Unit 1: What Is Management?
In this introductory unit, you will begin your exploration of the practice of management. In human society there has always been a need for some degree of management in order to organize the efforts of individuals for the common (and individual) good. Even in very primitive times, gathering food, protecting against predators, and caring for the young required humans to coordinate and organize in order to achieve common goals.
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.
Management is both an art and a science, and ultimately you will need more than one course on management to fully develop your own management ability. Still, even if you have no aspirations to manage a team, you may need to lead projects, manage committees, and/or interact with managers. Understanding what makes a good manager is one of the biggest factors in the success of an organization and its employees.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 13 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- discuss the purpose of management;
- define the functions of managers; and
- explain the roles and responsibilities of managers.
1.1: What Is Management?
1.1.1: Introduction and Doing Good as a Core Business Strategy
Read the introduction and section 1.1, which introduces the fundamental principles of management and provides an example of a real-world implementation of these managerial concepts. Try the exercise questions at the end of the section.
1.1.2: Who Are Managers?
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 section.
1.1.3: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Strategy: A Manager's Guide
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, pay attention to the definitions of leadership, entrepreneurship, and strategy. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of this section.
1.1.4: Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling: The P-O-L-C Framework
Read this section, which reviews the P-O-L-C (Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling) framework. This framework outlines the four principal functions of management. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of the section.
1.1.5: Economic, Social, and Environmental Performance for Managers
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 section.
1.1.6: Understanding the Performance of Individuals and Groups
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. Take notes that compare and contrast the distinctions between individual and group-level performances, and answer the questions at the end of the section.
1.1.7: Your Principles of Management Survivor's Guide
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. In this section, you will analyze the gauge-discover-reflect process of managing, which should help you identify your knowledge and capabilities, establish effective goals and develop a plan to work toward those goals, and explain the difference between what happened and what should have happened in a particular situation. Be sure to complete the exercise questions at the end of the section.
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?
1.1.8: Management Principles throughout the Ages
Read this article. 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?
1.1.9: A Final Thought: An Alternative Perspective on What Management Is
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?
1.2: The Role of Managers: What Do Managers Do?
1.2.1: An Introduction to What Managers Do: The Four Functions
Read the introduction and section 6.1, which introduces the four functions of management and describes how they work together to provide a template from which managers draw in order to properly execute their workplace tasks.
1.2.2: What Is the Management Planning Function?
Read this section, which introduces the process that an organization uses to create and implement strategic, tactical, and operational plans. Managers use these plans to provide a roadmap from which a company's business develops. Pay attention to the discussion of how to conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis and the discussion on mission statements and establishing goals and objectives. Review contingency planning, which requires managers to identify an alternative route toward achieving a goal or objective. Work through the exercises at the end of the section.
1.2.3: How to Organize People, Equipment, and Money
Read this section and focus on the discussion of the top, middle, and first-line levels of management, which will provide you with a better understanding of the various ways to organize a business and its correlating activities. The organizational charts will help you better understand the flow, coordination, and reporting relationships of the managerial model. Review the authority of managers and the concept of delegation.
1.2.4: Managers Have To Possess Great Directing Skills
Read this section and closely examine the foundational elements associated with leadership. This section discusses what managers do to achieve organizational goals and objectives. It also emphasizes how to identify your own leadership style. Leading is sometimes referred to as directing.
Read this article and consider the following questions: What is a manager? What is a leader? How do a manager's approach and a leader's approach set each role apart? Why does an organization need both managers and leaders? What would happen if an organization had only managers or leaders, but not both?
1.2.5: Effectively Controlling the Environment Is a Management Essential
Read this section, which takes a close look at the five-step control process that is necessary for keeping a plan on target. Work through the exercise at the end of the section.
1.2.6: Managers Need a Variety of Skills to Be Successful
Read this section, which examines the core skills that are essential to a manager's success and explores the process of solving problems in business. An effective manager will face a variety of problems that require a decision. Some of a manager's decisions will be more successful than others, but the steps outlined in this process will help you minimize the possibility of a bad decision. Be sure to complete the exercises at the end of the section.
Read this article and think about your own management style. Has your company used any of the assessments discussed in this essay? If so, have you taken any of these assessments? Have you ever been responsible for evaluating the assessment of another worker? Do you feel that these assessments are accurate measures of an individual's management skills and capabilities? Why or why not?
1.2.7: The Role of Tomorrow's Leaders
Read this article and consider the following questions: What shifts in the modern business world have caused leadership roles to change? Can a focus on leading globally, building partnerships, being innovative, and collaborating enable leaders to be more effective? If so, how? As a leader, do you currently practice these four essential roles? Why or why not?
1.2.8: Developing Influencing Skills
Read this article and think about your own influencing skills. Consider the different types of approaches you may use to suit a particular situation or individual. Do you generally employ a push or a pull strategy? Are you flexible enough to vary your style, as needed?
Read this article and consider the different techniques you use when you make a presentation or speech. As you prepare your presentations, do you consider the styles of other speakers? Which styles do you feel most suit your personality? After reading this essay, what steps will you take, if any, to revise your speaking style and employ different strategies when preparing your presentations?
1.3: The Personal Side of Management
Read the introduction and section 2.1, which examines how the SAS Institute treats its employees and how this policy has affected the company. Being an effective manager requires more than just understanding concepts and principles. Managers have to be able to express a personal, softer side in order to achieve trust, commitment, and buy-in from those they manage. Basically, you have to show your human capital (your employees) that you care about them as people.
1.3.1: Identifying Your Personality and Values
Read this section, which examines the dynamics of personality traits and will help you to develop an understanding of how they impact workplace behaviors. In order for a manager to properly implement the P-O-L-C framework, s/he must be able to provide value within her/his own task executions, set the pace and tone to be followed in the workplace, and build relationships that support the greatest return on investment for both the employer and the employee.
1.3.2: Behavior = Values + Perception
Read this section, which will help you develop an understanding of the personal biases that you use in order to support how you go about making decisions for yourself and others. Be sure to carefully consider the bridge between your personal biases and your personality, and how the combination of this information can be used to make you a better manager.
1.3.3: Workplace Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
Read this section, which describes how managers shape opinions, beliefs, and feelings regarding the workplace environment. Pay particular attention to the factors contributing to job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
1.3.4: KSAO (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Other Characteristics) vs. Fit
Read this section, which discusses the concept of workplace "fit". In today's business world, it is not enough to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to execute the role and functions of a particular job; many organizations are relying more on fit. Fit refers to whether or not you have the personality and character dynamics to successfully integrate into the organization. In this section, you will explore how to identify several fit dynamics: person-job-position fit, person-organization fit, etc. You will also develop an understanding of how fit dynamics connect to and integrate with work behaviors.
1.3.5: Influencing Workplace Behaviors
Read this section, which examines the factors that have the strongest influence over workplace behaviors. In understanding these factors, a manager should be able to develop programs and a workplace environment that supports improved dynamics between the employer and the employees. Ultimately, knowing these patterns can help increase productivity within the workplace.
1.3.6: Developing Your Positive Attitude Skills
Read this section, which provides a guideline for cultivating and conveying a positive attitude in the workplace. Positive attitudes are contagious and will greatly affect productivity in your work environment.
1.3.7: Workplace Personality Tests
Read this article and think about what, if any, personality tests are conducted by your organization. Have you taken a personality test, or given one to others? Do you believe that the five personality traits accurately portray human beings? Why or why not? As society advances and new technologies impact our lives, will our personalities adapt and change? What about the possibility of individuals displaying different personalities based on their form of interaction? For example, will introverts feel more comfortable expressing themselves in an online environment? What other personality characteristics will be impacted by the use of technology.
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Unit 1 Assessment
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Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.