CHAPTER 1
Understanding the Manager’s Job
CHAPTER 1 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
1. What are the four basic functions that make up the management process? How are they related to one another?
The four basic functions of the management process are planning and decision making, organizing, leading and controlling. Managers utilize all of these processes to achieve the goals of their organization.
2. What are the four basic activities that make up the management process? How are they related to one another?
The basic activities that make up the management process include setting goals and determining how to best achieve these goals. Once a manager has set these goals they must ...view middle of the document...
5. Describe the systems perspective. Why is a business organization considered an open system?
The systems perspective means a company can have many different subsystems operating either together as a whole or some systems can operate alone.
Business organizations are considered an open system because of the relationship it has with its environment whether it be with employees, outside investors, customers or business associates.
CHAPTER 1 CLOSING CASE
JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
Case Questions:
1. What management skills did Jack demonstrate as a marketing manager at the travel products company? What management skills did he demonstrate as a VP at the consumer products firm?
It is my opinion that Jack, in his marketing manager position, demonstrated the planning and decision making skills as well as the organization function. He set certain goals and decided how to best obtain them. He then ciphered through research data to determine the best course of action. His actions paid off for him when his product surpassed all others. He also demonstrated the same management skills as the vice president of the consumer products firm.
2. Should Jack have taken the special assignment offered him by the consumer products firm? What kinds of skills was the president of overseas operations thinking about when he offered the assignment to Jack?
Again in my opinion Jack should have taken the special assignment at the consumer products firm. He would have gotten more management experience in different areas. The president was looking for Jack’s skills of planning and organizing as he had shown in his history of spotting promising items previously for the company.
3. What management skills would have helped Jack avoid the catastrophe that befell his project at the consumer electronics firm?
The controlling management skill might have saved Jack from the catastrophe that overtook his project. He needed to learn to monitor the progress of his product more closely and listen to his peers. He could have shown these leadership skills and his company would not have suffered the time and money wasted on this project.
CHAPTER 2
The Environments of Organizations and Managers
CHAPTER 2 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW:
1. Identify and discuss each major dimension of the general environment and the task environment.
The general environment consists of the economic dimension which is considered to be the health and vitality overall of the economic system of the company. The technological dimension is how the environment converts resources into services or products via methods made available. The relationship between business and government and the regulation of business by the government is the political-legal dimension.
The task environment is the focus of most organizations and includes competitors, or organizations which compete against each other for business. Customers are the individuals buying the organizations...
