• Unit 1: What Is Management?

    Put simply, the term "management" refers to the coordination of work activities through and with other people to accomplish the goals of an organization. In this unit, you will explore the various functions of management. Management involves not only coordination, but also planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Over the years, the common definition of management has become less specific, as managerial functions have come to include staffing, directing, and reporting. In modern companies, there are fewer layers of management, as today's organizations rely instead on the delegation of responsibilities and authority in order to achieve goals. As a result, today's managers now speak in terms of "leading" or "guiding" people, rather than giving instructions for every action.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • define "manager" including the types, levels, roles and skills of successful managers; and 
      • identify the P-O-L-C framework.

    • 1.1: Introduction and Doing Good as a Core Business Strategy

      • Introduction to Principles of Management URL

        Read the introduction and section 1.1, which introduce the fundamental principles of management and provides an example of a real-world implementation of these managerial concepts. You may also find it useful to consider the exercise questions provided at the end of the reading.

    • 1.2: Who Are Managers?

      • Who Are Managers? URL

        Read this section, which includes a discussion of the ten key roles that managers fulfill. It also establishes a framework for understanding the nature of the work that a manager regularly performs. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of this reading.

    • 1.3: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy: A Manager's Guide

      • Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy URL

        Read this section, which establishes the concept of leadership and makes a clear distinction between a manager and a leader. Review the concepts of leadership and strategy as well as the framework for implementing these concepts cohesively. As you read through the text, pay particular attention to the definitions for leadership, entrepreneurship, and strategy. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of this reading.

    • 1.4: Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling: The P-O-L-C Framework

      • Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling URL

        Read this section, which reviews the P-O-L-C (Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling) framework. This framework outlines the four principle functions of management. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of the reading.

    • 1.5: Economic, Social, and Environmental Performance for Managers

      • Economic, Social, and Environmental Performance URL

        Read this section, which reviews how managers analyze economic, social, and environmental elements to support the effective execution of customer service within an organization. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of the reading.

    • 1.6: Understanding the Performance of Individuals and Groups

      • Performance of Individuals and Groups URL

        Read this section, which explains how to distinguish between individual- and group-level performances. While there are indeed differences between the two, managers strive to make sure that individual and group-level performances are compatible. It may be helpful for you take notes that compare and contrast the distinctions between individual and group-level performances. Be sure to pay particular attention to the illustrative tables and graphs located throughout this reading. Also be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of the reading.

    • 1.7: Your Principles of Management Survivor's Guide

      • Your Principles of Management Survivor's Guide URL

        Read this section, paying particular attention to the concept of a managerial tool guide. This guide seeks to help you understand your own learning style so that you may more fully respond to and manage the learning styles of others. This material also provides you with an opportunity to apply what you have learned in your analysis of the gauge-discover-reflect process of managing, which should help you

        1. identify your knowledge and capabilities about something;
        2. obtain enough information about it so you can establish effective goals and develop a plan to work toward achieving those goals; and
        3. examine the difference between what has happened and what should have happened in a particular situation.

        Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of this reading.

      • What's Your Learning Style? URL

        Read this article and consider the following questions: Why is it important to understand your learning style? Why does a manager need to be aware of an employee's learning style? What is your learning style preference? How can this information help you become a more effective learner?

    • 1.8: Management Principles throughout the Ages

      • History of Management URL

        Read this article and consider the following questions: How is today's work environment different from that of the past? How did the division of labor theory change an organization's productivity? Do companies in the modern business world still embrace the classical approach, the qualitative approach, and the organizational behavior approach? If so, how?

    • 1.9: A Final Thought: An Alternative Perspective on What Management Is

      • What Is Management? URL

        Read this article and consider the following questions: What does management mean to you? What are some key functions of managers? Does your current manager, or a manager you are familiar with, effectively perform these key management functions? If not, why? What is the difference between a manager and a leader?