Show
Managers and Managing 5 Managing today’s organizations is a complex affair, and seasoned lead- ers like Scott Parish face multiple challenges from within and outside of their organizations. To make decisions and lead others successfully, managers must possess a complex set of skills, knowledge, and abilities that help them inter- pret cues from the environment and respond accordingly. In this chapter we consider what managers do and the skills, knowledge, and abilities they must possess to lead their organizations effectively. We also identify the different kinds of managers that organizations rely on to help guide them. Finally, we consider some of the challenges that managers must overcome to help their organizations prosper. When you think of a manager, what kind of person comes to mind? Do you think of an executive like Scott Parish, who helps direct his com- pany? Or do you see a manager at a fast-food restaurant, who engages directly with employees and customers? Perhaps you think of a foreman at a manufacturing company? Regardless of how we view managers, they all share important characteristics. First, they all work in organizations. Organizations are collections of people who work together and coordinate their actions to achieve a wide variety of goals or desired future outcomes. 4 Second, as managers, they are the people respon- sible for supervising and making the most of an organization’s human and other resources to achieve its goals. Management , then, is the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of human and other resources to achieve organizational goals efficiently and effectively. An organization’s resources include assets such as people and their skills, know-how, and experience; machin- ery; raw materials; computers and information technology; and patents, financial capital, and loyal customers and employees. Achieving High Performance: AManager’sGoal One of the key goals that organizations try to achieve is to provide goods and services that customers value and desire. Scott Parish’s principal goal is to manage Alcon so that it creates a continuous stream of new and improved entertainment content—enjoyable films, televi- sion shows, and music—that customers are willing to buy. Like other entertainment compa- nies, Alcon also seeks projects that have potential to grow into film or television franchises, encouraging repeat business. Likewise, the principal goal of fast-food managers is to produce tasty and convenient food that customers enjoy and come back to buy. Finally, manufactur- ing managers must balance the quality needs of their consumers against the pressure to be cost-effective. Organizational performance is a measure of how efficiently and effectively managers use available resources to satisfy customers and achieve organizational goals. Organizational performance increases in direct proportion to increases in efficiency and effectiveness, as Figure1.1 shows. What are efficiency and effectiveness? Efficiency is a measure of how productively resources are used to achieve a goal. 5 Orga- nizations are efficient when managers minimize the amount of input resources (such as labor, raw materials, and component parts) or the amount of time needed to produce a given output of goods or services. For example, McDonald’s develops ever more efficient fat fryers that not only reduce the amount of oil used in cooking, but also speed up the cooking of french fries. UPS develops new work routines to reduce delivery time, such as instructing drivers to leave their truck doors open when going short distances. To encourage efficiency, Scott Parish has changed the way Alcon compensates many of its actors. Previously, film production companies paid actors using guaranteed compensation and without consideration of a movie’s success. They would recoup the cost of making a movie only if it had adequate performance at the box office. Unfortunately, that meant film producers like Alcon held all of the risk. Overview What Is Management? organizations Collections of people who work together and coordinate their actions to achieve a wide variety of goals or desired future outcomes. management The planning, organizing, leading, and con- trolling of human and other resources to achieve organi- zational goals efficiently and effectively. LO1-1 Describe what management is, why management is important, what managers do, and how managers use organizational resources efficiently and effectively to achieve organizational goals. organizational performance A measure of how efficiently and effectively a manager uses resources to satisfy customers and achieve organizational goals. effi ciency A measure of how well or how productively resources are used to achieve a goal. When a manager chooses inappropriate goals but makes good use of resources to pursue these goals it usually results in a product that quizlet?When a manager chooses inappropriate goals, but makes good use of resources to pursue these goals, it usually results in a: high-quality product that customers do not want.
When a manager makes good use of resources to achieve goals that are inappropriate for the organization this is called?High efficiency & Low effectiveness is described as: Manager chooses inappropriate goals, but makes good use of resources to pursue these goals. Result = A high-quality product that customers do not want. What are the four essential managerial tasks?
Which level of management is responsible for finding the best way to organize resources to achieve organizational goals?middle manager: A manager who supervises first-line managers and is responsible for finding the best way to use resources to achieve organizational goals. organizational performance: A measure of how efficiently and effectively a manager uses resources to satisfy customers and achieve organizational goals.
Are responsible for supervising the use of resources in an organization to ensure that goals are achieved?Managers are responsible for supervising the organization's resources for achieving organizational goals. Organizations are collections of people working together to achieve mutual goals. Planning, organizing, leading and controlling helps an organization reach its goals efficiently and effectively.
|