Business Management Unit 1
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Questions and Answers

What is a primary reason why organisations exist?

  • To maximise profits without considering societal needs.
  • To produce items and provide services that individuals cannot alone. (correct)
  • To achieve their own goals, regardless of society's needs.
  • To provide career opportunities for their members only.

    • What is the main purpose of management in an organisation?

  • To ensure the organisation's goals are not operationalised.
  • To examine factors that enable an organisation to maximise its profits. (correct)
  • To disregard the purpose of the organisation.
  • To focus solely on controlling and leading functions.

    • What is the ultimate goal of an organisation?

  • To meet the needs and demands of current day society. (correct)
  • To operate without a systematic structure.
  • To exist solely for the benefit of its members.
  • To disregard the needs of society.

    • What enables an organisation to achieve its purpose?

    <p>The presence of a distinct purpose.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key function of management in an organisation?

    <p>To operationalise goals and support the organisation's purpose.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the management process comprised of?

    <p>Planning, organising, leading, and controlling functions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the controlling function in management?

    <p>To narrow the gap between planned and actual achievements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary component of the management process?

    <p>The four central management functions (POLC)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the four management functions that comprise the core management process?

    <p>Planning, Organising, Leading, and Controlling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the leading function in management?

    <p>To influence employees to achieve organisational goals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary component of the macro-environment?

    <p>Technological, economic, social, political, and international environments</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the four basic resources that a municipality can utilise?

    <p>Human, financial, physical, and informational resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the organising function in management?

    <p>To structure and arrange organisational resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the planning function in management?

    <p>To determine organisational goals and courses of action</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do management schools of thought provide?

    <p>Frameworks for effective management decisions and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the definition of management?

    <p>The process of planning, organising, leading, and controlling resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the essential components of management?

    <p>Planning, organising, leading and controlling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes the three levels of management?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of time do first-line managers spend leading?

    <p>51%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do top managers spend most of their time doing?

    <p>Organising and planning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many functional areas of management can be identified in a business?

    <p>6</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary role of management in an organisation?

    <p>To support the establishment of goals and implementation of actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the seventh functional area of management that involves the execution of the four generic management functions?

    <p>General Management</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Mintzberg, what is the limitation of the traditional POLC approach?

    <p>It oversimplifies the complexity of the manager's job</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterises the manager's work, according to Mintzberg?

    <p>Brevity, fragmentation, and an overburden of tasks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At which levels of management is General Management performed?

    <p>At all levels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the General Management functional area?

    <p>The execution of POLC functions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who argued that the traditional POLC approach fails to provide a practical approach to understanding and developing managerial competence?

    <p>Mintzberg</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Mintzberg, what is required for management development programs to be effective?

    <p>Combination of theoretical education and practical experience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the 'new' organisation?

    <p>Flexibility and adaptability</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key change in the post-entrepreneurial organisation, according to Moss Kanter?

    <p>Blurry lines between managers and non-managers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Moss Kanter suggest managers need to learn to operate without?

    <p>Hierarchy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between the traditional manager and the post-entrepreneurial manager?

    <p>Source of power and influence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key aspect of the relationship between the organisation and the work of the manager?

    <p>Managerial roles and skills</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of the managerial role approach, according to Mintzberg (1990)?

    <p>It provides managers with insight into the pressures and complexities of their work</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an implication of the changing management environment, according to Robbins?

    <p>Greater need for flexibility and adaptability</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the sequence of roles in Figure 1.2, according to Du Toit et al. (2007)?

    <p>Status, Interpersonal Roles, Informational Roles, Decisional Roles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key factor in the emergence of the 'new' organisation, according to Robbins?

    <p>Increased global competition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the post-entrepreneurial organisation, according to Moss Kanter?

    <p>Horizontal and peer networks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What category of skills does the ability to view the operation of the organisation and its parts holistically fall under?

    <p>Conceptual Skills</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Mintzberg (1990), what is the key difference between the managerial skills identified and those identified by Cronjé et al. (2004)?

    <p>The focus of the skills, with Mintzberg focusing on importance and Cronjé et al. focusing on categories</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key challenge faced by managers in the post-entrepreneurial organisation?

    <p>Predicting career development paths</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary way in which management education provides opportunities for developing managerial skills?

    <p>Through formal or continuous education</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the interpersonal relationships formed by the manager and the carrying out of Informational Roles?

    <p>The manager's interpersonal relationships provide the manager with access to information and the consequent carrying out of Informational Roles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the skills identified by Mintzberg (1990) as important for managerial work?

    <p>Negotiation skills</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the focus of the three categories of managerial skills identified by Cronjé et al. (2004)?

    <p>Technical, Interpersonal, and Conceptual skills</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the manager's role, according to Mintzberg (1990)?

    <p>To perform ten different roles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the sequence in which the manager's role is performed, according to Figure 1.2?

    <p>Status, Interpersonal Roles, Informational Roles, Decisional Roles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between the traditional management approach and Moss Kanter's post-entrepreneurial approach?

    <p>Focus on relationships and networks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary objective of management in meeting the needs and demands of current day society?

    <p>To establish goals and operationalise them</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the efficiency criterion in evaluating managerial and organisational performance?

    <p>Achieving outputs that measure up to the inputs used</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge for management in South African non-profit seeking organisations?

    <p>Ensuring effective use of scarce resources</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge for management in dealing with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa?

    <p>Planning and devising inventive solutions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason why Cronjé argues that the efficiency-effectiveness approach is simplistic?

    <p>It does not consider the economic principle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge for management in South Africa?

    <p>Managing a diverse workforce</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary objective of management training in South Africa?

    <p>To acquire management competence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge for management in ensuring effective organisational performance?

    <p>Acquiring management competence through training</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of management in South African organisations?

    <p>Ensuring managerial and economic empowerment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary challenge in addressing the management challenges identified by Cronjé and Taylor?

    <p>Negative management attitudes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the focus of Hofmeyer's research in 1997?

    <p>Management attitudes in South Africa</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary concern in addressing the management challenges identified by Cronjé and Taylor?

    <p>Whether management is dedicated and enthusiastic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary theme of Section 1 of this Study Guide?

    <p>The fundamentals of management</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary concern in terms of South African management attitudes?

    <p>They have become more negative since 1994</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between management attitudes and addressing management challenges?

    <p>Negative management attitudes lead to ineffective addressing of challenges</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Organisations

    • Characterised by a distinct purpose, multiple members, and a systematic structure
    • Exist to produce items and/or provide services more efficiently than individuals operating alone
    • Meet the needs and demands of society by:
      • Bringing together resources to produce and provide products and services
      • Creating and providing career opportunities for society members

    Management

    • Serves to ensure that organisational goals are established and operationalised
    • Comprises the functions of planning, organising, leading, and controlling (POLC)
    • POLC functions:
      • Planning: determining goals and courses of action
      • Organising: structuring and arranging work, resources, and departments
      • Leading: influencing employees to perform actions aligned with organisational goals
      • Controlling: narrowing the gap between plans and actual achievements

    Environment

    • Organisations operate within a market environment, comprising consumers, suppliers, and competitors
    • Macro-environment includes technological, economic, social, political, and international environments
    • Both environments impact the organisation and affect management

    Management Schools of Thought

    • Provide frameworks for guiding effective management decisions and actions
    • Present fundamental principles for managers and management students

    Definition of Management

    • Consensus exists within the literature on the definition of management
    • Definitions include:
      • "...the process of planning, organising, leading and controlling the resources of the organisation to achieve stated organisational goals as productively as possible"
      • "...the process of getting things done through the efforts of other people"
      • "...the process of planning, organising, leading, and controlling the work of organisation members and of using all available organisational resources to reach stated organisational goals"

    Levels of Management

    • Three levels of management within an organisation:
      • Top Management
      • Middle Management
      • Lower / First-Line / Supervisory Management
    • Distinguished according to level of responsibility, main functions, time orientation, and positions held
    • Time spent on management functions differs between each level of management

    Management and the Organisation

    • Relationship between the organisation and management is critical in supporting the establishment of goals, implementation of actions, and utilisation of resources
    • Management serves to enable the achievement of the organisation's purpose
    • Areas of management include:
      • Marketing Management
      • Financial Management
      • Operations Management
      • Purchasing Management
      • Human Resource Management
      • Public Relations Management

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    Learn about the characteristics of organisations, their purpose, and how they meet the needs of society through collaboration and resource allocation. Understand why organisations are more efficient than individuals operating alone.

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