A Manager’s Dilemma PDF

A Manager’s Dilemma 12.7 million. That’s the total number of That someone is a manager. Lisa Greene is one such people employed in the restaurant in- manager. As the general manager of a popular and dustry according to the National very busy restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, she...

A Manager’s Dilemma 12.7 million. That’s the total number of That someone is a manager. Lisa Greene is one such people employed in the restaurant in- manager. As the general manager of a popular and dustry according to the National very busy restaurant in Springfield, Missouri, she over- Restaurant Association.1 Those em- sees 100 employees. Working long hours, Lisa is ex- ployees hold jobs ranging from greet- pected to lead her team and uphold the company’s ing and serving customers to cooking high standards so employees can do their assigned for and cleaning up after customers. work efficiently and effectively. Like any hard-working There’s a lot of action taking place in manager, Lisa is continually trying to find ways to cut a restaurant—sometimes calm and costs and make her restaurant run a little more sometimes frenetic—as employees smoothly. But her most important challenge comes work together to provide customers from looking for ways to make her restaurant a better what they want. And overseeing those place to work. Put yourself in Lisa’s place. employees is someone who must ensure that everything runs smoothly. What Would You Do? Like many students, maybe you’ve worked in the restaurant industry at some time or an- other. It’s not an easy job. It can be hot, dirty, and exhausting. Customers can be rude and demanding. And your work experiences, whether in a restaurant or in some other work- place, are likely to have been influenced by the skills and abilities of your manager. Lisa is a good example of what today’s successful managers are like and the skills they must have in dealing with the problems and challenges of managing in the twenty-first century. This book is about the important managerial work that Lisa and the millions of other managers like her do. The reality facing today’s managers is that the world has changed. In work- places of all types—restaurants, offices, retail stores, factories, and the like—managers must deal with changing expectations and new ways of managing employees and organizing work. In this chapter, we introduce you to managers and management by looking at why managers are important, who managers are and where they work, and what managers do. Finally, we wrap up the chapter by looking at the factors reshaping and redefining the man- ager’s job and discussing why it’s important to study management. LEARNING OUTCOME 1.1 Why Are Managers Important? Explain why managers are “... A great boss can change your life, inspiring you to new heights both professionally and important to organizations. personally, and energizing you and your team to together overcome new challenges bigger than any one of you could tackle alone.”2 If you’ve had the opportunity to work with a man- ager like this, count yourself lucky. Such a manager can make a job a lot more enjoyable and productive. However, even managers who don’t live up to such lofty ideals and expec- tations are important to organizations. Let’s look at three reasons why. The first reason managers are important is that organizations need their managerial skills and abilities more than ever in these uncertain, complex, and chaotic times. As organizations deal with today’s challenges—the worldwide economic climate, changing technology, ever- increasing globalization, and so forth—managers play an important role in identifying critical issues and crafting responses. For example, John Zapp, general manager of several car dealerships in Oklahoma City, has struggled to keep his businesses afloat and profitable in the current economic environment, just as many other car dealers have.3 However, after four decades in the car business, Zapp understands that he’s the one calling the shots and his “call” right now is to focus on selling more used cars. How? By keeping inventory moving and by keeping his salespeople engaged through small cash payment rewards for hitting sales goals. His skills and abilities as a manager have been crucial in guiding his organization through these challenging times. Another reason managers are important to organizations is that they’re critical to getting things done. For instance, in our chapter-opening story, Lisa wasn’t the person greeting and 4  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 5 seating customers, taking their orders, cooking their meals, or preparing a table for another cus- tomer, but she was the person who creates and coordinates the workplace systems and condi- tions so that others can perform those tasks. Although she often pitches in when and where needed, her job as manager is to ensure that all the employees are getting their jobs done so the organization can do what it’s in business to do. If work isn’t getting done or isn’t getting done as it should be, she’s also the one who must find out why and get things back on track. Finally, managers do matter to organizations! How do we know that? The Gallup Organization, which has polled millions of employees and tens of thousands of managers, has found that the single most important variable in employee productivity and loyalty isn’t pay or benefits or workplace environment; it’s the quality of the relationship between em- ployees and their direct supervisors.4 In addition, global consulting firm Towers Watson found that the way a company manages and engages its people can significantly affect its financial performance.5 Also, a recent study of organizational performance found that man- agerial ability was important in creating organizational value.6 What can we conclude from such reports? That managers are important and they do matter! Who Are Managers and Where 1.2 LEARNING OUTCOME Do They Work? Tell who managers are and where they work. Managers may not be who or what you might expect! Managers can be under the age of 18 to over age 80. They run large corporations as well as entrepreneurial start-ups. 7 They’re found in government departments, hospitals, small businesses, not-for-profit agencies, museums, schools, and even such nontraditional organizations as political cam- by the numbers 8 paigns and music tours. Managers can also be found doing managerial work in every percent of job applicants say country on the globe. In addition, some managers are top-level managers while others that a good rapport with the are first-line managers. And today, managers are just as likely to be women as they are manager is most important men. However, the number of women in top-level manager positions remains low—only when considering a new 27 women were CEOs of major U.S. corporations in 2010.8 But no matter where man- employer. agers are found or what gender they are, the fact is... managers have exciting and chal- 42 percent of individuals ages lenging jobs! 18–34 say they do not want to become a manager. #1 – the rank of people skills as Who Is a Manager? the most valued skill in job It used to be fairly simple to define who managers were: They were the organizational mem- applicants. bers who told others what to do and how to do it. It was easy to differentiate managers from 28 percent of people would lay nonmanagerial employees. Now, it isn’t quite that simple. In many organizations, the chang- off/fire their boss if given the ing nature of work has blurred the distinction between managers and nonmanagerial option. employees. Many traditional nonmanagerial jobs now include managerial activities.9 For ex- 51 ample, at General Cable Corporation’s facility in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, man- percent of workers say they do not have qualified man- agerial responsibilities are shared by managers and team members. Most of the employees agers. at Moose Jaw are cross-trained and multi-skilled. Within a single shift, an employee can be 52 a team leader, equipment operator, maintenance technician, quality inspector, or improve- percent of workers say their ment planner.10 boss is likable. So, how do we define who managers are? A manager is someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished. A 3 times—when managers are manager’s job is not about personal achievement—it’s about helping others do their work. disengaged from their work, That may mean coordinating the work of a departmental group, or it might mean supervis- their employees are 3 times ing a single person. It could involve coordinating the work activities of a team with people as likely to be disengaged from different departments or even people outside the organization, such as temporary from their work. employees or individuals who work for the organization’s suppliers. Keep in mind, also, that 35 percent of employees who have quit their jobs say it’s because of unhappiness with management. manager Someone who coordinates and oversees the 30 percent of white-collar work- work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished ers think incompetence is what makes for a bad boss. 6 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT managers may have work duties not related to coordinating and oversee- ing others’ work. For example, an insurance claims supervisor might process claims in addition to coordinating the work activities of other claims clerks. Is there a way to classify managers in organizations? In tradition- ally structured organizations (which are often pictured as a pyramid because more employees are at lower organizational levels than at upper organizational levels), managers can be classified as first-line, middle, or top. (See Exhibit 1-1.) At the lowest level of management, first-line managers manage the work of nonmanagerial employees who typically are involved with producing the organization’s products or servicing the organization’s customers. First-line managers may be called supervisors or even shift managers, district managers, department managers, or office managers. Middle managers manage the work of first-line managers and can be found between the lowest and top levels of the organization. They may have titles such as regional manager, project leader, store manager, or division manager. In our chapter-opening dilemma, Lisa is a middle manager. As the general As brand manager with Little Kids, Inc., manager, she’s responsible for how her restaurant performs, but also is Kate Boehnert is a middle manager one of about 60 general managers company-wide who report to responsible for the quality and successful someone at corporate headquarters. At the upper levels of the organization are the top promotion of the company’s line of managers, who are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and establish- bubble toys. In this photo, she ing the plans and goals that affect the entire organization. These individuals typically demonstrates during a toy trade show how the motorized Bubble Light blows have titles such as executive vice president, president, managing director, chief operat- bubbles. Brand managers work with ing officer, or chief executive officer. product developers, salespeople, Not all organizations get work done with a traditional pyramidal form, however. copywriters, and advertising directors to Some organizations, for example, are more loosely configured with work being done by coordinate the production, distribution, ever-changing teams of employees who move from one project to another as work and marketing of their product line. They analyze sales figures, set prices, organize demands arise. Although it’s not as easy to tell who the managers are in these organiza- advertising campaigns, explore different tions, we do know that someone must fulfill that role—that is, there must be someone marketing strategies, and contact who coordinates and oversees the work of others, even if that “someone” changes as work retailers to convince them to carry their tasks or projects change. brands. Successful brand managers may advance to a top management position. Where Do Managers Work? It’s obvious that managers do their work in organizations. But what is an organization? It’s a deliberate arrangement of people to accomplish some specific purpose. Your college or university is an organization; so are fraternities and sororities, government departments, churches, Facebook, your neighborhood grocery store, the United Way, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, and the Mayo Clinic. All are considered organizations and have three common characteristics. (See Exhibit 1-2.) First, an organization has a distinct purpose. This purpose is typically expressed through goals that the organization hopes to accomplish. Second, each organization is composed of people. It takes people to perform the work that’s necessary for the organization to achieve its goals. Third, all organizations develop some deliberate structure within which members EXHIBIT 1-1 Levels of Management Top Managers Middle Managers First-Line Managers Nonmanagerial Employees  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 7 EXHIBIT 1-2 Characteristics of Organizations Distinct Deliberate Purpose Structure People do their work. That structure may be open and flexible, with no specific job duties or strict adherence to explicit job arrangements. For instance, at Google, most big projects, of which there are hundreds going on at the same time, are tackled by small focused employee teams that set up in an instant and complete work just as quickly.11 Or the structure may be more traditional—like that of Procter & Gamble or General Electric—with clearly defined rules, regulations, job descriptions, and some members identified as “bosses” who have author- ity over other members. Many of today’s organizations are structured more like Google, with flexible work arrangements, employee work teams, open communication systems, and supplier alliances. In these organizations, work is defined in terms of tasks to be done. And workdays have no time boundaries since work can—and is—done anywhere, anytime. The Working World in 2020 noted inventor once said, “My interest is managerial practices are likely to have changed since the early 1990s, it appears that the A in the future because I’m going to spend because they’ve become irrelevant or even “tipping point” has been reached. Although this the rest of my life there.”12 While this obsolete. book presents a fairly accurate description of event has numerous societal implications, In 2000, Malcolm Gladwell’s popular book we’re more interested in the implications for today’s workplace, you’re going to spend most The Tipping Point looked at how major changes the work world that you’ll be part of. Implica- of your worklife in the future. What will that in our society occur. (Even at more than 10 years tions such as: What will employee hiring worklife look like? How will it be different from old, it’s an interesting read and we recommend and selection processes be like? How will today? it!) Many demographers have said that 2010 employee training programs change? How Although no one has a perfectly accurate could be a tipping point for the composition of will employee reward programs be set up? Who window to the future, certain trends in place the U.S. population. That’s the year it’s pre- will become the role models and business lead- today offer insights into what tomorrow holds. dicted that “the number of babies born to ers that guide and shape our businesses? We We can extrapolate from those trends to sneak minorities outnumbers that of babies born to will look at these types of issues in our Future a peek at the future. We’ve arbitrarily chosen to whites.” This is yet another trend indicator in Vision boxes located in various chapters. So focus on the year 2020 because it’s close which minorities are expected to become the strap on your visionary goggles and enjoy this enough that most of you will be actively in the U.S. majority over the next 40 years. Although intriguing look at the future! After all, you’re workforce, yet far enough away that current this demographic shift has been documented going to be spending the rest of your life there! first-line managers top managers organization Managers at the lowest level of management Managers at or near the upper levels of the A deliberate arrangement of people to who manage the work of nonmanagerial organization structure who are responsible for accomplish some specific purpose employees making organization-wide decisions and middle managers establishing the goals and plans that affect the Managers between the lowest level and top entire organization levels of the organization who manage the work of first-line managers 8 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT However, no matter what type of approach an organization uses, some deliberate structure is needed so work can get done, with managers overseeing and coordinating that work. LEARNING OUTCOME 1.3 What Do Managers Do? Describe the functions, roles, Simply speaking, management is what managers do. But that simple statement doesn’t tell and skills of managers. us much, does it? Let’s look first at what management is before discussing more specifically what managers do. Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. We already know that coordi- nating and overseeing the work of others is what distinguishes a managerial position from a nonmanagerial one. However, this doesn’t mean that managers can do what they want anytime, anywhere, or in any way. Instead, management involves ensuring that work activ- ities are completed efficiently and effectively by the people responsible for doing them, or at least that’s what managers aspire to do. Efficiency refers to getting the most output from the least amount of inputs. Because managers deal with scarce inputs—including resources such as people, money, and equipment—they’re concerned with the efficient use of those resources. It’s often referred to as “doing things right”—that is, not wasting resources. For instance, at the HON Company plant in Cedartown, Georgia, where employees make and assemble office furniture, efficient manufacturing techniques were implemented by doing things such as cutting inventory levels, decreasing the amount of time to manufacture prod- ucts, and lowering product reject rates. These efficient work practices paid off as the plant reduced costs by more than $7 million in one year.13 It’s not enough, however, just to be efficient. Management is also concerned with being effective, completing activities so that organizational goals are attained. Effectiveness is often described as “doing the right things”—that is, doing those work activities that will help the organization reach its goals. For instance, at the HON factory, goals included meeting customers’ rigorous demands, executing world-class manufac- turing strategies, and making employee jobs easier and safer. Through various work initiatives, these goals were pursued and achieved. Whereas efficiency is concerned with the means of getting things done, effectiveness is concerned with the ends, or attain- ment of organizational goals (see Exhibit 1-3). In successful organizations, high efficiency and high effectiveness typically go hand in hand. Poor management (which Efficiency is important in my job leads to poor performance) usually involves being inefficient and ineffective or being because customers expect us to be effective, but inefficient. efficient and accurate when conducting Now let’s take a more detailed look at what managers do. Describing what managers their business and it is always do isn’t easy. Just as no two organizations are alike, no two managers’ jobs are alike. In important to deliver on the customer’s expectation. spite of this, management researchers have developed three approaches to describe what managers do: functions, roles, and skills. EXHIBIT 1-3 Efficiency and Effectiveness Efficiency (Means) Effectiveness (Ends) in Management Resource Goal Usage Attainment Low Waste High Attainment Management Strives for: Low Resource Waste (high efficiency) High Goal Attainment (high effectiveness)  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 9 Management Functions According to the functions approach, managers perform certain activities or functions as they efficiently and effectively coordinate the work of others. What are these functions? Henri Fayol, a French businessman, first proposed in the early part of the twentieth century that all managers perform five functions: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling.14 Today, these functions have been condensed to four: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (see Exhibit 1-4). Let’s briefly look at each function. If you have no particular destination in mind, then any road will do. However, if you have someplace in particular you want to go, you’ve got to plan the best way to get there. Because organizations exist to achieve some particular purpose, someone must define that purpose and the means for its achievement. Managers are that someone. As managers en- gage in planning, they set goals, establish strategies for achieving those goals, and develop plans to integrate and coordinate activities. Managers are also responsible for arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organization’s goals. We call this function organizing. When managers organize, they de- termine what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made. Every organization has people, and a manager’s job is to work with and through people to accomplish goals. This is the leading function. When managers motivate subordinates, help resolve work group conflicts, influence individuals or teams as they work, select the most effective communication channel, or deal in any way with employee behavior issues, they’re leading. The final management function is controlling. After goals and plans are set (planning), tasks and structural arrangements put in place (organizing), and people hired, trained, and motivated (leading), there has to be some evaluation of whether things are going as planned. To ensure that goals are being met and that work is being done as it should be, managers must monitor and evaluate performance. Actual performance must be compared with the set goals. If those goals aren’t being achieved, it’s the manager’s job to get work back on track. This process of monitoring, comparing, and correcting is the con- trolling function. Just how well does the functions approach describe what managers do? Do managers always plan, organize, lead, and then control? In reality, what a manager does may not EXHIBIT 1-4 Four Functions of Management Planning Organizing Leading Controlling Lead to Setting goals, Determining Motivating, Monitoring establishing what needs leading, and activities Achieving the strategies, and to be done, any other to ensure organization’s developing how it will actions involved that they are stated plans to be done, and in dealing with accomplished purposes coordinate who is to do it people as planned activities management planning leading Coordinating and overseeing the work activities Management function that involves setting Management function that involves working of others so that their activities are completed goals, establishing strategies for achieving those with and through people to accomplish efficiently and effectively goals, and developing plans to integrate and organizational goals efficiency coordinate activities controlling Doing things right, or getting the most output organizing Management function that involves from the least amount of inputs Management function that involves arranging monitoring, comparing, and correcting work effectiveness and structuring work to accomplish the performance Doing the right things, or completing activities organization’s goals so that organizational goals are attained 10 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT Let’s Fly Together is the slogan of a merger undertaken by the top managers of United Airlines and Continental Airlines that will form the world’s largest airline. United’s CEO Glenn Tilton (left) and Continental’s CEO Jeff Smisek stated that the merger strategy will achieve the goals of creating a combined airline that is more efficient and better positioned as a strong global competitor, that has the financial strength needed to make investments in improved products and services, and that can achieve and sustain profitability. Plans for the combined airline include flying under the United name and using the logo and colors of Continental. always happen in this sequence. Regardless of the “order” in which these functions are performed, however, the fact is that managers do plan, organize, lead, and control as they manage. To illustrate, look back at the chapter-opening story. When Lisa is working to keep her employees motivated and engaged, that’s leading. As she makes out the week’s schedule, that’s planning. When she is trying to cut costs, those actions obviously involve controlling. And dealing with unhappy customers is likely to involve leading, control- ling, and maybe even planning. Although the functions approach is popular for describing what managers do, some have argued that it isn’t relevant.15 So let’s look at another perspective. Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles and a Contemporary Model of Managing Henry Mintzberg, a well-known management researcher, studied actual managers at work. In his first comprehensive study, Mintzberg concluded that what managers do can best be described by looking at the managerial roles they engage in at work.16 The term managerial roles refers to specific actions or behaviors expected of and exhibited by a manager. (Think of the different roles you play—such as student, employee, student organization member, volunteer, sibling, and so forth—and the different things you’re expected to do in these roles.) When describing what managers do from a roles perspec- tive, we’re not looking at a specific person per se, but at the expectations and responsi- bilities that are associated with being the person in that role—the role of a manager.17 As shown in Exhibit 1-5, these 10 roles are grouped around interpersonal relationships, the transfer of information, and decision making. The interpersonal roles are ones that involve people (subordinates and persons out- side the organization) and other duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in nature. The three interpersonal roles include figurehead, leader, and liaison. The informational roles involve collecting, receiving, and disseminating information. The three informational roles include monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. Finally, the decisional roles entail making decisions or choices. The four decisional roles include entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator. As managers perform these roles, Mintzberg proposed that their activities included both reflection (thinking) and action (doing).18 Our manager in the chapter opener would do both as she manages. For instance, reflection would occur when Lisa listens to employees’ or customers’ problems, while action would occur when she resolves those problems.  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 11 EXHIBIT 1-5 Interpersonal Roles Mintzberg’s Managerial Roles Figurehead Leader Liaison Informational Roles Monitor Disseminator Spokesperson Decisional Roles Entrepreneur Disturbance handler Resource allocator Negotiator Based on Mintzberg, Henry, The Nature of Managerial Work, 1st Edition, © 1980, pp. 93–94. A number of follow-up studies have tested the validity of Mintzberg’s role cate- gories and the evidence generally supports the idea that managers—regardless of the type of organization or level in the organization—perform similar roles.19 However, the emphasis that managers give to the various roles seems to change with organizational level.20 At higher levels of the organization, the roles of disseminator, figurehead, nego- tiator, liaison, and spokesperson are more important; while the leader role (as Mintzberg defined it) is more important for lower-level managers than it is for either middle or top- level managers. Recently, Mintzberg completed another hands-on and up-close study of managers at work and concluded that, “Basically, managing is about influencing action. It’s about helping organizations and units to get things done, which means action.”21 Based on his observations, Mintzberg went on to explain that a manager does this in three ways: (1) by managing actions directly (for instance, negotiating contracts, managing projects, etc.), (2) by managing people who take action (for example, motivating them, building teams, enhance the organization’s culture, etc.), or (3) by managing information that propels people to take action (using budgets, goals, task delegation, etc.). The manager at the center of the model has two roles—framing, which defines how a manager managerial roles informational roles Specific actions or behaviors expected of and Managerial roles that involve collecting, exhibited by a manager receiving, and disseminating information interpersonal roles decisional roles Managerial roles that involve people and other Managerial roles that revolve around making duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in choices nature 12 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT “You can’t expect people to do a approaches his or her job; and scheduling, which “brings good job at work if their lives are a the frame to life” through the distinct tasks the manager does. A manager enacts these roles while managing action mess.”23 That’s the philosophy of in the three “planes:” with information, through people, and Panda Express founder and chair- sometimes by taking action directly. It’s an interesting man, Andrew Cherng. Together perspective on the manager’s job and one that adds to our with his wife Peggy, they have understanding of what it is that managers do. So which approach is better—managerial functions or built a restaurant empire with Mintzberg’s propositions? Although each does a good job of more than 1,200 outlets and $1 depicting what managers do, the functions approach still seems billion in sales. They believe that a to be the generally accepted way of describing the manager’s company is only as good as the job. “The classical functions provide clear and discrete meth- ods of classifying the thousands of activities that managers employees who comprise it. In carry out and the techniques they use in terms of the functions fact, he says that his company’s success doesn’t come just from the meals pre- they perform for the achievement of goals.”22 However, pared in the kitchen, but because “he cares about the emotional well-being of Mintzberg’s role approach and newly developed model of man- his employees.” With five guiding values—being proactive, showing respect/- aging do offer us other insights into managers’ work. having a win-win attitude, pursuing growth, having great operations, and being giving—and a caring and strong management team, this company has pros- Management Skills pered. What can you learn from this leader who made a difference? Dell Inc. is a company that understands the importance of management skills.24 It started an intensive five-day offsite skills training program for first-line managers as a way to improve its operations. One of Dell’s directors of learning and development thought this was the best way to develop “leaders who can build that strong relationship with their front-line employees.” What have the supervisors learned from the skills training? Some things they mentioned were how to communicate more effectively and how to refrain from jumping to conclusions when discussing a problem with a worker. What types of skills do managers need? Robert L. Katz proposed that managers need three critical skills in managing: technical, human, and conceptual.25 (Exhibit 1-6 shows the relationships of these skills to managerial levels.) Technical skills are the job- specific knowledge and techniques needed to proficiently perform work tasks. These skills tend to be more important for first-line managers because they typically are man- aging employees who use tools and techniques to produce the organization’s products or service the organization’s customers. Often, employees with excellent technical skills get promoted to first-line manager. For example, Mark Ryan of Verizon Communications manages almost 100 technicians who service half a million of the company’s customers. Before becoming a manager, however, Ryan was a telephone lineman. He says, “The technical side of the business is important, but managing people and rewarding and recognizing the people who do an outstanding job is how we (Verizon) are going to succeed.”26 Ryan is a manager who has technical skills, but also recognizes the impor- The skills good managers need include tance of human skills, which involve the ability to work well with other people both listening, communication skills, creativity, and a strong sense of teamwork. individually and in a group. Because all managers deal with people, these skills are equally important to all levels of management. Managers with good human skills EXHIBIT 1-6 Skills Needed at Different Managerial Levels  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 13 EXHIBIT 1-7 Managing human capital Important Managerial Skills Inspiring commitment Managing change Structuring work and getting things done Facilitating the psychological and social contexts of work Using purposeful networking Managing decision-making processes Managing strategy and innovation Managing logistics and technology Based on “Dear Workforce: We’re Developing Onboarding for New Managers: What Should Be Included?” Workforce Online, March 4, 2010; J. R. Ryan, “The Coming Leadership Gap: What You Can Do About It,” Bloomberg BusinessWeek Online, December 15, 2009; In-Sue Oh and C. M. Berry, “The Five Factor Model of Personality and Managerial Performance: Validity Gains Through the Use of 360 Degree Performance Ratings,” Journal of Applied Psychology, November 2009, pp. 1498–1513; and R. S. Rubin and E. C. Dierdorff, “How Relevant Is the MBA? Assessing the Alignment of Required Curricula and Required Managerial Competencies,” Academy of Management Learning & Education, June 2009, pp. 208–224. get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. Finally, conceptual skills are the skills managers use to think and to conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills, managers see the organization as a whole, understand the relationships among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important to top managers. Other important managerial skills that have been identified are listed in Exhibit 1-7. In today’s demanding and dynamic workplace, employees who want to be valuable assets must constantly upgrade their skills, and developing management skills can be particu- larly beneficial in today’s workplace. We feel that understanding and developing manage- ment skills is so important that we’ve included a skills feature at the end of each chapter. (The one in this chapter looks at developing your political skill.) In addition, you’ll find other material on skill building as well as several interactive skills exercises in our mymanagementlab. As you study the four management functions throughout the rest of the book, you’ll be able to start developing some key management skills. Although a sim- ple skill-building exercise won’t make you an instant expert, it can provide you an intro- ductory understanding of some of the skills you’ll need to master in order to be an effective manager. How Is the Manager’s Job Changing? 1.4 LEARNING OUTCOME “At Best Buy’s headquarters, more than 60 percent of the 4,000 employees are now judged Describe the factors that are only on tasks or results. Salaried people put in as much time as it takes to do their work. reshaping and redefining Those employees report better relationships with family and friends, more company loyalty, the manager’s job. and more focus and energy. Productivity has increased by 35 percent. Employees say they don’t know whether they work fewer hours—they’ve stopped counting. Perhaps more im- portant, they’re finding new ways to become efficient.”27 Welcome to the new world of managing! In today’s world, managers are dealing with global economic and political uncertainties, changing workplaces, ethical issues, security threats, and changing technology. For example, technical skills human skills conceptual skills Job-specific knowledge and techniques The ability to work well with other people The ability to think and to conceptualize about needed to proficiently perform work tasks individually and in a group abstract and complex situations 14 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT Dave Maney, the top manager of Headwaters MB, a Denver-based investment bank, had to fashion a new game plan during the recession. When the company’s board of directors gave senior management complete freedom to ensure the company’s survival, they made a bold move. All but seven key employees were laid off. Although this doesn’t sound very respon- sible or resourceful, it invited those laid-off employees to form independent member firms. Now, Headwaters steers investment transactions to those firms, while keeping a small per- centage for itself. The “restructuring drastically reduced fixed costs and also freed manage- ment to do more marketing, rather than day-to-day investment banking transactions.” As Maney said, “It was a good strategy for us and positioned us for the future.”28 It’s likely that more managers will have to manage under such demanding circumstances, and the fact is that how managers manage is changing. Exhibit 1-8 shows some of the most important changes facing managers. Throughout the rest of this book, we’ll be discussing these and other changes and how they’re affecting the way managers plan, organize, lead, and control. We want to highlight three of these changes: the increasing importance of customers, innovation, and sustainability. Importance of Customers to the Manager’s Job John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, likes to listen to voice mails forwarded to him from dissatisfied customers. He says, “E-mail would be more efficient, but I want to hear the emotion, I want to hear the frustration, I want to hear the caller’s level of comfort EXHIBIT 1-8 Changes Facing Managers Change Impact of Change Shifting organizational boundaries Virtual workplaces More mobile workforce Changing Technology (Digitization) Flexible work arrangements Empowered employees Work life–personal life balance Redefined values Increased Emphasis on Organizational Rebuilding trust and Managerial Ethics Increased accountability Customer service Innovation Increased Competitiveness Globalization Efficiency/productivity Risk management Uncertainty over future energy sources/prices Restructured workplace Changing Security Threats Discrimination concerns Globalization concerns Employee assistance Uncertainty over economic climate  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 15 with the strategy we’re employing. I can’t get that through e-mail.”29 This manager understands the importance of customers. You need customers. Without them, most organizations would cease to exist. Yet, focusing on the customer has long been thought to be the responsibility of marketing types. “Let the marketers worry about the customers” is how many managers felt. We’re discovering, however, that employee attitudes and behaviors play a big role in customer satisfaction. For instance, passengers of Qantas Airways were asked to rate their “essential needs” in air travel. Almost every factor listed was one directly influenced by the actions of company employees—from prompt bag- gage delivery, to courteous and efficient cabin crews, to assistance with connections, to quick and friendly check-ins.30 Today, the majority of employees in developed countries work in service jobs. For instance, some 77 percent of the U.S. labor force is employed in service industries. In Australia, 71 percent work in service industries. In the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan the percentages are 75, 72, and 75, respectively. Even in developing countries like India and Russia, we find 63 percent and 58 percent of the labor force employed in service jobs.31 Examples of service jobs include technical support representatives, food servers or fast-food counter workers, sales clerks, teachers, nurses, computer repair technicians, front desk clerks, consultants, purchasing agents, credit representatives, financial planners, and bank tellers. The odds are pretty good that when you graduate you’ll go to work for a company that’s in a service industry, not in manufacturing or agriculture. Managers are recognizing that delivering consistent high-quality customer service is essential for survival and success in today’s competitive environment and that em- ployees are an important part of that equation.32 The implication is clear—managers must create a customer-responsive organization where employees are friendly and cour- teous, accessible, knowledgeable, prompt in responding to customer needs, and willing to do what’s necessary to please the customer.33 We’ll look at customer service manage- ment in several chapters. Before we leave this topic, though, we want to share one more story that illustrates why it’s important for today’s managers (all managers, not just those in marketing) to understand what it takes to serve customers. During a broadcasted Stanley Cup playoff game, Comcast subscribers suddenly found themselves staring at a blank screen. Many of those customers got on Twitter to find out why. And it was there, not on a phone system, that they discovered a lightning strike in Atlanta had caused the power outage and that transmission would be restored as quickly as possible. Managers at Comcast understood how to exploit popular communications technology These kids and teens playing Nintendo’s DS portable video game in front of the official Pokemon store in Tokyo illustrates the importance of innovation in the company’s worldwide leadership within the interactive entertainment industry. Nintendo continues to create unique video games for young people. But the company’s innovation strategy also focuses on exploring new territory to launch new products, such as Wii, that cultivate a new wave of customers. Nintendo plans to further expand the concept of what a video game is, redefining it to include anything that brings people joy, from music to health management. 16 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT and the company’s smart use of Twitter “underscores what is becoming a staple in modern-day customer service... beefing up communications with customers through social-media tools.”34 Importance of Innovation to the Manager’s Job “Nothing is more risky than not innovating.”35Innovation means doing things differently, exploring new territory, and taking risks. And innovation isn’t just for high-tech or other technologically sophisticated organizations. Innovative efforts can be found in all types of organizations. For instance, the manager of the Best Buy store in Manchester, Connecticut, clearly understood the importance of getting employees to be innovative, a task made par- ticularly challenging because the average Best Buy store is often staffed by young adults in their first or second jobs. “The complexity of the products demands a high level of training, but the many distractions that tempt college-aged employees keep the turnover potential high.” However, the store manager tackled the problem by getting employees to suggest new ideas. One idea—a “team close,” in which employees scheduled to work at the store’s closing time, closed the store together and walked out together as a team—has had a remark- able impact on employee attitudes and commitment.36 As you’ll see throughout the book, innovation is critical throughout all levels and parts of an organization. For example, at Tata of India, the company’s top manager, chairman Ratan Tata, told his employees during the bleak aspects of the global economic downturn to “Cut costs. Think out of the box. Even if the world around you is collapsing, be bold, be daring, think big.”37 And his employees ob- viously got the message. The company’s introduction of the $2,000 minicar, the Nano, was the talk of the global automotive industry. As these stories illustrate, innovation is critical. It’s so critical to today’s organizations and managers that we’ll also address this topic in sev- eral chapters. Importance of Sustainability to the Manager’s Job It’s the world’s largest retailer with more than $408 billion in annual sales, 2.1 million employees, and 7,870 stores. Yes, we’re talking about Walmart. And Walmart is probably the last company that you’d think about in a section describing sustainability. However, Walmart announced in early 2010 that it would “cut some 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by the end of 2015—the equivalent of removing more than 3.8 million cars from the road for a year.”38 This corporate action affirms that sustainability and green management have become mainstream issues for managers. What’s emerging in the twenty-first century is the concept of managing in a sus- tainable way, which has had the effect of widening corporate responsibility not only to managing in an efficient and effective way, but also to responding strategically to a wide range of environmental and societal challenges.39 Although “sustainability” means dif- ferent things to different people, in essence, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2005), it is concerned with “meeting the needs of people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From a business perspective, sustainability has been defined as a company’s ability to achieve its business goals and increase long-term shareholder value by integrating eco- nomic, environmental, and social opportunities into its business strategies.40 Sustain- ability issues are now moving up the agenda of business leaders and the boards of thousands of companies. Like the managers at Walmart are discovering, running an or- ganization in a more sustainable way will mean that managers have to make informed My company is going “green” by business decisions based on thorough communication with various stakeholders, under- providing opportunities for our customers standing their requirements, and starting to factor economic, environmental, and social to go “green” and paper-free by using aspects into how they pursue their business goals. We’ll examine managing for sustain- e-statement, online bill pay, and debit cards. We use recycled paper goods. ability and its importance to planning, organizing, leading and controlling in several places throughout the book.  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 17 Why Study Management? 1.5 LEARNING OUTCOME You may be wondering why you need to study management. If you’re majoring in account- Explain the value of studying ing or marketing or any field other than management, you may not understand how study- management. ing management is going to help you in your career. We can explain the value of studying management by looking at three things: the universality of management, the reality of work, and the rewards and challenges of being a manager. The Universality of Management Just how universal is the need for management in organizations? We can say with ab- solute certainty that management is needed in all types and sizes of organizations, at all organizational levels and in all organizational work areas, and in all organizations, no matter where they’re located. This is known as the universality of management. (See Exhibit 1-9.) In all these organizations, managers must plan, organize, lead, and control. However, that’s not to say that management is done the same way. What a supervisor in a software applications testing group at Microsoft does versus what the CEO of Microsoft does is a matter of degree and emphasis, not of function. Because both are managers, both will plan, organize, lead, and control. How much and how they do so will differ, however. Management is universally needed in all organizations, so we want to find ways to im- prove the way organizations are managed. Why? Because we interact with organizations every single day. Are you frustrated when you have to spend two hours in a state govern- ment office to get your driver’s license renewed? Are you irritated when none of the sales- people in a retail store seems interested in helping you? Is it annoying when you call an airline three times and customer sales representatives quote you three different prices for the same trip? These examples show problems created by poor management. Organizations that are well managed—and we’ll share many examples of these throughout the text— develop a loyal customer base, grow, and prosper, even during challenging times. Those that are poorly managed find themselves losing customers and revenues. By studying management, you’ll be able to recognize poor management and work to get it corrected. In EXHIBIT 1-9 Universal Need for All Sizes of Organizations Management Small Large All Organizational Areas Management All Types of Organizations Manufacturing—Marketing Human Resources—Accounting Is Needed in... Profit Not-for-Profit Information Systems—etc. All Organization Levels Bottom Top sustainability universality of management A company’s ability to achieve its business The reality that management is needed in goals and increase long-term shareholder all types and sizes of organizations, at all value by integrating economic, environmental, organizational levels, in all organizational and social opportunities into its business areas, and in organizations no matter where strategies located 18 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT addition, you’ll be able to recognize and support good management, whether it’s in an or- ganization with which you’re simply interacting or whether it’s in an organization in which you’re employed. The Reality of Work Another reason for studying management is the reality that for most of you, once you grad- uate from college and begin your career, you will either manage or be managed. For those who plan to be managers, an understanding of management forms the foundation upon which to build your management skills. For those of you who don’t see yourself manag- ing, you’re still likely to have to work with managers. Also, assuming that you’ll have to work for a living and recognizing that you’re very likely to work in an organization, you’ll probably have some managerial responsibilities even if you’re not a manager. Our expe- rience tells us that you can gain a great deal of insight into the way your boss (and fellow employees) behave and how organizations function by studying management. Our point is that you don’t have to aspire to be a manager to gain something valuable from a course in management. Rewards and Challenges of Being a Manager We can’t leave our discussion here without looking at the rewards and challenges of being a manager. (See Exhibit 1-10.) What does it mean to be a manager in today’s workplace? First, there are many challenges. It can be a tough and often thankless job. In addition, a portion of a manager’s job (especially at lower organizational levels) may entail duties that are often more clerical (compiling and filing reports, dealing with bureaucratic pro- cedures, or doing paperwork) than managerial.41 Managers often have to deal with a vari- ety of personalities and have to make do with limited resources. It can be a challenge to motivate workers in the face of uncertainty and chaos, as this recession has illustrated time and time again. And managers may find it difficult to successfully blend the knowledge, skills, ambitions, and experiences of a diverse work group. Finally, as a manager, you’re not in full control of your destiny. Your success typically is dependent upon others’ work performance. I find being a manager rewarding because you can be a guiding hand and Despite these challenges, being a manager can be rewarding. You’re responsible for cre- voice to another individual’s success. ating a work environment in which organizational members can do their work to the best of their ability and thus help the organization achieve its goals. You help others find mean- ing and fulfillment in their work. You get to support, coach, and nurture others and help them make good decisions. In addition, as a manager, you often have the opportunity to think creatively and use your imagination. You’ll get to meet and work with a variety of EXHIBIT 1-10 Rewards Challenges Rewards and Challenges of Being Create a work environment in which Do hard work a Manager organizational members can work to the May have duties that are more clerical best of their ability than managerial Have opportunities to think creatively and Have to deal with a variety of personalities use imagination Often have to make do with limited Help others find meaning and fulfillment resources in work Motivate workers in chaotic and uncertain Support, coach, and nurture others situations Work with a variety of people Blend knowledge, skills, ambitions, and Receive recognition and status in and experiences of a diverse work group organization and community Success depends on others’ work Play a role in influencing organizational performance outcomes Receive appropriate compensation in the form of salaries, bonuses, and stock options Good managers are needed by organizations  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 19 people—both inside and outside the organization. Other rewards may include receiving recognition and status in your organization and in the community, playing a role in influ- encing organizational outcomes, and receiving attractive compensation in the form of salaries, bonuses, and stock options. Finally, as we said earlier in the chapter, organizations need good managers. It’s through the combined efforts of motivated and passionate people working together that organizations accomplish their goals. As a manager, you can be assured that your efforts, skills, and abilities are needed. What Would You Do? Let’s Get Real: My Response to A Manager’s Dilemma, page 4 A good place to work is one in which employees have the resources they need in order to best fulfill customers' requests and expectations. As companies and managers sometimes look to cut costs and do more with less, they face a fine balance between what employees and customers can have reduced without negative repercussions. I believe that employee engagement is a critical element in a smooth workplace. If I were in Lisa's situation, I would get the employees involved in brainstorming about areas they see room for cutting costs, ideas on work flows and processes, and what could help all work more efficiently and effectively. Employee engagement is heightened when employees feel like they have a voice in making their workplace a better Lacy Martin place to work and that management is in tune with the needs and Banking Center concerns of front line employees. Also, implementing changes and Manager, Assistant transitioning employees to a new way of doing business can be easier Vice President because employee buy-in is already there if they participated in some of Commerce Bank the ground work and ideas. Springfield, MO  PREPARING FOR: Exams/Quizzes CHAPTER SUMMARY by Learning Outcomes LEARNING 1.1 Explain why managers are important to organizations. OUTCOME Managers are important to organizations for three reasons. First, organizations need their managerial skills and abilities in uncertain, complex, and chaotic times. Second, man- agers are critical to getting things done in organizations. Finally, managers contribute to employee productivity and loyalty; the way employees are managed can affect the orga- nization’s financial performance; and managerial ability has been shown to be important in creating organizational value. LEARNING OUTCOME 1.2 Tell who managers are and where they work. Managers coordinate and oversee the work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished. Nonmanagerial employees work directly on a job or task and have no one reporting to them. In traditionally structured organizations, managers can be first- line, middle, or top. In other more loosely configured organizations, the managers may not be as readily identifiable, although someone must fulfill that role. Managers work in an organization, which is a deliberate arrangement of people to ac- complish some specific purpose. Organizations have three characteristics: a distinctive purpose, composed of people, and a deliberate structure. Many of today’s organizations are structured to be more open, flexible, and responsive to changes. LEARNING OUTCOME 1.3 Describe the functions, roles, and skills of managers. Broadly speaking, management is what managers do and management involves coordi- nating and overseeing the efficient and effective completion of others’ work activities. Efficiency means doing things right; effectiveness means doing the right things. The four functions of management include planning (defining goals, establishing strategies, and developing plans), organizing (arranging and structuring work), leading (working with and through people), and controlling (monitoring, comparing, and correct- ing work performance). Mintzberg’s managerial roles include interpersonal, which involve people and other ceremonial/symbolic duties (figurehead, leader, and liaison); informational, which involve collecting, receiving, and disseminating information (monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson); and decisional, which involve making choices (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator). Mintzberg’s newest description of what man- agers do proposes that managing is about influencing action, which managers do in three ways: by managing actions directly, by managing people who take action, and by manag- ing information that impels people to take action. Katz’s managerial skills include technical (job-specific knowledge and techniques), human (ability to work well with people), and conceptual (ability to think and express ideas). Technical skills are most important for lower-level managers while conceptual skills are most important for top managers. Human skills are equally important for all managers. Some other managerial skills also identified include managing human capital, inspiring commitment, managing change, using purposeful networking, and so forth. LEARNING OUTCOME 1.4 Describe the factors that are reshaping and redefining the manager’s job. The changes impacting managers’ jobs include global economic and political uncertainties, changing workplaces, ethical issues, security threats, and changing technology. Managers must be concerned with customer service because employee attitudes and behaviors play a big role in customer satisfaction. Managers must also be concerned with innovation because it is important for organizations to be competitive. And finally, managers must be concerned with sustainability as business goals are developed. 20  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 21 LEARNING Explain the value of studying management. OUTCOME 1.5 It’s important to study management for three reasons: (1) the universality of management, which refers to the fact that managers are needed in all types and sizes of organizations, at all organizational levels and work areas, and in all global locations; (2) the reality of work—that is, you will either manage or be managed; and (3) the awareness of the signif- icant rewards (such as, creating work environments to help people work to the best of their ability; supporting and encouraging others; helping others find meaning and fulfill- ment in work; etc.) and challenges (such as, it’s hard work; may have more clerical than managerial duties; have to deal with a variety of personalities; etc.) in being a manager. 1.1 1.5 REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. How do managers differ from nonmanagerial 7. Does the way that contemporary organizations are employees? structured appeal to you? Why or why not? 2. Is your course instructor a manager? Discuss in terms 8. In today’s environment, which is more important to of managerial functions, managerial roles, and skills. organizations—efficiency or effectiveness? Explain 3. “The manager’s most basic responsibility is to focus your choice. people toward performance of work activities to 9. Researchers at Harvard Business School found that the achieve desired outcomes.” What’s your interpretation most important managerial behaviors involve two fun- of this statement? Do you agree with it? Why or damental things: enabling people to move forward in why not? their work and treating them decently as human beings. 4. Explain the universality of management concept. Does What do you think of these two managerial behaviors? it still hold true in today’s world? Why or why not? What are the implications for someone, like yourself, 5. Is business management a profession? Why or why who is studying management? not? Do some external research in answering this 10. “Management is undoubtedly one of humankind’s question. most important inventions.” Do you agree with this 6. Is there one best “style” of management? Why or statement? Why or why not? why not? ETHICS DILEMMA claims of having an academic degree they didn’t actually have. Such misstatements (accidental or deliberate) cost Lying on your résumé.42 One survey indicated that some the CEOs at Radio Shack, Herbalife, USANA Health 44 percent of people lie about their work history. Another Sciences, and MGM Mirage their jobs. Why do you think survey found that 93 percent of hiring managers who found lying about your academic credentials is considered a lie on a job candidate’s résumé did not hire that person. wrong? What ethical issues does it bring up? Which is What if the person lying on a résumé was the top execu- worse: lying about your academic credentials or lying tive? A survey of 358 senior executives and directors at about your work history? Why? 53 publicly traded companies turned up seven instances of 22 PART ONE | INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT SKILLS EXERCISE around you. Work on your communication skills so that you can communicate easily and effectively with Developing Your Political Skill others. Work on developing good rapport with people in all areas and at all levels of your organization. Be open, About the Skill friendly, and willing to pitch in. The amount of interper- Research has shown that people differ in their political sonal influence you have will be affected by how well skills.43 Those who are politically skilled are more effective people like you. in their use of influence tactics. Political skill also appears to 3. Develop your social astuteness. Some people have an in- be more effective when the stakes are high. Finally, nate ability to understand people and sense what they’re politically skilled individuals are able to exert their influence thinking. If you don’t have that ability, you’ll have to without others detecting it, which is important in being effec- work at developing your social astuteness by doing tive so that you’re not labeled political. A person’s political things such as saying the right things at the right time, skill is determined by his or her networking ability, interper- paying close attention to people’s facial expressions, and sonal influence, social astuteness, and apparent sincerity. trying to determine whether others have hidden agendas. 4. Be sincere. Sincerity is important to getting people to Steps in Practicing the Skill want to associate with you. Be genuine in what you say 1. Develop your networking ability. A good network can be and do. And show a genuine interest in others and their a powerful tool. You can begin building a network by situations. getting to know important people in your work area and the organization and then developing relationships with Practicing the Skill individuals who are in positions of power. Volunteer for Select each of the components of political skill and spend committees or offer your help on projects that will be one week working on it. Write a brief set of notes describing noticed by those in positions of power. Attend important your experiences—good and bad. Were you able to begin organizational functions so that you can be seen as a developing a network of people throughout the organization team player and someone who’s interested in the organi- or did you work at developing your social astuteness, maybe zation’s success. Start a rolodex file of names of individ- by starting to recognize and interpret people’s facial expres- uals that you meet even if for a brief moment. Then, sions and the meaning behind those expressions? What when you need advice on work, use your connections could you have done differently to be more politically and network with others throughout the organization. skilled? Once you begin to recognize what’s involved with 2. Work on gaining interpersonal influence. People will political skills, you should find yourself becoming more listen to you when they’re comfortable and feel at ease connected and politically adept. distinguish good managers? Form small groups with WORKING TOGETHER 3–4 other class members. Discuss your experiences with Team Exercise managers—good and bad. Draw up a list of the characteris- By this time in your life, all of you have had to work with tics of those individuals you felt were good managers. For individuals in managerial positions (or maybe you were the each item, indicate which management function and which manager), either through work experiences or through other management skill you think it falls under. As a group, be organizational experiences (social, hobby/interest, prepared to share your list with the class and to explain religious, and so forth). What do you think makes some your choice of management function and skill. managers better than others? Do certain characteristics MY TURN TO BE A MANAGER  Use the most current Occupational Outlook Handbook Fast Company, Forbes, etc.). Keep a file with interest- (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) ing information you find about managers or managing. to research three different categories of managers. For  Using current business periodicals, find five examples each, prepare a bulleted list that describes the following: of managers you would describe as Master Managers. the nature of the work; training and other qualifications Write a paper describing these individuals as managers needed; earnings; and job outlook and projections data. and why you feel they deserve this title.  Get in the habit of reading at least one current business  Steve’s and Mary’s suggested readings: Henry periodical (Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Mintzberg, Managing (Berrett-Koehler Publishers,  CHAPTER 1 | MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS 23 2009); Matthew Stewart, The Management Myth (Institute of Certified Professional Managers) and the (W. W. Norton & Company, 2009); Paul Osterman, Certified Business Manager (Association of Professional The Truth About Middle Managers: Who They Are, in Business Management). Research each of these How They Work, and Why They Matter (Harvard Business programs. Prepare a bulleted list of what each involves. Press, 2008); Stephen P. Robbins, The Truth About  If you’re involved in student organizations, volunteer for Managing People, 2e (Financial Times/Prentice Hall, leadership roles or for projects where you can practice 2007); Gary Hamel, The Future of Management (Harvard planning, organizing, leading, and controlling different Business School, 2007); Rod Wagner and James K. Harter, projects and activities. You can also gain valuable mana- 12 Elements of Great Managing (Gallup Press, 2006); gerial experience by taking a leadership role in class Marcus Buckingham, First Break All the Rules: What the team projects. World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (Simon &  In your own words, write down three things you learned Schuster, 1999); and Peter F. Drucker, The Executive in