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management

answer

The process used to accomplish organizational goals through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling people and other organizational resources.

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planning

answer

A management function that includes anticipating trends and determining the best strategies and tactics to achieve organizational goals and objectives.

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organizing

answer

A management function that includes designing the structure of the organization and creating conditions and systems in which everyone and everything works together to achieve the organization's goals and objectives.

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leading

answer

Creating a vision for the organization and guiding, training, coaching, and motivating others to work effectively to achieve the organization's goals and objectives.

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controlling

answer

A management function that involves establishing clear standards to determine whether or not an organization is progressing toward its goals and objectives, rewarding people for doing a good job, and taking corrective action if they are not.

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vision

answer

An encompassing explanation of why the organization exists and where it's trying to head.

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mission statement

answer

An outline of the fundamental purposes of an organization.

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goals

answer

The broad, long-term accomplishments an organization wishes to attain.

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objectives

answer

Specific, short-term statements detailing how to achieve the organization's goals.

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SWOT analysis

answer

A planning tool used to analyze an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

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strategic planning

answer

The process of determining the major goals of the organization and the policies and strategies for obtaining and using resources to achieve those goals.

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tactical planning

answer

The process of developing detailed, short-term statements about what is to be done, who is to do it, and how it is to be done.

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operational planning

answer

The process of setting work standards and schedules necessary to implement the company's tactical objectives.

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contingency planning

answer

The process of preparing alternative courses of action that may be used if the primary plans don't achieve the organization's objectives.

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decision making

answer

Choosing among two or more alternatives.

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problem solving

answer

The process of solving the everyday problems that occur. Problem solving is less formal than decision making and usually calls for quicker action.

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brainstorming

answer

Coming up with as many solutions to a problem as possible in a short period of time with no censoring of ideas.

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PMI

answer

Listing all the pluses for a solution in one column, all the minuses in another, and the implications in a third column.

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organizational chart

answer

A visual device that shows relationships among people and divides the organization's work; it shows who reports to whom.

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top management

answer

Highest level of management, consisting of the president and other key company executives who develop strategic plans.

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middle management

answer

The level of management that includes general managers, division managers, and branch and plant managers who are responsible for tactical planning and controlling.

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supervisory management

answer

Managers who are directly responsible for supervising workers and evaluating their daily performance.

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technical skills

answer

Skills that involve the ability to perform tasks in a specific discipline or department.

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human relations skills

answer

Skills that involve communication and motivation; they enable managers to work through and with people.

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conceptual skills

answer

Skills that involve the ability to picture the organization as a whole and the relationship among its various parts.

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staffing

answer

A management function that includes hiring, motivating, and retaining the best people available to accomplish the company's objectives.

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transparency

answer

The presentation of a company's facts and figures in a way that is clear and apparent to all stakeholders.

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autocratic leadership

answer

Leadership style that involves making managerial decisions without consulting others.

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participative (democratic) leadership

answer

Leadership style that consists of managers and employees working together to make decisions.

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free-rein leadership

answer

Leadership style that involves managers setting objectives and employees being relatively free to do whatever it takes to accomplish those objectives.

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enabling

answer

Giving workers the education and tools they need to make decisions.

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knowledge management

answer

Finding the right information, keeping the information in a readily accessible place, and making the information known to everyone in the firm.

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external customers

answer

Dealers, who buy products to sell to others, and ultimate customers (or end users), who buy products for their own personal use.

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internal customers

answer

Individuals and units within the firm that receive services from other individuals or units.

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economies of scale

answer

The situation in which companies can reduce their production costs if they can purchase raw materials in bulk; the average cost of goods goes down as production levels increase.

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hierarchy

answer

A system in which one person is at the top of the organization and there is a ranked or sequential ordering from the top down of managers who are responsible to that person.

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bureaucracy

answer

An organization with many layers of managers who set rules and regulations and oversee all decisions.

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chain of command

answer

The line of authority that moves from the top of a hierarchy to the lowest level.

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span of control

answer

The optimum number of subordinates a manager supervises or should supervise.

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centralized authority

answer

An organization structure in which decision-making authority is maintained at the top level of management at the company's headquarters.

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decentralized authority

answer

An organization structure in which decision-making authority is delegated to lower-level managers more familiar with local conditions than headquarters management could be.

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tall organization structure

answer

An organizational structure in which the pyramidal organization chart would be quite tall because of the various levels of management.

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flat organization structure

answer

An organization structure that has few layers of management and a broad span of control.

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departmentalization

answer

The dividing of organizational functions into separate units.

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line organization

answer

An organization that has direct two-way lines of responsibility, authority, and communication running from the top to the bottom of the organization, with all people reporting to only one supervisor.

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staff personnel

answer

Employees who advise and assist line personnel in meeting their goals.

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line personnel

answer

Employees who are part of the chain of command that is responsible for achieving organizational goals.

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matrix organization

answer

An organization in which specialists from different parts of the organization are brought together to work on specific projects but still remain part of a line-and-staff structure.

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cross-functional self-managed teams

answer

Groups of employees from different departments who work together on a long-term basis.

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virtual corporation

answer

A temporary networked organization made up of replaceable firms that join and leave as needed.

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networking

answer

Using communications technology and other means to link organizations and allow them to work together on common objectives.

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real time

answer

The present moment or the actual time in which something takes place.

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benchmarking

answer

Comparing an organization's practices, processes, and products against the world's best.

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core competencies

answer

Those functions that the organization can do as well as or better than any other organization in the world.

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digital natives

answer

Young people who have grown up using the Internet and social networking.

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restructuring

answer

Redesigning an organization so that it can more effectively and efficiently serve its customers.

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inverted organization

answer

An organization that has contact people at the top and the chief executive officer at the bottom of the organization chart.

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organizational (or corporate) culture

answer

Widely shared values within an organization that provide unity and cooperation to achieve common goals.

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formal organization

answer

The structure that details lines of responsibility, authority, and position; that is, the structure shown on organization charts.

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informal organization

answer

The system that develops spontaneously as employees meet and form cliques, relationships, and lines of authority outside the formal organization; that is, the human side of the organization that does not appear on any organization chart.

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production

answer

The creation of finished goods and services using the factors of production: land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship and knowledge.

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production management

answer

The term used to describe all the activities managers do to help their firms create goods.

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operations management

answer

A specialized area in management that converts or transforms resources (including human resources) into goods and services.

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form utility

answer

The value producers add to materials in the creation of finished goods and services.

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process manufacturing

answer

The part of the production process that physically or chemically changes materials.

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assembly process

answer

The part of the production process that puts together components.

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continuous process

answer

A production process in which long production runs turn out finished goods over time.

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intermittent process

answer

A production process in which the production run is short and the machines are changed frequently to make different products.

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computer-aided design (CAD)

answer

The use of computers in the design of products.

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computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)

answer

The use of computers in the manufacturing of products.

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computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)

answer

The uniting of computer-aided design with computer-aided manufacturing.

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flexible manufacturing

answer

Designing machines to do multiple tasks so they can produce a variety of products.

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lean manufacturing

answer

The production of goods using less of everything compared to mass production.

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mass customization

answer

Tailoring products to meet the needs of individual customers.

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facility location

answer

The process of selecting a geographic location for a company's operations.

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telecommuting

answer

Working from home via computer and modem.

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facility layout

answer

The physical arrangement of resources (including people) in the production process.

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materials requirement planning (MRP)

answer

A computer-based operations management system that uses sales forecasts to make sure that needed parts and materials are available at the right time and place.

question

enterprise resource planning (ERP)

answer

A newer version of Materials Requirement Planning (MRP), that combines the computerized functions of all the divisions and subsidiaries of the firm--such as finance, human resources, and order fulfillment--into a single integrated software program that uses a single database.

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purchasing

answer

The function in a firm that searches for high-quality material resources, finds the best suppliers, and negotiates the best price for goods and services.

question

just-in-time (JIT) inventory control

answer

A production process in which a minimum of inventory is kept on the premises and parts, supplies, and other needs are delivered just in time to go on the assembly line.

question

quality

answer

Consistently producing what the customer wants while reducing errors before and after delivery to the customer.

question

Six Sigma quality

answer

A quality measure that allows only 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

question

statistical quality control (SQC)

answer

The process some managers use to continually monitor all phases of the production process to assure that quality is being built into the product from the beginning.

question

statistical process control (SPC)

answer

A process of testing statistical samples of product components at each stage of the production process and plotting those results on a graph. Any variances from quality standards are recognized and can be corrected if beyond the set standards.

question

ISO 9000

answer

The common name given to quality management and assurance standards.

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ISO 14000

answer

A collection of the best practices for managing an organization's impact on the environment.

question

program evaluation and review technique (PERT)

answer

A method for analyzing the tasks involved in completing a given project, estimating the time needed to complete each task, and identifying the minimum time needed to complete the total project.

question

critical path

answer

In a PERT network, the sequence of tasks that takes the longest time to complete.

question

Gantt chart

answer

Bar graph showing production managers what projects are being worked on and what stage they are in at any given time.

question

intrinsic reward

answer

The personal satisfaction you feel when you perform well and complete goals.

question

extrinsic reward

answer

Something given to you by someone else as recognition for good work; extrinsic rewards include pay increases, praise, and promotions.

question

scientific management

answer

Studying workers to find the most efficient ways of doing things and then teaching those techniques.

question

time-motion studies

answer

Studies, begun by Frederick Taylor, of which tasks must be performed to complete a job and the time needed to do each task.

question

principle of motion economy

answer

Theory developed by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth that every job can be broken down into a series of elementary motions.

question

Hawthorne effect

answer

The tendency for people to behave differently when they know they are being studied.

question

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

answer

Theory of motivation based on unmet human needs from basic physiological needs to safety, social, and esteem needs to self-actualization needs.

question

motivators

answer

In Herzberg's theory of motivating factors, job factors that cause employees to be productive and that give them satisfaction.

question

hygiene factors

answer

In Herzberg's theory of motivating factors, job factors that can cause dissatisfaction if missing but that do not necessarily motivate employees if increased.

question

motivators (list)

answer

Work itself, Achievement, Recognition, Responsibility, Growth and advancement

question

hygiene factors (list)

answer

Company policy and administration, Supervision, Working conditions, Interpersonal relationships (co-workers), & Salary, status and job security

question

goal-setting theory

answer

The idea that setting ambitious but attainable goals can motivate workers and improve performance if the goals are accepted, accompanied by feedback, and facilitated by organizational conditions.

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management by objectives (MBO)

answer

A system of goal setting and implementation; it involves a cycle of discussion, review, and evaluation of objectives among top and middle-level managers, supervisors, and employees.

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expectancy theory

answer

Victor Vroom's theory that the amount of effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their expectations of the outcome.

question

reinforcement theory

answer

Theory that positive and negative reinforcers motivate a person to behave in certain ways.

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equity theory

answer

The idea that employees try to maintain equity between inputs and outputs compared to others in similar positions.

question

job enrichment

answer

A motivational strategy that emphasizes motivating the worker through the job itself.

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job enlargement

answer

A job enrichment strategy that involves combining a series of tasks into one challenging and interesting assignment.

question

job rotation

answer

A job enrichment strategy that involves moving employees from one job to another.

question

human resource management (HRM)

answer

The process of determining human resource needs and then recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating, compensating and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals.

question

affirmative action

answer

Employment activities designed to "right past wrongs" by increasing opportunities for minorities and women.

question

reverse discrimination

answer

Discrimination against whites or males in hiring or promoting.

question

job analysis

answer

A study of what employees do who hold various job titles.

question

job description

answer

A summary of the objectives of the job, the type of work to be done, the responsibilities and duties, the working conditions and the relationship of the job to other functions.

question

job specifications

answer

A written summary of the minimal qualifications required of workers to do a particular job.

question

recruitment

answer

The set of activities used to obtain a sufficient number of the right employees at the right time.

question

selection

answer

The process of gathering information and deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, to serve the best interests of the individual and the organization.

question

contingent workers

answer

Employees that Include part-time workers, temporary workers, seasonal workers, independent contractors, interns, and co-op students.

question

training and development

answer

All attempts to improve productivity by increasing an employee's ability to perform. Training focuses on short-term skills, development on long-term abilities.

question

orientation

answer

The activity that introduces new employees to the organization; to fellow employees; to their immediate supervisors; and to the policies, practices, and objectives of the firm.

question

on-the-job-training

answer

Training at the workplace that lets the employee learn by doing or by watching others for a while and then imitating them.

question

apprentice programs

answer

Training programs during which a learner works alongside an experienced employee to master the skills and procedures of a craft.

question

off-the-job-training

answer

Internal or external training programs away from the workplace that develop any of a variety of skills or foster personal development.

question

online training

answer

Training programs in which employees complete classes via the Internet.

question

vestibule training

answer

Training done in schools where employees are taught on equipment similar to that used on the job.

question

job simulation

answer

The use of equipment that duplicates job conditions and tasks so trainees can learn skills before attempting them on the job.

question

management development

answer

The process of training and educating employees to become good managers and then monitoring the progress of their managerial skills over time.

question

networking

answer

The process of establishing and maintaining contacts with key managers in and outside the organization and using those contacts to weave strong relationships that serve as informal development systems.

question

mentor

answer

An experienced employee who supervises, coaches and guides lower-level employees by introducing them to the right people and generally being their organizational sponsor.

question

performance appraisal

answer

An evaluation that measures employee performance against established standards in order to make decisions about promotions, compensation, training or termination.

question

fringe benefits

answer

Benefits such as sick leave pay, vacation pay, pension plans, and health plans that represent additional compensation beyond base wages.

question

cafeteria-style fringe benefits

answer

Fringe benefits plan that allows employees to choose the benefits they want up to a certain dollar amount.

question

flextime plan

answer

Work schedule that gives employees some freedom to choose when to work, as long as they work the required number of hours.

question

core time

answer

In a flextime plan, the period when all employees are expected to be at their job stations.

question

compressed workweek

answer

Work schedule that allows an employee to work a full number of hours per week but in fewer days.

question

job sharing

answer

An arrangement whereby two part-time employees share one full-time job.

question

union

answer

An employee organization whose main goal is representing its members in employee-management negotiation of job-related issues.

question

craft union

answer

An organization of skilled specialists in a particular craft or trade.

question

Knights of Labor

answer

The first national labor union; founded 1869.

question

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

answer

An organization of craft unions that championed fundamental labor issues; founded in 1886.

question

industrial unions

answer

Labor organizations of unskilled and semiskilled workers in mass-production industries such as automobiles and mining.

question

Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)

answer

union organizations of unskilled workers; broke away from the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1935 and rejoined it in 1955.

question

yellow-dog contract

answer

A type of contract that required employees to agree as a condition of employment not to join a union; prohibited by the Norris-LaGuardia Act in 1932.

question

collective bargaining

answer

The process whereby union and management representatives form a labor-management agreement, or contract, for workers.

question

certification

answer

Formal process whereby a union is recognized by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as the bargaining agent for the group of employees.

question

decertification

answer

The process by which workers take away a union's right to represent them.

question

negotiated labor-management agreement (labor contract)

answer

Agreement that sets the tone and clarifies the terms under which management and labor agree to function over a period of time.

question

union security clause

answer

Provision in a negotiated labor-management agreement that stipulates that employees who benefit from a union must either officially join or at least pay dues to the union.

question

closed shop agreement

answer

Clause in a labor-management agreement that specified workers had to be members of the union before being hired (was outlawed by the Taft-Hartley Act 1947).

question

union shop agreement

answer

Clause in a labor-management agreement that says workers do not have to be members of a union to be hired, but must agree to join the union within a prescribed period.

question

agency shop agreement

answer

Clause in a labor-management agreement that says employers may hire nonunion workers; employees are not required to join the union but must pay a union fee.

question

right-to-work laws

answer

Legislation that gives workers the right, under an open shop agreement, to join or not join a union if it is present.

question

open shop agreement

answer

Agreement in the right-to-work states that gives workers the option to join or not join a union, if one exists in their workplace.

question

grievance

answer

A charge by employees that management is not abiding by the terms of the negotiated labor-management agreement.

question

shop stewards

answer

Union officials who work permanently in an organization and represent employee interests on a daily basis.

question

bargaining zone

answer

The range of options between the initials and final offer that each party will consider before negotiations dissolve or reach an impasse.

question

mediation

answer

The use of the third party, called mediator, who encourages both sides in a dispute to continue negotiating and often makes suggestions for resolving the dispute.

question

arbitration

answer

The agreement to bring in an impartial third party (a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators) to render a binding decision in a labor dispute.

question

strike

answer

An union strategy in which workers refuse to go to work; the purpose is to further workers' objectives after an impasse in collective bargaining.

question

cooling-off period

answer

When workers in a critical industry return to their jobs while the union and management continue negotiations.

question

primary boycott

answer

When a union encourages both its members and the general public not to buy the products of a firm involved in a labor dispute.

question

secondary boycott

answer

An attempt by labor to convince others to stop doing business with a firm that is the subject of a primary boycott.

question

lockout

answer

An attempt by management to put pressure on unions by temporarily closing the business.

question

injunction

answer

A court order directing someone to do something or to refrain from doing something.

question

strikebreakers

answer

Workers hired to do the jobs of striking workers until the labor dispute is resolved.

question

givebacks

answer

Concessions made by union members to management ; gains from labor negotiations are given back to management to help employers remain competitive and thereby save jobs.

question

sexual harassment

answer

Unwelcoming sexual advances, request for sexual favors.

Understanding Business (Nickels, McHugh) Chapters 7-12 – Flashcards

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