Chp. 1 - Managers & Management

Chp. 1 - Managers & Management

Organization - a systematic arrangement of people brought together to accomplish some specific purpose3 Common Characteristics of all Organizations1) have a distinct purpose or goals2) are composed of people3) have a deliberate structure i.e. creating rules & regulations, control of membersOrganizational Members fit into two Categoriesa) operatives - work directly on the jobb) managers - direct the activities of other people in the organizationEffectiveness - "what" we are doing - doing the right task; successfully reaching your goalsEfficiency - "how" we are doing it - relationship between inputs and outputs (if there's more output for a given input, efficiency is increased)** Good management attains goals (effectiveness) as efficiently as possibleFour Basic Management ProcessesManagement - process of getting things done, efficiently and effectively, with or through other people

** Managers must be able to perform all 4 activities at the same time and realize that each has an effect on the other

1) Planning - defining an organization's goals - establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals - developing a complete ranking of plans to integrate and coordinate activities * Setting goals keeps the work to be done in its proper focus and helps organization members keep their attention on what is important. 2) Organizing - determining what tasks are to be done - who is to do the tasks - how the tasks are to be grouped - who reports to whom - where decisions are to be made

3) Leading - motivating employees - directing the activities of others - selecting the most effective communication channel - resolve conflicts among members4) Controlling - monitoring an organization's performance - comparing performance with previously set goals - if necessary, getting the organization back on track* To ensure that things are going as they should, a manager must monitor the organization's performance.General Management Skillsa) Conceptual skills - the mental ability to analyze & diagnose complex situations. b) Interpersonal skills - the ability to work with, understand, mentor, and motivate other people, both individually and in groups. c) Technical skills - the ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertised) Political skills - the ability to enhance one's position, build a power base, and establish the right connections. Specific Management Skills (sets of behaviours)1) controlling the organization's environment and its resources (i.e. planning & directing meetings and on-the-spot decision-making)2) organizing & coordinating3) handling information (i.e. if a problem arises, use information for identifying problems & making effective decisions)4) providing for growth and development (through continual learning on the job)5) motivating employees and handling conflicts6) strategic problem solvingTop - make decisions about the direction of an organization and establish policies that affect all organizational membersMiddle - translate goals set by top management into specific detailsFirst Line - supervisors (direct day-to-day activities of operative employees)Operative - no responsibility or overseeing the work of othersIs the manager's job universal?a) Level in the organization - as managers move up, they do more planning and less direct overseeing of others- all do the 4 processes, but the amount of time they give to each activity is NOT necessarily constant and the content of the managerial activities changes with the manager's levelb) Profit versus Non-Profit - -manager's job is mostly the same in both- major difference is making a profit is not the primary focus for not-for-profit organizationsManagement Across National Bordersconcepts & ideas are transferable to most English-speaking, free-market democracieswill need to modify concepts in other countriesManagers: a) make decisions b) are agents of changea) almost everything managers do requires them to make decisionsb) organizations today operate in a world of dynamic change, successful managers acknowledge the rapid changes around them and are flexible in adapting their practices to deal with those changes