Study Plan: Introduction to Management

What are Frank and Lillian Gilbreth most noted for studying?

time and motion studies

Think again about the activity of planning of family vacation. Imagine you've just arrived at the airport, and you check the departures schedule only to find that your flight is delayed by 3 hours. You realize this will cause you to miss your connecting flight and eventually arrive at your destination after midnight, so you decide to call the airline's customer service number to see if they can get you on a different flight. Which management activity are you primarily engaging in?

analyzing and adapting to the environment

Although it may seem straightforward, the management process is complex. The management functions include:

applying and distributing organizational resources effectively

Walmart has exceptional logistics, but in 2014, Walmart was criticized for unusual shortages. Customers complained, saying they could not buy the product if it was not on the shelves. Management failed to ________

control the inventory process

As you're walking out the door to head to the airport for your vacation, you go down a checklist in your head (or maybe on paper, if you're really prepared): Did you bring your pajamas? Do you have your toothbrush? Does anyone need to visit the bathroom? These checks represent the management function of ________

controlling

Scientific management focused on productivity and reducing costs by developing efficiency. Its critics took issue with scientific management's emphasis on ________

establishing quotas and standards that were the same for all workers

Taylor's Four Principles of Scientific Management included which of the following?

management takes over all the work for which they are better suited than the workmen

Managers encourage, support, and foster talented employees. The managers who focus in this area are ________

middle managers

The Gantt chart is a tool that provides a visual (graphic) representation of ________

what occurs over the course of a project

Researches at ________ sought help after their studies, based on scientific management procedures, produced inconsistent results. Elton Mayo designed new studies where research conducted nondirective interviews.

Western Electric near Chicago

Mary Parker Follett anticipated the work of Elton Mayo at a high level. She recognized the importance of ________

informal processes within organizations

Managers must motivate employees, negotiate salaries, and encourage employees toward innovation and creativity. Sheryl Sandberg, now COO of Facebook, is great at encouraging fellow employees, but this is usually the ________ role of middle management.

interpersonal

Management is much harder than Taylor, Mayo, or Follett would have us believe. Instead of one correct way to manage, the best solution depends on the situation, and management must focus primarily on ________

looking for key contingencies

The CEO of LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner, recommends CEOs repeat themselves often and only then will people begin to internalize what you're saying. This is one of the ________ roles of managers.

informational

Management activities are often grouped into four categories. These are ________

planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

Southwest Airlines is famous for operating at low cost. They achieve low costs because they are very selective in the people they hire and they create a friendly and supportive environment. In return, the employees support the company. Competitors have failed to duplicate this and Southwest has retained ________

its competitive advantage

The financial crisis of 2008 revealed a huge failure with major banks in the United States. The banks did not know their risk positions in credit-default derivatives. It took months to process contracts and reconcile with counter-parties. This type of activity falls under which type of management?

operations

Richard Branson of Virgin Enterprises says, "The people out on the front line, they know when things are not going right and they know when things need to be improved. And if you listen to them you can soon improve all those niggly things which turns an average company into an exceptional company." Branson believes in ________

managing people well to create a competitive advantage

One approach to organization is putting activities that are similar under one person. ________ called this "unity of direction."

Henri Fayol

The work of ________ and ________ forms the basis of organization designs today . The principles of bureaucracy govern most large organizations, from multinational organizations, to armies, hospitals, and universities.

Weber and Fayol

Scientific management principles ________

favored a division of labor so that workers became more efficient

Anson Dorrance, coach of the UNC women's soccer team, fostered an almost family-like sense of the team while also bringing out his players' aggressiveness. This created ________ that was not easily duplicated by other teams.

a competitive advantage

Although it may seem straightforward, the management process is complex. The management functions include ________

adapting to the changing environment and to competitors

Google's motto is "Don't be evil." When the company neglects this to make more money, consumers are quick to criticize. When this happens, their customer base accuses management of neglecting its function ________

of leading

Walmart is the master of supply chain management, finding the best sources for high-quality materials and supplies at the lowest cost. Walmart excels at ________

operations management

Management can be approached as either ________

organizing people or as a process

The systems approach to management defines the role of companies as ________

processes with inputs and outputs

Mintzberg classified management decision roles into four types. These include ________

resource allocator, disturbance handler, and negotiator

Taylor and Weber agreed on hiring the right worker for the job. Employee selection and promotion should be based on experience, competence, and technical qualification demonstrated by examinations, education, or training. There is no nepotism. Weber called this ________

the Formal Selection Process rule

A military organization is very structured. Ranks are very clear, defining who can give and who must take orders. This is an example of ________

vertical management

Controlling may be the most important management function. The control process is also described as ________

feedback loops

Apple's current vision statement was introduced by CEO Tim Cook, who stated, "We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products." This is part of the ________ role of managers.

informational

Which of the following options accurately states the four primary functions of management?

planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

To maintain peace, you've noted in the vacation plan that each family member will pick a restaurant for one night of the trip. Each person will be able to pick a favorite food or style. Deciding to handle meals this way represents the management function of ________

organizing (assigning authority and responsibility, allocating resources, defining how the activities of groups and individuals will be coordinated)