4. Management Principles and Organizational Structure

A series of vocabulary flashcards that cover key concepts and definitions related to management principles and organizational structure.

Departmentalization

The process of dividing work activities into units within the organization.

Controlling

Assessing an organization’s performance against its goals.

Leading

Motivating, directing, and otherwise influencing people to work hard.

Organizing

Arranging tasks, people, and resources to accomplish the work.

Planning

Anticipating future events and conditions and deciding on courses of action for achieving organizational goals.

Conceptual skills

The ability to think analytically and achieve integrative problem solving.

Human skills

The ability to work well in cooperation with other persons.

Technical skills

The ability to apply expertise and perform a special task with proficiency.

Mintzberg’s Framework

A model that identifies three roles of a manager: interpersonal, informational, and decisional.

Interpersonal roles

Managing relationships and representing the organization through various roles.

Informational roles

Focusing on information within and outside the organization.

Decisional roles

Making strategic decisions and taking action.

Delegation

The act of assigning work to employees.

Span of management

The number of employees a supervisor manages.

Centralization

Decision-making is retained at the top of the management hierarchy.

Decentralization

Decision-making is shifted to the lower levels of the organization.

Line organizations

The oldest and simplest organizational structure, where authority flows directly from CEO to employees.

Line staff

Departments that support line departments by providing specialized expertise.

Line departments

Departments that participate directly in decisions affecting core operations.

Staff departments

Departments that lend specialized technical support.

Committee organizations

An organizational structure where authority and responsibilities are shared among a group.

Matrix organizations

A project management structure that connects employees across departments to collaborate on various projects.

Management

The process of achieving organizational goals through people and other resources.

Organization

A structured group of people working together to achieve common goals.

Top-level management

Responsible for making strategic decisions and long-term goals.

Middle-level management

Translates strategy into operational plans.

Lower-level management

Supervises day-to-day activities.

SWOT Analysis

An analysis of a firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats compared to its competitors.

Programmed Decisions

Routine decisions that have established solutions.

Non-programmed Decisions

Complex decisions that have significant impacts and require custom solutions.

Corporate citizenship

When a company acts ethically and responsibly toward society, the environment, and its stakeholders.

Leadership

The ability to direct or inspire people to reach goals.

Leadership traits

Characteristics that contribute to effective leadership, including empathy and self-awareness.

Sources of leadership power

The bases on which leaders hold authority, including position, expertise, or personality.

Corporate culture

The company's principles, beliefs, and values.

Factors influencing corporate culture

Includes the leadership style of managers and communication practices.

Mission statement

A written description of an organization’s overall business purpose and aims.

Successive leadership

The ongoing influence on corporate culture by varying leaders over time.