1
Chapter 1
THE MANAGER’S JOB
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the nature of managerial work. The entire text has a similar purpose. It is therefore necessary to touch upon topics in Chapter 1 that are covered again in later chapters. The chapter provides information on key managerial topics such as (a) the meaning of the term manager, (b) an overview of the process of management, (c) managerial roles, and (d) a summary of the major developments in management thought.
After studying the material in this chapter, you should be able to:
1.Explain what the term manager means, and identify different types of managers.
2.Describe the process of management, including the functions of management.
3.Describe the various managerial roles.
4.Identify the basic managerial skills and understand how they can be developed.
5.Describe how managers have to synthesize five mind-sets to accomplish their work.
6.Identify the major developments in the evolution of management thought.
KEY TERMS AND PHRASES
______
ManagerScientific management
ManagementAdministrative management
Top-level managersHuman resources approach to management
Middle-level managersHawthorne effect
First-level managersQuantitative approach to management
EntrepreneurSystems perspective
Small-business ownerEntropy
Team leaderSynergy
MulticulturalismContingency approach to management
Scientific management
______CHAPTER OUTLINE______
I.WHO IS A MANAGER?
A manager is a person responsible for the work performance of group members.
Management is the process of using organizational resources to achieve objectives
through the functions of planning, organizing and staffing, leading, and controlling.
A.Levels of Management
1.Top-Level Managers
Top-level managers are executives who are empowered to make major
decisions affecting the present and future of the firm.
2.Middle-Level Managers
Middle-level managers are all those who are neither executives nor first-level
supervisors. They conduct most of the coordination activities within the firm
and disseminate information to upper and lower levels.
3.First-Level Managers
Managers who supervise operatives are referred to as first-level managers or
supervisors.
II.TYPES OF MANAGERS
A.Functional and General Managers
Functional managers supervise the work of employees engaged in specialized
activities, such as accounting, information systems, and marketing. General
managers are responsible for the work of several different groups performing a
variety of functions. Plant managers and CEOs are general managers.
B.Administrators
An administrator is a manager who works in a public or nonprofit organization
(including educational institutions) rather than in a business firm.
C.Entrepreneurs and Small-Business Owners
Entrepreneurs are people who begin a new business based on an innovative idea for
a product or service. Entrepreneurship is defined along three dimensions: innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness. Similar to an entrepreneur, the
owner and operator of a small business becomes a manager when the firm grows beyond a few people.
D.Team Leaders
A team leader coordinates the work of a small group of people, while acting as a
facilitator and catalyst.
III.THE PROCESS OF MANAGEMENT
A.Resources Used by Managers
Managers use four types of resources:
1.Human Resources
2.Financial Resources
3.Physical Resources
4.Information Resources
B.The Four Managerial Functions
Managers must use the four major resources in such a way that goals are reached.
To accomplish this feat, the manager relies on the functions of planning, organizing
and staffing, leading, and controlling.
1.Planning
Planning involves setting goals and figuring out ways of reaching them.
2.Organizing and Staffing
Organizing and staffing is the process of making sure the necessary human and
physical resources are available to carry out a plan and achieve organizational
goals. Staffing focuses on the human resources.
3.Leading
Leading is the managerial function of influencing others to achieve organizational objectives. Leadership is the interpersonal aspect of management,
yet at the top level also includes formulating strategy.
4.Controlling
Controlling is the managerial function of ensuring that performance conforms
to plans. It is comparing actual performance to a predetermined standard.
Controlling also helps determine in the original plan needs revision, given the
realities of the day.
Managerial level influences how much time managers spend on the four managerial
functions. For example, first-level managers spend the most time in face-to-face leadership of employees.
IV.THE SEVENTEEN MANAGERIAL ROLES
A role is an expected set of activities or behaviors stemming from one’s job. Roles are
another important way of understanding managerial work.
A.Planning
1.Strategic Planner
2.Operational Planner
B.Organizing and Staffing
3.Organizer
4.Liaison
5.Staffing Coordinator
6.Resource Allocator
7.Task Delegator
C.Leading
8.Figurehead
9.Spokesperson
10.Negotiator
11.Motivator and Coach
12.Team Builder
13.Team Player
14.Technical Problem Solver
15.Entrepreneur
D.Controlling
16.Monitor
17.Disturbance Handler
E.Managerial Roles Currently Emphasized
Managerial work has substantially shifted away from the controller and director
roles to those of coach, facilitator, and supporter.
F.The Influence of Management Level on Managerial Roles
A manager’s level influences which roles are likely to be engaged in most
frequently, such as top managers emphasizing strategic planning.
V.FIVE KEY MANAGERIAL SKILLS
A.Technical Skill
Technical skill involves an understanding of and proficiency in a specific activity
that involves methods, processes, procedures, or techniques.
B.Interpersonal Skill
Interpersonal skill is the manager’s ability to work effectively as a team member
and to build cooperative effort. Communication skills and multiculturalism are
among interpersonal skills. Many managers at all levels ultimately fail because
their interpersonal skills are not good enough for the demands of the job.
C.Conceptual Skill
Conceptual skill is the ability to see the organization as a total entity. The need for
conceptual knowledge is expected to grow.
D.Diagnostic Skill
Diagnostic skill involves investigating a problem and then choosing a course of
action to solve it.
E.Political Skill
Political skill is primarily the ability to acquire the power necessary to achieve your
objectives. Managers high in political skills understand people well, and believe
that they can control the outcomes of their interactions with people.
VI.DEVELOPMENT OF MANAGERIAL SKILLS
Experience and education are both important for the development of management
skills. You can develop managerial skills by studying the text and following a general learning model:
1.Study conceptual knowledge and behavior guidelines.
2.Use conceptual knowledge demonstrated by examples.
3.Do skill-development exercises.
4.Obtain feedback on skill utilization, or performance, from others.
5.Practice frequently what you have learned, including making adjustments from the
feedback.
Skill development is important because the manager’s job is more demanding than ever, and the workplace keeps changing.
VII.THE MANAGER AS AN INTEGRATOR OF FIVE MINDSETS
A new analysis believes that managers need to synthesize five different mind-sets or
perspectives at the same time. Each mind-set links to one of the five key tasks of managers.
1.Managing self: the reflective mind-set.
2.Managing organizations: the analytical mind-set.
3.Managing context: the worldly mind-set.
4.Managing relationships: the collaborative mind-set.
5.Managing change: the action mind-set.
VIII.THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT THOUGHT
Management has a practice has an almost unlimited history, with the formal study of
management starting during the Industrial Revolution.
A.Classical Approach to Management
The classical school of management encompasses scientific management and
classical management. The focus of scientific management was on the application of scientific methods to increase individual worker’s productivity. Administrative management was concerned primarily with how organizations should be managed and structured. The core of management knowledge is based on the classical school.
B.The Human Resources Approach
The human resources approach emphasizes improving management by
understanding the psychological makeup of people. The human resources (or
behavioral) approach has had a profound influence on management, and much of this book is based on behavioral theory. Three direct cornerstones of the human resources approach are as follows:
1. The Hawthorne Studies
The often-mentioned Hawthorne effect is the tendency of people to behave differently when they receive attention because they respond to the demands of the situation.
2.Theory X and Theory Y of Douglas McGregor
Theory X makes the traditional assumption that workers have to be prodded and
controlled. Theory Y is a more positive, optimistic set of assumptions about
workers.
3.Maslow’s Need Hierarchy
Humans are motivated by efforts to satisfy a hierarchy of needs.
C.Quantitative Approaches to Management
The quantitative approach to management is a group of methods to managerial
decision making that is based on the scientific method. Scientific management provided the foundation for the quantitative approach to management.
D.The Systems Perspective
The systems perspective is a way of viewing problems more than a specific
approach to management. It is based on the concept that an organization is a
system, or an entity of interrelated parts. The organization interacts with the outside world. If you adjust one part of the system, other parts will be affected automatically. Entropy and synergy are two important systems concepts.
E.The Contingency Approach
The contingency approach to management emphasizes that there is no one best way
to manage people or work. A method that leads to high productivity or morale in one situation may not achieve the same results in another. The contingency approach is derived from the study of leadership and organization structure.
F.The Information Technology Era
Information technology has modified the work of managers in many ways including
electronic communication with workers, and e-commerce.
Practicing managers can use all six major developments in management thought.
______REVIEW QUESTIONS______
Matching
A.Management____1.Necessary to obtain power
B.Top-level managers____2.The collaborative mind-set
C.Functional managers____ 3.Individual and situational differences must be
examined before deciding upon a course of action
D.Team leader____4.Necessary for thinking of an organization as a
total entity
E.Process____5.Setting goals and figuring out how to achieve them
F.Leading____ 6.Improving management through understanding
psychological makeup of workers
G.Operational planner____7.Supervise employees in specialized activities
H.Conceptual skill____8.Supervises several different functions
I.Human resources approach____9.Influencing others to achieve organizational objectives
J.Contingency approach____10.Deals with day-by-day activities of the
organization
K.General manager____11.Acts as facilitator and coach
L.Political skill____12.Has the dimensions of innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness
M.Entrepreneurship____13.Series of actions that achieves something
N.Managing relationships____14.Force that makes things happen
O.Planning____15.Executives within the organization
Multiple Choice
____1.To qualify as a manager, a person would have to
a.have a full-time job.
b.develop business strategy.
c.be responsible for the work of at least five workers.
d.have the authority to commit resources.
____2.First-level managers are most likely to supervise
a.middle-level managers.
b.top-level managers.
c.administrators.
d.operatives.
____3.A key task of a general manager is to
a.supervise the work of operatives.
b.conduct quality inspections.
c.be responsible for groups performing different functions.
d.fill in for absent workers.
____4.A team leader is most likely to
a.engage in strategic planning.
b.act as a facilitator and catalyst.
c.spend considerable time disciplining employees.
d.administer management controls.
____5.The managerial function of influencing others to achieve organizational
objectives is called
a.planning.
b.leading.
c.controlling.
d.organizing.
____6.An example of a staffing activity is
a.designing a job.
b.negotiating a budget.
c.hiring people.
d.giving people authority to do a job.
____7.Being a resource allocator is one of the ______roles of management.
a.planning
b.controlling
c.organizing and staffing
d.leading
____8.Being a disturbance handler is one of the ______roles of management.
a.planning
b.controlling
c.organizing and staffing
d.leading
____9.Leading is influencing others to
a.find a balance between work and family life.
b.organize and staff properly.
c.plan, organize, and control.
d.achieve organizational objectives.
____ 10.Multiculturalism is a skill that enables one to
a.become bilingual.
b.market to multiple cultural groups.
c.conduct business with people from different cultures.
d.speak at least three languages fluently.
____ 11.A team leader is
a.the new name for a middle manager.
b.more of a facilitator than a powerful boss.
c.an individual contributor.
d.the first level of middle management.
____12.Management skills are best developed through
a.participation in sports.
b.a combination of education and experience.
c.experience.
d.education.
____ 13.Which of the following approaches to management was concerned primarily
with how organizations should be managed and structured?
a.scientific management
b.administrative management
c.the human resources approach
d.the information technology era
____14.The worldly mind-set of a manager is associated most closely with which one of
the following managerial tasks?
a.managing self
b.managing relationships
c.managing context
d.managing change
____15.The human resources approach to management is likely to emphasize
a.finding a good way to motivate workers.
b.understanding the interaction of the firm with the environment.
c.the most efficient methods of performing work.
d.quantitative approaches to decision making.
True/False
____1.Management pulls together resources to get important activities accomplished.
____2.Top-level managers often make decisions about the future of the firm.
____3.A true entrepreneur founds and operates an innovative business.
____4.A team leader typically coordinates the work of a large group of people and
exercises tight control over them.
____5.The four major functions carried out by managers are planning, organizing and
staffing, leading, and controlling.
____6. Leading is concerned primarily with making sure the necessary human and
physical resources are available to carry out a job.
____ 7.To carry out the control function, a manager compares actual performance to a
predetermined standard.
____8.Part of the strategic planner role is to help establish long-range plans for the total
organization.
____9.The collaborative mind-set of a manager is mostly concerned with managing
organizations.
____ 10.The worldly mind-set of a manager is mostly concerned with managing context.
____ 11.Scientific management focuses on managing the financial side of the business to
achieve the maximum return on investment.
____ 12.An important implication of the Hawthorne studies is that workers will perform
better if they think management cares about them.
____ 13.The quantitative approach to management relies on the scientific method.
____ 14.The contingency approach to management emphasizes universal principles that
can be applied to most situations.
____ 15.Two economists said that the impact of the Internet on business has been similar to
the impact of electricity at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Fill in the Blanks
1.A manager has the ______to commit organizational resources.
2.______are responsible for the work of several different groups
that perform a variety of functions.
3.A ______describes where the organization is headed.
4.A ______coordinates the work of a small group of people, while acting as a facilitator and catalyst.
5.To achieve an objective, the manager uses resources and carries out four major
______.
6.______are the data that the manager and the organization use to
get the job done.
7.Leading is influencing others to achieve ______.
8.Executives ordinarily spend much more time on ______than do
middle- or first-level managers.
9.The role of ______is categorized under controlling because it involves changing an unacceptable condition to an acceptable, stable condition.
10.Multiculturalism is the ability to work effectively and conduct business with people
from ______.
11.______is the ability to acquire the power necessary to reach
objectives.
12.Each of the managerial mind-sets is associated with one of the five ______
______of managers.
13.The emphasis in scientific management is to increase individual ______
______.
14.Synergy means that the ______is ______than the sum of the
______.
15.The primary strength of the human resources approach to management is that it
encourages managers to take into account the______.
______THOUGHT STOPPERS AND ESSAY QUESTIONS______
1.Why isn’t the study of management just common sense?
2.Identify and describe the major functions of management.
3. In what way does a modern manager differ from a traditional manager?
4.Describe the general learning model for developing managerial skills.
5.Explain how the human resources approach contributes to the practice of
management (or helps the manager get the job done).
______APPLICATION EXERCISE______
A description of a manager in action is presented in this section. Your assignment is to identify what functions and roles are illustrated by the manager’s behavior. Given that the text focuses more on the major functions than on roles, look first for functions. For example, if the manager interviews a job applicant, the manager is engaging in the organizing andstaffing function. At the same time, he or she is engaged in the staffing role. Use the right margin to make notations about the functions and roles. Your notation might take this form:
______
1
Sheila Dillon interviewed an applicant for anorganizing function,
administrative position at 4:30 p.m. (staffing function)
______
Sharon Dillon of United Mutual looked over her daily calendar and realized that today would be another busy day. Ever since she was promoted to office manager, Dillon’s schedule had become hectic. Rarely did she have an unscheduled moment. Dillon’s first appointment was a meeting with the vice-president of finance, who had some important news to communicate to all managers. The vice-president proceeded to explain that the company was now broadening its mission. In the past it was a bricks and mortar financial services firm. The company would now offer all of its services online as well as through agents. All managers were invited to contribute input to help bring about these changes.
When Dillon returned to her office, there were two group members waiting outside, Jeff Kissel and Trudy Velayo. They told Dillon that they had an important problem that needed to be resolved. Kissel objected to Velayo’s playing the radio during working hours, claiming it was interfering with his concentration. Velayo countered that it was her civil right to play the radio softly. It took Dillon 30 minutes to resolve this conflict. Velayo agreed that when others were in the office she would use ear phones while listening to her radio. Kissel reciprocated by agreeing to stop his complaining about the presence of a radio.