Chapter 6 Understanding the Management Process

Vocabulary flashcards covering key management concepts from Chapter 6: The Management Process.

Management

The process of coordinating people and other resources to achieve organizational goals.

Planning

Establishing organizational goals and deciding how to accomplish them.

Mission

A statement of the basic purpose that makes an organization different from others.

Strategic planning process

The establishment of major goals and objectives and the allocation of resources to achieve them.

Goal

An end result an organization is expected to achieve over a one- to ten-year period.

Objective

A specific statement detailing what an organization intends to accomplish over a shorter period.

Optimization

Balancing goals across departments and levels to achieve the best overall outcome.

SWOT analysis

Identification and evaluation of a firm’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Strengths

Internal positive attributes of an organization.

Weaknesses

Internal limitations or deficiencies.

Opportunities

External chances to improve an organization’s position.

Threats

External factors that could negatively impact the organization.

Plan

An outline of the actions by which an organization intends to accomplish its goals.

Strategic plan

An organization’s broadest plan for major policy setting and decision making.

Tactical plan

A smaller-scale plan to implement a strategy.

Operational plan

A plan designed to implement tactical plans.

Contingency plan

A plan outlining alternative actions if other plans are disrupted.

Organizing

Grouping resources and activities to accomplish an end efficiently and effectively.

Leading

The process of influencing people to work toward a common goal.

Motivating

Providing reasons for people to work in the organization’s best interests.

Directing

The combined processes of leading and motivating.

Controlling

Evaluating and regulating ongoing activities to ensure goals are achieved.

Top manager

An upper-level executive who guides and controls the overall fortunes of an organization.

Middle manager

A manager who implements the strategy and major policies developed by top management.

First-line manager

A manager who coordinates and supervises the activities of operating employees.

Financial manager

A manager primarily responsible for an organization’s financial resources.

Operations manager

A manager who oversees systems that convert resources into goods and services.

Marketing manager

A manager responsible for facilitating the exchange of products with customers.

Human resources manager

A person in charge of managing an organization’s HR programs.

Administrative manager

A manager who provides overall administrative guidance and leadership.

Conceptual skills

Ability to think abstractly and see the big picture of how parts fit together.

Analytic skills

Ability to identify problems, generate alternatives, and select the best solutions.

Interpersonal skills

Ability to deal effectively with others.

Technical skills

Specific skills needed to perform specialized activities.

Communication skills

Ability to speak, listen, and write effectively.

Leadership

The ability to influence others; aims for voluntary cooperation rather than coercion.

Formal leadership

Leaders with legitimate power from their position and official authority.

Informal leadership

Leaders without formal authority who influence others through other means.

Autocratic leadership

A task-oriented style where workers are told what to do with little input.

Participative leadership

A style where team members are involved in identifying goals and strategies.

Entrepreneurial leadership

A personality-based style that inspires with vision and is often driven and proactive.

Satisfice

Choosing an adequate rather than optimal solution when time or information is limited.

Brainstorming

Generating a large number of creative alternatives.

Blast! Then Refine

A brainstorming technique that emphasizes generating ideas first, then refining them.

Trial and error

Trying alternatives until finding a workable solution.

Problem

A discrepancy between an actual condition and a desired condition; can be negative or positive.

Opportunity

A favorable condition that could be capitalized on to improve outcomes.

Identifying the Problem or Opportunity

Clarifying situations, causes, and how behaviors/values affect problem definition.

Implementing and evaluating the solution

Putting chosen alternatives into action and assessing effectiveness.

Total quality management (TQM)

Coordination of efforts to improve customer satisfaction, employee participation, supplier partnerships, and continuous quality improvement.

Benchmarking

Evaluating another organization’s products, processes, or practices to improve quality.

Benchmarking steps

Identifying objectives, forming a benchmarking team, collecting/analyzing data, and acting on results.

Financial benefits of TQM

Cost savings and productivity improvements from quality-focused initiatives.