MANA 1301 – Mid-Term 2 Review Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts for the MANA 1301 Mid-Term 2 exam, including HR, operations, quality, marketing, and production topics.

What are the typical steps in performance planning and appraisal?

1) Set performance standards 2) Communicate expectations 3) Measure actual performance 4) Compare results with standards 5) Discuss appraisal with employee 6) Take corrective/reinforcement actions.

What is an orientation in HR?

A formal process of introducing new employees to the organization, its culture, policies, coworkers, and job responsibilities.

Which tool is most widely used when making hiring decisions?

The employment interview.

What is employee selection?

The process of determining which applicants possess the qualifications (skills, knowledge, abilities, and other attributes) needed to succeed on the job.

What is a job fair?

An event where employers and job seekers meet, allowing companies to recruit and screen multiple candidates in one place.

What do recruitment and selection involve?

Attracting a pool of qualified applicants and choosing the best‐suited individuals for available positions.

What are KSAs?

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities an individual must possess to perform a specific job well.

What is human resource planning?

Forecasting an organization’s future staffing needs and developing strategies to meet them.

Name two common methods for resolving labor-management disputes.

Mediation (neutral third party facilitates) and arbitration (neutral third party makes a binding decision).

What major workplace law was created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act?

Title VII, prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

What is the purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

To prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and require reasonable workplace accommodations.

What does the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provide?

Up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family or medical reasons.

What are protected classes?

Groups legally shielded from employment discrimination, e.g., race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability, and others defined by law.

What is a Code of Ethics?

A formal statement outlining an organization’s principles and guidelines for ethical behavior.

Which U.S. act requires publicly traded companies to publish a code of ethics for senior financial officers?

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

What is job enlargement?

Expanding an employee’s duties by adding similar-level tasks to reduce monotony and increase variety.

Describe Theory X.

Assumes employees dislike work, need close supervision, and must be coerced or threatened to perform.

Describe Theory Y.

Assumes employees enjoy work, seek responsibility, and can be self-directed and creative if properly motivated.

Describe Theory Z.

A management philosophy emphasizing long-term employment, collective decision making, and individual responsibility (often linked to Japanese practices).

What is Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory?

Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction arise from two different sets of factors: motivators (achievement, recognition) and hygiene factors (pay, conditions).

What was Frederick Taylor’s key contribution to management?

Scientific Management—using time-and-motion studies and standardized work methods to improve productivity.

According to Taylor, what is the primary workplace motivator?

Monetary incentive (pay).

What is Maslow best known for?

The Hierarchy of Needs, ranging from physiological needs up to self-actualization.

What three elements typically comprise motivation?

Ability, resources (tools/time), and willingness (desire) to perform.

What is Computer-Aided Design (CAD)?

Using computer software to create, modify, and test product designs.

Define Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing.

A system that produces or delivers components exactly when needed, minimizing inventory costs.

What is Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)?

The seamless linking of CAD, CAM, robotics, and other computer technologies to automate the entire production process.

What is flexible manufacturing?

Production systems with easily reprogrammable machines and setups that can quickly switch between product types.

What is Six Sigma?

A data-driven methodology aiming for near-perfect quality—no more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

Define Total Quality Management (TQM).

An organization-wide approach focused on continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee involvement.

What is a Gantt chart?

A bar chart that shows a project’s tasks on a timeline, highlighting start and finish dates and progress.

What is PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)?

A network diagram tool that identifies task sequences and the critical path to estimate project completion time.

What are the three basic parts of the production process?

Inputs (resources), Transformation (conversion), and Outputs (finished goods/services).

What is production control?

The monitoring and adjustment of production activities; key aspects: scheduling and quality control.

List two core duties of an Operations Manager.

1) Overseeing production scheduling and workflow; 2) Managing quality, inventory, and supply chain coordination.

What is supply chain management (SCM)?

Coordinating the flow of materials, information, and finances through suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and customers.

Name the main links in a supply chain.

Suppliers → Manufacturers → Wholesalers/Distributors → Retailers → End customers.

What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?

An integrated software system that unifies companywide data and processes (finance, HR, production, sales).

What is the primary goal of inventory management?

To maintain the right quantity of items at the lowest possible cost while meeting customer demand.

Give three typical tasks in inventory management.

Demand forecasting, ordering/re-ordering, and tracking/storing inventory.

Define procurement.

The process of sourcing and acquiring goods or services from external suppliers.

Differentiate product and process layouts.

Product layout arranges resources by product flow (assembly line); process layout groups similar machines together for varied products.

What is a fixed-position layout?

The product remains stationary while workers, tools, and materials move to it (e.g., shipbuilding).

List two characteristics of an intermittent production process.

Short production runs and a high variety of customized products.

Give two characteristics of continuous production.

Long, uninterrupted runs of standardized products with high automation.

What is process manufacturing?

Producing goods by chemically or physically transforming raw materials (e.g., refining oil).

Distinguish analytic and synthetic processes.

Analytic breaks a product into components (e.g., crude oil into fuels); synthetic combines inputs to make a product (e.g., blending paint).

What does “production-to-order” mean?

Manufacturing a product only after a customer has placed an order, allowing customization.

Define Operations Management.

Planning, organizing, and overseeing production and delivery of goods or services.

What is marketing?

The process of creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that provide value to customers and society.

Name the seven elements of the marketing mix (7 Ps).

Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical evidence.

What is market segmentation?

Dividing a broad market into smaller groups with similar needs or characteristics.

What is target marketing?

Selecting one or more market segments and designing strategies to serve them.

List the four main types of market segmentation.

Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, and Behavioral.

Define consumer behavior.

The study of how individuals select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services.

What are the five steps in the consumer purchase process?

1) Need recognition 2) Information search 3) Evaluation of alternatives 4) Purchase decision 5) Post-purchase evaluation.

What is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)?

Coordinating all promotional tools to deliver a clear, consistent, and compelling message about a brand.

What does MECCAS stand for?

Means-End Conceptualization of Components for Advertising Strategy—linking product attributes to consumer values in ad design.

What is marketing research (marketing intelligence)?

Systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data about markets, customers, and competitors to inform decisions.

Define value in marketing terms.

The perceived benefits received minus the perceived costs paid by the customer.

What is the marketing concept?

The philosophy that achieving organizational goals depends on satisfying customer needs better than competitors do.

What is a distribution channel?

The set of intermediaries that move a product from producer to final consumer.

What roles do retailers and wholesalers play in a distribution channel?

Wholesalers buy in bulk and sell to businesses; retailers sell directly to final consumers, providing assortment and customer service.