Key Functions of Management
When a manager uses available resources efficiently, what management function is being carried out?
Organizing
Which of the following is not a key characteristic of an effective manager?
1) Report to shareholders.
2) Resolve problems.
3) Ensure that everyone is performing their assigned duties and coordinating efforts between employees.
4) Work to coordinate and achieve smooth operational activity.
1) Report to shareholders
Reporting to shareholders is usually done by a team of people tasked with gathering information from different sectors of the business and putting this information together in what is called an 'annual report'.
The rest of the answers are functions that a person, a manager, does in order to be effective.
This leadership style is probably the most diverse as it incorporates many styles to fit the situation.
Situational
The situational leadership style requires leaders to understand a situation, know what is needed and adopt a leadership style that best accomplishes the objective at that time.
Define an autocratic leader
A leader tells subordinates what to do and ignores their opinions or suggestions. This type of leadership is characterized by a domineering and possibly tyrannical approach. It is strong and rule oriented.
What is not true about studies regarding ethical conduct in business organizations?
1) Ethical conduct leads to increased performance of the company.
2) Ethical leadership and management have the capacity to reduce unethical behaviours.
3) It cannot be taught to employees.
4) Employees who are happier and more helpful.
3) It cannot be taught to employees
Ethical conduct can be taught to employees. Studies show that the other three responses are the results of what ethical conduct can do for a business.
Define Key functions of Management and name all 5 of them.
The key functions of management summarise the work a manager does within a business organisation, such as planning, coordinating, commanding, controlling and organising activities.
What is leadership?
Leadership is the art of influencing and inspiring others to achieve a common goal, from completing a task to meeting corporate goals.
In terms of speed of decision making, which leadership style is probably the slowest.
Democratic
Democratic leadership attempts to take into account many viewpoints. This can take more time than other leadership styles.
What would be the most suitable leadership style for university professors?
Laissez-faire
Laissez-faire would be the most appropriate style as professors require the freedom to carry out their research without strict control from managers. They develop the classes in their own way because they are specialists in their subject. They need freedom to work within established limits and without close managerial control.
With the rise of multinational companies, increasing mobility of labour, and increasing diversity in the workforce, we would expect ______ sensitivities to play a greater role in management decisions regarding human resources.
Cultural
While adjustments must continue to be made to changing economic, environmental, and technological factors in today's workplace, the increasing diversity of the workforce and the growth of MNCs clearly impact human resources decision making. Cultural sensitivities play a much more prominent role in HR decisions than in the past, in part due to these factors.
Managers direct activities to achieve specific goals. Managing often includes ________, ________ and _______.
supervising, directing and advising.
In a given situation, which of the following factors is the least likely to cause a leader to adjust his or her leadership style?
1)The degree of importance of the task
2) The level of difficulty of the task involved
3)The stage of the product lifecycle of the task
4)The relative urgency of the task
3) The stage of the product lifecycle of the task
Greater levels of importance, difficulty and urgency associated with a task cause a leader to adjust his or her leadership style, taking more control where subordinates are less experienced and the consequences of mistakes are severe. Leadership style is more dependent on task and personal characteristics of the leader, and not necessarily on the stage of a product or service in its lifecycle.
Peter Drucker, Charles Handy and _____ ______ were considered influential in the world of management and the functions of management.
Henri Fayol
A _______ leadership style is characterized by strong, protective leadership.
Paternalistic
Paternalistic leaders rely on strong trust and loyalty, and expect a high degree of compliance in return. The other options are not adequate because they do not have these as primary characteristics.
In recent decades, _______ considerations have taken priority in how jobs are structured with regard for worker rights, equal pay for equal work, child labour protections, etc.
Ethical
For a variety of reasons, both in societal attitudes and in legal protections, businesses have adapted in how they deal with worker rights, focusing more on ethical issues than in the past. Examples of this include developments in equal pay for men and women, child labour protections, treatment of minorities, treatment of people with disabilities, providing maternity leave and child care, and so on.
Using schools an example, explain the management structure (3 levels).
Upper management (Director) - Responsible for planning and reaching long-term goals.
Middle management (Principal) -Responsible for daily operations and ensuring the smooth work of all departments.
Lower-level management (Head of department) -Responsible for overseeing teachers within a specific department.
leadership tends to be associated with setting the vision and mission. Management tends to be more concerned with...
the implementation of the vision set by leadership.
Leadership is tasked with setting the direction of the organisation, and influencing and inspiring others to buy in to the mission and vision. Management is concerned with the efficient application of resources, both human and material, in the implementation of the mission and vision.
What is the Uncertainty avoidance index?
this category tries to ascertain how people within a society feel about the future: whether they want to control it or just wait to see what happens. Societies with a high index score want control and tend to be more rigid. A low index score would indicate a society that is more relaxed about what is going to happen and is not necessarily trying to shape the future.
What is the best leadership style?
None
Leadership styles need to be understood from a value-free perspective. One style is not necessarily better than another. It depends on the situation, the employees, the nature of the decision and the culture. Also, it is important to realise that some leaders may embody traits from more than one style of leadership.
A country with a high score on 'Power Distance' means....
It is more accepting of authority and would probably thrive better under an authoritarian or paternalistic leadership style.
Depending of the type and size of organization how does the management structure vary?
The larger the organisation, the more managers it will typically have. For example, a sole proprietorship may only have two to three employees and its management structure is likely to be very informal. There may not really be a structure as such. However, in bigger companies the management structure can be quite elaborate
Managers are/are not usually in the position of being able to change policies or procedures to obtain the desired results which results in....
Managers are not usually in the position of being able to change policies or procedures to obtain the desired results, which can create a frustrating and demoralising situation. However, with the right support and leadership, managers can achieve great success.
Name any 3 'ingredients' to becoming that are necessary to be a successful leader
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, is a good example of which type of leadership style?
Laissez-faire style of leadership.
With an amassed fortune of over 70 billion dollars, Buffett believes in surrounding himself with capable people and allowing them to do their work. He once remarked: 'It's better to hang out with people better than you.' Competent and confident employees are necessary for this model to work, but Buffett seems to have made laissez-faire a successful leadership style.
What impact did the Silk trade route have on culture?
The 'Silk Road' trade route was one of the biggest trade networks in the world and illustrates the impact of culture on trade. As traders met in cities such as Quanzhou, Isfahan, Aleppo and Venice, they traded not only goods, but also ideas and ways of life. The interaction of traders from different ethnic backgrounds and religious practices necessitated a more tolerant and evolved world view.