, human skills, conceptual skills, and motivation to manage.

True

Refer to Krispy Kreme. As the CEO of Krispy Kreme, Rudolph would have been responsible for:

a. developing employees' commitment to the company b. creating a positive organizational culture c. monitoring the business' environment d. creating a context for change e. doing all of these things

Refer to Amazon.com. As CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos:

a. is responsible for developing employees' commitment to the company's performance

The ability to perform ____ increases in its importance to success as managers' rise through the managerial ranks.

conceptual skills

After the makers of Wonder Bread declared bankruptcy, their objectives were to increase revenues by at least 5 percent and reduce net losses by at least 80 percent. Which management function is used to set these goals and help the company meet them?

planning

Spiegel announced to the media that it was nearing the completion of its corporate restructuring and was one step closer to emerging from Chapter 11 status after filing its proposed joint plan of reorganization. According to Mintzberg, which managerial role would have been adopted in order to make this announcement to the media?

spokesperson

Refer to Krispy Kreme. To be successful, managers need four skills. The fact that Rudolph was a skilled baker when he purchased the secret doughnut recipe indicates he had skills.

technical

Which type of skills tends to be most important to the success of lower-level managers?

technical skills