Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I

Transcription

1 UNIT I STUDY GUIDE Basics and History of Management Reading Assignment Chapter 1: Managers and Managing Chapter 2: The Evolution and Management Thought Chapter 3: Values, Attitudes, Emotions, and Culture: The Manager as a Person Suggested Reading See information below. Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See information below. Key Terms 1. Authority 2. Centralization 3. Closed system 4. Competitive advantage 5. Conceptual skills 6. Contingency theory 7. Controlling 8. Core competency 9. Emotional intelligence 10. Extraversion 11. Internal locus of control 12. Negative affectivity 13. Organizational culture 14. Value system Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Describe and apply various dimensions of management. 1.1 Describe the definition of management. 1.2 Compare and contrast the evolution of management theory over the past century. 2. Discuss the roles managers perform, the skills they need to execute those roles effectively, and the way new information technology is affecting these roles and skills. 2.1 Describe the challenges for managers in the global environment. 4. Describe management processes and skills that influence organizational effectiveness. 4.1 Compare and contrast managerial tasks. 4.2 Analyze and discuss personality traits that affect managerial behavior as it relates to organizational behavior. Unit Lesson Welcome! Some of you may have already studied management or are currently serving in a management role. However, to others, this will be the first time you have had the opportunity to systematically study the art and science of management. Since the plan is to study management, the first task we need to do is to define the term and make sure we are all on the same page, so to speak. So, what is management? In order to answer that question, let s highlight some of the common features of management (Jones & George, 2014): Managers work in an organization and are individuals that are responsible for supervising and making the most of an organization s human and other resources to achieve its goals (Jones & George, 2014). Management sets priorities and establishes policies and procedures for the organization. The bottom line is that management is the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of human and other resources to achieve organization goals effectively and efficiency. o It is important to understand and keep in mind each of these four tasks of management as we move through the course. BBA 3602, Principles of Management 1

2 With this information in hand, let s look closer at the manager and how the manager operates. Managers are typically held to a higher standard than other individuals working in the manager s organization. This is as it should be since the most important goal of the manager is to develop the organization to operate efficiently and effectively so it can meet its own stated goals. In addition to the four tasks mentioned above (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling), communication and feedback are essential components of each of these four tasks (Jones & George, 2014). Managers can have all the technical knowledge needed to run the organization, but if the manager is missing the ability to be an effective communicator, the organization will suffer, and the manager will not reach the level of efficiency that is needed to take the organization from good to great. There are a number of levels of management, and each level has its own issues, needs, and requirements. The titles of each level differ from company to company and from culture to culture. Typically, we view the levels of management in a pyramid style with the lowest levels on the bottom and the top levels of management at the top. The pyramid is a valid depiction of management in that typically, in an organization, there are many more lower-level managers than there are at the top of the pyramid. The four levels of management are commonly referred to as first-line managers (supervisors), middle managers, and top managers (executives). Some organizations also have a level between the middle and top levels, and these are usually referred to as senior management. Before we discuss what is done at each level, think of your organization: What do the managers at the various levels do for the organization? Can you distinguish the levels of management by the work they perform? If we look at an assembly line, such as Boeing s aircraft facilities, we will find many assembly line workers. In order to keep the assembly line running smoothly, there must be some type of supervision; hence, the first-line managers are needed. These managers form the backbone of the organization. Their situation is commonly referred to as managing where the rubber meets the road. These managers must be knowledgeable of the work that is being performed, understand the processes, work with unions if the facility is unionized, do appraisals, handle daily people and assembly line issues, and the list goes on and on. As we move up to the next two levels of management, we see that the daily focus and knowledge base starts to change. Here, we see managers getting away from the daily work, and, in our Boeing example, away from the assembly line and dealing more with strategy, people, customers, and finances. The bottom line is that the four tasks of management are performed at all levels, but the focus and level of intensity of the four tasks changes somewhat. Now that we have discussed the roles and make up of management, let s turn our attention to how management has evolved over the past decade and the forces that have encouraged the advances in the research and exploration of management theory. In our readings, we will study the classical management theories that emerged around the turn of the 20th century and then examine behavioral management theories that developed before and after World War II. Then, we will study management science theory, which developed during World War II. Finally, we will review the theories developed to help explain how the external environment affects the way organizations and managers operate. BBA 3602, Principles of Management 2

3 After our review of the various management theories, we will turn our focus to the manager as a feeling, thinking human being. If we think about any manager, we see that the manager has personality characteristics that influence the way the manger manages and how the manager views other people, the organization, and the world in general. In discussing the manager as a feeling, thinking human being, we must also look at how the manager s values, attitudes, and moods affect the organization and how these traits help determine the organization s culture. As a sideline to our discussions about the human traits side of management, a lot of research has been performed on personalities and temperaments. Some employers encourage their employees to study their own personality styles to better communicate and work efficiently. The study of temperaments and personalities it extremely interesting. Once you learn to identify an individual's temperament, you can better understand a person's desired method of receiving information as well as areas that may cause them frustration. Of course, we must keep in mind that individuals are just that; we all have our differences based upon our environment, historical upbringing, current situations, etc. However, the wonderful aspect about temperament is that we all tend to fall into one of the four major temperament categories, and this allows us to understand the differences between people in these categories. Your textbook describe the Big Five personality traits. Below are some highlights, but please review the full descriptions on pages Additionally, there are brief personality tests within the pages listed above that you may also find helpful. 1. Extraversion: Extraverts tend to be extremely social, outgoing, and positive people. This can be a real asset when in a position that requires a lot of social interactions (Jones & George, 2014). 2. Negative Affectability: Negative affectability refers to one s degree of negative emotions, including depression, anger, and critical opinions on themselves or others. This can be an asset at times because someone with a high negative affectability can encourage themselves and others to be better; however, being overly negative can also be a hindrance (Jones & George, 2014). 3. Agreeableness: Agreeableness is one s ability to relate to other people. When someone is very agreeable, he or she tends to be very caring and will easily build close relationships with others (Jones & George, 2014). 4. Conscientiousness: This personality trait describes one who is very detailoriented. Someone who is very conscientious is very organized and careful in his or her work. Not surprisingly, this trait is ideal in many different types of jobs (Jones & George, 2014). 5. Openness to Experience: Managers who are very open to experience are risk takers and are unafraid of a challenge. They tend to be very innovative and are not afraid of failure (Jones & George, 2014). Thinking about the above personality traits, which category do you best align with? Do you fit specifically into one category, or do you fit into a couple? With this information, managers can better understand their own temperament as well as the temperaments of individuals they interact with. This information can help them perform their four management tasks since they will better understand how to deal with specific individuals. Hopefully, you will enjoy the class and will apply what you learn about management to your career and life! Reference Jones, G. R., & George, J. M. (2014). Contemporary management (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. BBA 3602, Principles of Management 3

4 Suggested Reading View the Chapter 1, 2, and 3 PowerPoint Presentations that accompany the course textbook. Follow the steps below to access the presentations: Go to Select Student Edition Select the chapter Select PowerPoint Presentation Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See information below. Activity 1: Supplemental Quizzes Before completing your graded assignments, consider completing the Chapter Quizzes for Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of your course textbook: Go to Select Student Edition Select the chapter Select Chapter Quiz Activity 2: Personality/Temperament Tests As stated in the Unit Lesson, different people have different personality and temperament traits. You may find it helpful to see what category you fit into. Consider conducting an Internet search for personality/temperament tests, and complete a few of the assessments. Once finished, reflect upon the results. Below are a couple of sites that you may want to consider during your search: Keirsey Personality Test and Information Myers-Briggs: Myers Briggs Personality Type and the MBTA Activity 3: Multiple-Choice Questions Before completing your graded assessment, consider practicing with the multiplechoice questions below. Then, you can check your answers with the key below. 1. According to Mintzberg s typology, a manager who evaluates the performance of other managers in different tasks and takes corrective action to improve their performance is a. a. disseminator b. figurehead c. monitor d. spokesperson e. negotiator BBA 3602, Principles of Management 4

5 2. Abby, the CEO of Little Angel Photography, reviews the performance of her company over the last quarter to determine whether they are meeting the planned sales and profitability goals. In this instance, which managerial task is she performing? a. Planning b. Organizing c. Delegating d. Controlling e. Structuring 3. A company with a high level of efficiency and effectiveness is most likely to produce: a. a product that customers want, but that is too expensive for them to buy. b. a product that customers want at a quality and price they can afford. c. a product that is inexpensive and non-durable. d. a high-quality product that has limited utility for customers. e. a product that requires customers to invest in expensive service packages. 4. Craig is a highly effective manager. This implies that he: a. is likely to spend lavishly on resources. b. is highly compliant. c. disfavors employee empowerment. d. chooses appropriate goals and then achieves them. e. is overly ambitious. 5. Tony is a manager with the ability to understand and gauge the moods and feelings of his employees with little difficulty. Tony displays high. a. emotional intelligence b. negative affectivity c. organizational socialization d. introversion e. organizational integration 6. refers to a system where small workshops run by skilled workers produce hand-manufactured products. a. Mass production b. Flow production c. Crafts production d. Series production e. Mechanized production 7. An organization that considers and analyzes the ideas and suggestions of all employees regardless of their hierarchical position has a(n) culture. a. vertical b. innovative c. conservative d. traditional e. regressive BBA 3602, Principles of Management 5

6 8. Sandra, an employee of SilverStone Inc., is extremely ambitious and insists on working on important projects by herself. According to McClelland, she has a high need for. a. affiliation b. power c. agreeableness d. socialization e. achievement 9. helps managers maintain their enthusiasm and confidence and energize subordinates to help the organization attain its goals. a. Negative affectivity b. Introversion c. An external locus of control d. A high need for power e. Emotional intelligence 10. Why can hiring people through the attraction selection attrition (ASA) framework be disadvantageous? a. Like-minded employees have difficulty offering fresh perspective. b. Like-minded employees prefer working in dynamic ever-changing environments. c. Like-minded employees do not have an external locus of control. d. Like-mindedness prevents the emergence of a dominant personality profile. e. Like-minded employees are the least likely to stay in an organization for a long period of time. Question Correct Answer 1 C 2 D 3 B 4 D 5 A 6 C 7 B 8 E 9 E 10 A Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. BBA 3602, Principles of Management 6