Introduction to Management

• Chapter 1 introduces general management concepts.
• This chapter aims to define what an organisation is, management, the process of management, management levels, roles of managers, skills of managers, and the challenges managers may face.

Introduction to Management

• When considering management, personal interpretations vary.
• The core question emerges: Why is management important?
• Managing presents numerous difficulties.
• This chapter explores the definition, significance, tasks, skills, and general perspectives related to management.

What is an Organisation?

• An organisation is a group structured to achieve a specific goal.
• Three characteristics that organisations share:
  • Each has a distinct and clear purpose.
  • Each contains people.
  • Each develops some deliberate structure so that the members can do their work.

What is Management?

• Management involves accomplishing tasks through others.
• It is coordinating tasks through planning, organising, activating/leading, and controlling, aligning these activities with organisational objectives to be efficient and effective.
• "Coordinating work activities" differentiates a managerial role from a non-managerial one.
• Efficiency and effectiveness are vital elements.
• Basic management functions are planning, organising, activating and control.
• Additional management functions include decision-making, delegation, communication, motivation, disciplining and coordination.
• Planning is defining goals and the strategies for achieving them.
• Organising is determining tasks, methods, groupings, reporting structures, and decision-making locations.
• Activating/leading involves motivating employees to do their best work.
• Control is monitoring actual performance, comparing with plans, and correcting if necessary.
• The management process transforms inputs like human, financial, and material resources into outputs like products and services.

Who is a Manager?

• A manager’s role is to ensure the organisation meets its targets.
• Managers coordinate and integrate employees’ work activities to achieve the organisation's vision and goals.
• A proficient manager surrounds themselves with capable individuals.
• First-line managers supervise non-managerial employees involved in creating products or services.
• Middle managers manage first-line managers.
• Top managers make organisation-wide decisions and set overall goals and plans.
• Henry Mintzberg identified ten management roles classified into three sets.
  • The interpersonal roles are the role of being a figurehead, leader, and liaison. These involve duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in nature.
  • The informational roles are to be a monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson which relates to collecting and transferring information.
  • The decisional roles are to be an entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator which deals with making decisions and choices.

Management Skills

• Managers needs basic skills.
• Managers use conceptual, interpersonal, and technical skills.
• Conceptual skill is more important at the top-management levels, interpersonal skill is required at middle management, technical skills is required at first-line management.
• Technical skills include knowledge and proficiency in a specialized area.
• Human/interpersonal skills are the ability to work well with other people individually and in a group.
• Conceptual skills involve analyzing complex and abstract situations.
• Management abilities includes:
  • Communication skills.
  • The ability to work in a team.
  • Time management.
  • Problem-solving abilities.
  • Conflict solving abilities.

Challenges for Managers

• In a dynamic environment, managers face challenges in building competitive advantage, maintaining ethics, managing diversity, and operating globally.
  • Achieving competitive advantage through cost savings, differentiating quality, innovation, and responsiveness.
  • Maintaining ethical and socially responsible behavior.
  • Managing a diverse workforce by valuing diversity and implementing supporting structures and policies.
  • Managing in a global environment requires innovation, adapting to change, and continuous learning.