Foundation in Business MGT1210: Fundamental in Management

Foundation in Business MGT1210: Fundamental in Management

TOPIC 1: NATURE OF MANAGEMENTWhat is management?Management is the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with people. Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. Coordinating an overseeing the work of others is what distinguishes a managerial position from a non-managerial one.

Who is a Manager?A manager is someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished. A managers job is not about personal achievement, its about helping others do their work. That may mean coordinating the work of a departmental group, or it might mean supervising a single person. It could involve coordinating the work activities of a team of people from different departments.

Efficiency and EffectivenessEfficiency means doing things right or getting the most output from the least amount of inputs.Effectiveness means doing the right things, or completing activities so that organizational goals are attained.

Levels of Management:

1. Top management are responsible for making decisions about the direction of the organization and establishing policies that affect all organizational members. Top managers typically have titles such as Vice President, President, Chancellor, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Chief executive Officer, or Chairperson of the Board. Few people are at the top management as compared to middle and first line management. Top management people are totally responsible for the performance of the organization. They make the final decision in every aspect about the business. The decision they make carry high risk, as it will affect the whole organization. They plan for long term planning of the business, therefore they will need to gather a lot of information and do research before they analyze on anything.

2. Middle management are between the first line management and top management. These individuals manage other managers and possibly some operative employees and are typically responsible for translating the goals set by top management into specific details that lower level managers can perform. In organizations, middle managers may have such titles as department or agency head, project leader, unit chief, district manager, dean, bishop, or division manager. 3. First line management are responsible for directing the day to day activities of operative employees. They are usually called supervisors; they may also be called team leaders, coaches, or unit coordinators. First line managers manage the work of non-managerial employees who typically are involved with producing the organizations products or servicing the organizations customers.

Operatives people who work directly on a job or task and have no responsibility for overseeing the work of others.Common characteristics of organizations:Organization is a systematic arrangement of people brought together to accomplish some specific purpose. First, every organization has a purpose and is made up of people who are grouped together. The distinct purpose of an organization is typically expressed in terms of a goal or set of goals. Second, no purpose or goal can be achieved without people making decisions to establish the purpose and performing a variety of activities to make the goal a reality.Third, all organizations develop a systematic structure that defines and limits the behavior of its members. Developing structure may include, for example, creating rules and regulations, giving some members supervisory control over other members, forming work teams, or writing job descriptions so that organizational members know what they are supposed to do.Management Functions: 1. Planning includes defining goals, establishing strategy, and developing plans to coordinate activities. 2. Organizing includes determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.3. Leading includes motivating employees, directing the activities of others, selecting the most effective communication channel, and resolving conflicts.4. Controlling the process of monitoring performance, comparing it with goals, and correcting any significant deviations.Management Skills1. Conceptual skills a managers mental ability to coordinate all of the organizations interests and activities. Conceptual skills are the skills managers use to think and to conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills, managers see the organization as a whole, understand the relationships among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important to top managers.

2. Interpersonal skills/human skills a managers ability to work with, understand, mentor and motivate others, both individually and in groups. Involve the ability to work well with other people both individually and in groups. Because all managers deal with people, these skills are equally important to all levels of management. Managers with good human skills get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead and inspire enthusiasm and trust.

3. Technical skills a managers ability to use the tools, procedures, and techniques of a specialized field. Technical skills are the job specific knowledge and techniques needed to proficiently perform work tasks. These skills tend to be more important for first line managers because they typically manage employees who use tools and techniques to produce the organizations products or to service the organizations customers.

Management Roles: 1. Interpersonal role are ones that involve people and other duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in nature. The three interpersonal roles are figurehead, leader and liaison. Figurehead symbolic head, obliged to perform a number of routine duties of a legal or social nature. Example greeting visitors, signing legal documents. Leader responsible for the motivation and activation of employees, responsible for staffing, training, and associated duties. Example performing virtually all activities that involve employees. Liaison maintains self-developed network of outside contacts and informers who provide favors and information. Example acknowledging mail, doing external board work, performing other activities that involve outsiders.

2. Informational roles involve collecting, receiving and disseminating information. The three informational roles are monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. Monitor seeks and receives wide variety of special information (much of it current) to develop thorough understanding of organization and environment, emerges as nerve center of internal and external information about the organization. Example reading periodicals and reports, maintaining personal contacts. Disseminator transmits information received from other employees to members of the organization, some information is factual, some involves interpretation and integration of diverse value positions of organizational influences. Holding informational meeting, making phone calls to relay information. Spokesperson transmits information to outsiders on organizations plans, policies, actions, results, etc., serves as expert on organizations industry. Example holding board meeting, giving information to the media.

3. Decisional roles entail making decisions or choices. The four decisional roles are entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. Entrepreneur searches organization and its environment for opportunities and initiates improvement projects to bring about change, supervises design of certain projects as well. Example organizing strategy and review sessions to develop new programs. Disturbance handler responsible for corrective action when organization faces important disturbances. Example organizing strategy and review sessions that involve disturbances and crises. Resource allocator responsible for the allocation of organizational resources of all kinds, in effect, the making or approval of all significant organizational decisions. Example scheduling, requesting authorization, performing any activity that involves budgeting and the programming of employees work. Negotiator responsible for representing the organization at major negotiations. Example participating in union contract negotiations or in those with suppliers.Important managerial skills: Delegating effectively (making sure work gets done right). Being an effective communicator. Thinking critically. Managing work load/time. Identifying clear roles for employees. Creating an environment of openness, trust, and challenge.Rewards and challenges of being a manager:Rewards: Create a work environment in which organizational members can work to the best of their ability. Have opportunities to think creatively and use imagination. Help others find meaning and fulfillment in work. Support, coach, and nurture others. Work with a variety of people. Receive recognition and status in organization and community. Play a role in influencing organizational outcomes. Receive appropriate compensation in form of salaries, bonuses, and stock options. Good managers are needed by organizations.Challenges: Do hard work. May have duties that are more clerical than managerial. Have to deal with a variety of personalities. Often have to make do with limited resources. Motivate workers in chaotic and uncertain situations. Blend knowledge, skills, ambitions, and experiences of a diverse work group. Success depends on others work performance.Tutorial questions:1. Describe the difference between managers and operatives.2. Explain what is meant by the term management.3. Differentiate between efficiency and effectiveness.4. Describe the four primary processes of management.5. Classify the three levels of managers and identify the primary responsibility of each group.6. Summarize the essential roles performed by managers.7. Discuss whether the managers job is generic.8. Describe the skills necessary for becoming a successful manager.9. Describe the value of studying management.10. Discuss the changes that are impacting managers jobs.11. Explain why customer service and innovation are important to the managers job.12. Explain the characteristics of an organization.13. Describe how todays organizations are structured14. Describe the rewards and challenges of being a manager. 15. Why are managers important to an organizations success?16. Are all effective organizations also efficient? Discuss. If you had to choose between being effective or being efficient, which one would you say is more important? Why?17. Briefly describe the ten managerial roles described by Henry Mintzberg. Give an example of each.18. Describe a typical managers day.

Nazlina Binti MirsultanPage 5